June 27th, 2017

C M Y K

www.morungexpress.com

tuesDAY • June 27 • 2017

DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 174• 12 PAGes • 5

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

o F

T R u T H

A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar — Henry Louis Mencken Prices Petrol/Diesel for June 27 Petrol: 62.22/Litre Diesel: 52.17

I am proud to be a carpenter: Vethivo Kezo

(Applicable from 6:00 AM)

The gloves are off between Hamilton and Vettel

PAGE 02

PAGe 12

‘Nagaland a fertile ground for drug dealing and usage’ In 18 months 560 persons arrested for smuggling IMFL & drugs in Nagaland Morung Express News Kohima | June 26

Villagers are seen dragging a house away from a landslide area in Zangkham village, under Tizit in Mon District on June 26. Landslides due to incessant rain have affected normal life in the village by blocking the lifeline road to the village and damaging private properties including houses, farms and other belongings. No casualty has been reported so far but people have been traumatized by this experience and their mobility has become difficult. (Photo Courtesy: Khamhi Konyak)

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Four lanes? Can you divert one lane to our village?

Avoid drinking with non-doctors: IMA to members

C M Y K

NEw DElhI, JUNE 26 (PTI): The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has directed its office-bearers to refrain from drinking with “non-doctors” and become “brand ambassadors of health” for the society. In a recent advisory, the representative voluntary organisation of doctors has also asked its members to observe dry days on July 1 (Doctors’ Day) and September 5 (Teachers’ day). It also suggests a “safe limit” for alcohol consumption -- 18 ml for male and 9 ml for female doctors. “No alcohol should be served at IMA meetings,” says the advisory, which is part of the IMA’s “alcohol policy”. It says doctors have a responsibility to put into practice what they preach to patients on leading a healthy lifestyle. It urges them to maintain dignity before patients, a dictum also laid down in the Medical Council of India’s (MCI’s) code of ethics. “A physician shall uphold the dignity and honour of the profession.

A patient should be able to trust his doctor and have confidence in him. Any public display of ‘undignified’ behaviour erodes the trust in the doctor and gives the profession a bad name,” said Dr KK Aggarwal, National President of the IMA.

Since 2016, 560 persons have been arrested for smuggling liquor and banned drugs in Nagaland state, and 427 cases have been registered.

The amount of drugs seized during this period include 9711 kgs of Ganja, 63 kgs 75 gms of Opium, 12gms of Heroin, 4 kgs 575 gms of Brown sugar, 1 kg of Yaba, 527,626 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon, 8484 tablets of Nitrgogen, 3 tablets of Diaszepam and 12, 297 bottles of cough syrup. Further, 202,9191 bottles of IMFL were also seized.

This was informed by K Mero, IGP, Crime (PHQ), Nagaland Police on June 26 during the observation of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Kohima at Hotel Japfu.

“The social and ethical breakdown that the society is going through, the lack of discipline in all

levels of society and the urge to get easy money are all fertile grounds for drug dealing and usage,” he said.

Nagaland is used as a conduit route for drug traffickers due to its close proximity to the Golden Triangle, especially with Myanmar.

However this may just be the tip of the iceberg. “With the expertise that we have or with the lack of it, including the lack of will to really search and eliminate trafficking, the quantity detected and seized may just be the tip of the iceberg.

Much more must be crossing the state –the ready and processed products as well as the raw materials including the chemicals that are needed for such processing.

Yet we do not have the manpower, the gadgets and the knowledge to identify and detect such materials.

The police department itself has a lot to invest on,” Mero said.

Mero also criticized the complacency of citizens towards drug trafficking and usage. He cautioned that “a day may soon come when that complacency will be shattered and we suddenly realize that our state is not only conduit but is also a big user.” This, Mero explained, is because the situation

in Nagaland is ripe for drug pushers to take advantage of and pull in susceptible children, gullible youths and greedy adults into the vortex of drug addiction and trafficking.

He also noted that of late, the drug scene in the state is slowly beginning to change. Not only is the state being used as a route for trafficking but the local people in the state are slowly and discreetly turning to cultivation of especially cannabis, Mero informed. The danger lies, according to him, in the “indifferent attitude i.e. the lack of shock in learning of such crops being grown and trafficked in the state.”

Mero meanwhile acknowledged that the people involved in the detection and seizure of contrabands can also be vulnerable to easy money that these goods could bring them. “There is always a danger that we the police and the judiciary who handle these substantial quantities of highly dangerous and destructive drugs are exposed to the means to make a fast buck by manipulating and misusing the authority thrust on us.”

He pointed to the need for effective checks and balances to see

that substantial quantities do not go back into the circuit again, and further appealed to NGOs to be more responsible and vigilant in monitoring the seizures and their eventual disposal as per law.

Meanwhile it was also informed that the Regional Resource & Training Centre North East 2 (Kripa Foundation Nagaland) will head the National survey on Substance use in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh, with technical support from AIIMS, New Delhi.

This was announced by Abou Mere, who mentioned that the study will help understand the magnitude and proportion of the Naga population using substances and the response in addressing its impact.

The survey will also look into the gaps in policies and programs for drug demand and harm reduction in the national level as well as state level. Therefore Mere requested the selected district administrators, Village Councils and all partners to help the research team to collect necessary information and data.

In Nagaland, the survey will cover Dimapur, Peren, Phek, Tuensang and Wokha.

Probe ‘anomalies’ in Excise dept! APO: Formation of Working Group a ‘positive approach’ DIMAPUR, JUNE 26 (MExN): The District Congress Committee, Dimapur (DCCD) today called for a probe into what it said were anomalies in the Nagaland State Excise Department.

Taking up RTI replies furnished by the department on an application filed by Vikato S Aye, former President, Highway Area Sumi Students’ Union Dimapur, the DCCD held a press conference in Dimapur today and demanded that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into all the “anomalies.”

The RTI application was filed on May 29, 2017 by Vikato S Aye, and the PIO of the department furnished its reply on June 16, 2017.

In the RTI reply, the department informed that 11 vehicles have been allotted to people who are “not entitled” for the same in the department.

It revealed allotments under this were made to the Parliamentary Secretary, Excise (Bolero); a Secretary, Excise Kohima (applied for); an Inspector of Excise (M/S) (Bolero Invader); a UDA (M/van); a Senior Account Offi-

cer (M/Van); a retired Assistant Commissioner of Excise (Enf) (Bolero); a retired Deputy Commissioner of Excise (HQ) (Bolero); a retired Superintendent of Excise, Zunheboto (Gypsy); a retired Superintendent of Excise, Dimapur (Bolero Invader); the Superintendent of Excise, Kohima (Bolero Invader); and a retired Registrar, Excise Dimapur (Bolero).

The department however mentioned that 6 of these vehicles are under process for condemnation. This includes, as per the RTI reply, those belonging to the retired officials and the one for the Superintendent of Excise, Kohima.

The RTI documents, which were made available to the media, also revealed that 25 vehicles were purchased by the department since 2010 and that 11 vehicles have been condemned since 2005.

The DCCD President, Kughato Aye raised the issue of retention of vehicles by retired department officials beyond the permitted 6 months time, and called for a probe into it.

The department also in-

formed that as of 2015, 44 officials (AIE and below) have retired in the department. Further it was revealed that 22 appointments were made since 2015, of which 19 were direct appointments and 3 appointments were made on compassionate grounds.

According to the department, remaining vacancies in the department are under the process for advertisements at one go in order to “avoid piece advertisement.”

The DCCD meanwhile said that even as the department talks about shortage of staff, there was still a vacancy of 25 Head Constables, 4 Havildars, 2 Peons and 4 LDA-cum Computer Assistants.

The DCCD demanded requisitioning of all the alleged “backdoor appointees” to the NPSC. Responding to other queries, the department informed that there is no reservation/ provision in the department for people with disabilities, and that there are no special privilege /terms and conditions for employees with disabilities.

Further it was revealed there are only 3 persons with disabilities are in the field for Dimapur.

Members of the six NNPGs Working Group and Angami representatives in Dimapur on June 26.

Urges 6 NNPGs Working Group to ‘be accommodative to ground realities’ DIMAPUR, JUNE 26 (MExN): The Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) Working Group (WG) and the Angami Public Organisation (APO) met at Tourist Lodge in Dimapur today.

A press note from the media cell of the NNPGs Working Group reported that the APO “expressed appreciation at the formation of Working Group (WG) by six Naga National po-

litical groups and declared that the unity of all Nagas was also the ardent desire of the Angami people.”

The APO also conveyed that the Naga political issue was a common property of all Nagas and therefore the formation of Working Group was a “positive approach towards achieving our common aspiration.” It further encouraged the Working Group to be accommodative to ground reality and avoid dictatorial and emotional attitude on the part of the political leaders.

The convener and co-con-

veners of Working Group meanwhile acknowledged the contribution, commitment and resilience of Angami people in the Naga political struggle and appreciated APO leaders for keeping this legacy.

The leaders also appealed to APO that the socio-political condition of Nagas at a present time demands that “as pioneers, at any given time, the opinion and wisdom of Angami people will matter much in any political discourse between the 6 Naga National Political Groups and the Government of India.”

tragopan breeding centre gets support from a conservationist ‘If we keep on hunting, what will we leave to the future?’

Vishü Rita Krocha Kohima | June 26

“How can you run a breeding centre without an incubator?”

This was a question that rang in Kenei Kuotsu’s mind - a staunch conservationist - when he recently visited the Blyth’s Tragopan Conservation and Breeding Centre at Kohima.

“The state bird of Nagaland - the Blyth’s Tragopan is an endangered species,” he stated with deep concern as he delved deeper into its wellbeing and reflected on his meeting with Keneikrul, the official in charge of the Breeding Centre, with whom he discussed the various challenges faced by the centre.

The Breeding Centre lacks an incubator, which Kuotsu identified has been an impediment to the growth of the centre.

SpeakGuru Foundation founded by Kuotsu is contributing an

incubator to the centre as one of the first steps to aid the breeding programme. The Foundation is also providing a power generator.

SpeakGuru Foundation was started with the aim to help in the conservation of flora and fauna endemic to Nagaland, besides its two other primary goals of helping children with cancer, and needy students/schools.

“They don’t have an incubator. What the centre is doing is trying to let them hatch naturally which is very challenging,” he said. “Tragopans cannot incubate because they are in an artificial environment. They are very skittish and at the slightest disturbance, they will run away.

There are a lot of factors that can affect the hatching of the eggs.

Therefore an incubator will really help.”

With a Master’s Degree in Geology from Pune University, Kuotsu currently works for a Canadian Company - Manulife as a senior Manager in Singapore.

As a young boy, he admitted to having hunted with catapults

Kenei Kuotsu

but it passed with age. According to him, a realisation to conserve wildlife and start conservation programmes dawned on him when he started penning the Speak Guru column. “If we keep on hunting, what are we going to leave for our future generations?”

As his passion for conservation issues grew, he started doing his own research and added that “moving to Singapore really helped because people there really love animals.”

Kenei Kuotsu also spends his weekends as a docent at the Singapore Zoo interacting with visitors. While in Singapore, he once walked a distance of 50km with friends, colleagues and well wishers pledging to contribute to the cause of the SpeakGuru Foundation. That ‘walk’ helped raise about $ 2000.

On June 24, he along with members and patrons of the Foundation undertook a similar expedition to the Dzükou Valley with conservation as the underlying message. His colleagues and friends have pledged Rs.

20,000 to the cause.

To take the conservation programme forward in Nagaland, the Foundation is also seeking to have students from Singapore and around the world take up research assignments on the Blyth’s Tragopan attached to the Breeding Centre.

He said, “The reason why I want this is because once they come and do the research, it will help in their course work back in their own country, and it will also help us to gather more resources and those resources will help us in the future to know more about our Blyth’s Tragopan.”

While he is here, he plans to engage with students on the importance of the Breeding Centre and conversation as a whole.

“We need to start from ground zero. I will tell them about the bird but the underlying message would be conservation. If they learn now, they will grow up with the message imprinted in their minds; that conservation is important and we should preserve and conserve our plants and animals.”

2

tuesday 27•06•2017

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

I am proud to be a carpenter: Vethivo Kezo Vishü Rita Krocha

E

Kohima | June 26

verybody including his parents thought it was insane when Vethivo Kezo came back home with an impressive M.A degree in Economics from Hyderabad Central University coupled with a diploma in Interior Designing from IIFT, New Delhi, and decided to take up carpentry. But resolute on his dream of pursuing woodwork, he forewent every golden opportunity to work in the government sector and also withstood the immense pressure he received from several corners to write competitive examinations.

It was in 2009 that he started Kohima based “Kezo Enterprise” after defying many odds and putting up with so many discouraging comments. Eight years down the line, he has proved himself to be a successful carpenter, even taking those who felt it was a worthless pursuit, by surprise. It wasn’t by chance that he studied economics but a conscious decision that he made right from the beginning. This was based on his interest for business while the course on interior designing is unmistakably a good match for the kind of work he now indulges in.

“As a kid, I was always interested in woodwork and I used to learn the names of the tools from an uncle who did a lot of carpentry works,” he recalls. “I am not only interested but I think I am good at it,” he says as he looks back on how he has grown in the profession over the years. “When I was in class 6 or 7, I made two study tables for my younger siblings in the village. My dad said it would be too high, but I wanted to make chairs as well, which, sadly, I couldn’t make since my vacation got over. When I finished the tables, they were a bit shaky, and a little too high for my siblings but since we had high beds, they would sit on the bed and use the tables to study”, he recounts. “Last year I went to my village and saw that the tables were still there at home,” he remembers with nostalgia.

Ever since, he has come a long way, making all kinds of furniture and livening up many people’s homes. Still, it is not rare for him to come across Nagas who brush aside carpentry as an insignificant profession. “One attitude Nagas have is when I say I am a carpenter- they don’t respect us- but those people cannot even afford a piece of furniture we make. But I am proud to be a carpenter,”

Vethivo Kezo seen at his work place, Kezo Enterprise, located near Alder College Kohima.

he proclaims.

Talking more about what he does, he says that “the biggest challenge in the carpentry industry is we don’t know much about wood. We are not familiar with the changing or the sizing of the wood.”

He also emphasizes on the importance of seasoning wood, which, for a natural process, requires at least a year or two.

“One of the cheapest ways is to keep the wood in a dry place for one year,” he says, while asserting that “until and unless you season it well, you cannot get fine products.” Towards this end, he has always ensured that for all his woodworks ranging from kitchen cabinets to school furniture, properly seasoned wood is used, and also that the quality is not compromised and no wood is ever wasted.

However, he also feels that the mindsets of our people are slowly changing.

“Earlier, maybe people got into carpentry only as a means of livelihood but it’s different now,” he states. “For me, it is not like working. When you are in a profession that you are enjoying, it does not feel like work”, he puts across and goes on to add that, “if you want to become rich, you can become rich by doing anything but it takes hard labour.” *Year of Construction Workers (YOCW) is a joint program of the Government of Nagaland in partnership with YouthNet, Zynorique and the Department of Labour & Employment, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Young people catch up with café trends Yurkanphy RS

Dimapur | June 26

On a sunny afternoon in Dimapur, Café BaE was filled with young people sipping chilled iced tea while a group of children played around fascinated by the unique eco-friendly decors.

Among the many cafes in the town, Café BaE at Duncan Bosti is one of the preferred destinations to hang out by people of all age groups. The bustling café, in an average, registers about 40-45 customers per day.

The busy and active customers are certain evidence that people have started warming up to the idea of dining in cafés, restaurants, and not just on special occasions but also on any normal day.

Café culture globally is growing at a very fast rate and Dimapur is steadily catching up with the rest of the world in this aspect.

The town has seen aggressive expansion of cafés in the recent years. “After the opening of my café, there has been several other cafés that opened up, it’s nice to know that people are thinking of cafés as good places to hangout,” said L. Talikumla Aier, owner of

Café BaE. Evolving customer lifestyle has contributed to the rise in number of cafés in Dimapur. Customers’ trends are gradually moving from the fine dine to a more casual dining culture. “They (customers) not only visit the cafés for food but also to take pictures,” stated 30-year-old Tohoshe Ayemi, owner of Café Gossip located at Tajen Ao road.

With greater access to internet and almost more than half of the population being active users of various social media platforms, people are not only aware of the trends but also adapting to them. Owners of cafés and restaurants like Café BaE, Café Gossip, Bangkok Cuisine and many more, all agreed that social media platforms directly affected/ affects the number of customers they receive.

“We’ve already had people coming from Delhi visit our restaurant particularly after they came across pictures of our restaurant on social media,” said Helena Chakhesang, manager of Bangkok Cuisine at 5th Mile.

On the other hand, the café managing business is attracting quite a number of young adults and a few

Customers at Café BaE in Dimapur on a pleasant afternoon recently. Photo by Yurkanphy RS

have already joined the job market Aged only 21, Talikumla, owner of Café BaE said she would highly encourage people interested in the job market to join.

“It’s going better than I expected,” she said, adding “If at all, young Nagas are interested in restaurant managing business, there needs to be dedication and a lot of hard work. It’s not as simple as it seems, you need to invest energy and a lot of your time in it.” Helena concurred that restau-

rant management is a good business.

However, there were also some who said the business is in demand but challenging at the same time as the population of the town is less and they are uncertain about when they might receive their customers.

Restaurant management is an emerging field and private sector jobs are bound to grow in the future. It is evident that young graduates are more inclined towards private jobs

as interest in private equity has increased. “I plan on expanding my business by opening up more cafés/ restaurants providing customers with probably local dishes,” Tohoshe added.

When asked about the stability of their income, the managers and owners commented that the business was good and also stable. “I have not been into loss and it’s going good,” said Talikumla.

The writer is currently an intern at The Morung Express

PRSU laments inaction of authorities

Tuensang, June 26 (Mexn): The Pathso Range Students’ Union (PRSU) has lamented the inaction of authorities with regard to complaints against a former EAC of Panso Town for issuing “unauthorized” site permits and charging money.

A press statement from PRSU alleged that the EAC issued unauthorized site permits and charged money thereby

creating unnecessary administrative disarray and confusion among public of Pathso range under Noklak subdivision, Tuensang district.

“Such harassment of innocent public taking due advantage of illiteracy in the area is questionable,” asserted the statement issued by PRSU president, Shangchiu and information & publicity secretary, Tsoinyu.

The union stated it served an ultimatum through Deputy Commissioner, Tuensang on September 13, 2016 for monetary recovery and disciplinary action against the defaulter within 35 days from issuance of the letter and consecutively, a 10-day ultimatum was served to the Parliamentary Secretary for Land Revenue, dated June 14, 2017.

“The PRSU concludes

that by showing such lackadaisical attitude to public grievances, it only self justify an act of accomplice and connivance to social criminals which further encourage more corruptions and crimes to be perpetrated without an iota of fear in the days to come too,” the statement read.

The union lamented that the case cannot be pursued any further and “has lost all hope in fulfill-

ing pledge of the subject of demand that has been made with the site permit holders and beg an unconditional apology to the victims since the State competent authority has turned a deaf ear to the cry of the common people.”

Meanwhile, the union appealed to every concerned legal activist or organization to take up the matter if they think it deserves attention.

Human animal conflict mitigation campaign continues

Meluri, June 26 (Mexn): As part of the human animal conflict mitigation campaign being conducted across Nagaland, an awareness and interaction with the public programme was conducted by Kiphire Wildlife Division of the Department of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on June 24 at the Dobashi Court Hall of Meluri, Phek district.

Velatso, DFO Phek in his welcome address requested the villagers to help and collaborate with the department in gathering data on any sightings of wildlife, any unique flora and fauna so that it can augment the collective knowledge. “Only when we work hand-in-hand is when we can together succeed,” he stated, according to a press release.

Meanwhile, the chief guest, Dharmendra Prakash (IFS), Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning & Development)

Participants of the human animal conflict mitigation campaign programme held in Meluri on June 24.

applauded the conservation efforts of the public. He also shared his personal experiences and examples of successes and urged the public to share their suggestions at the forum.

The programme, the release said, was marked by active participation of the village leaders and the heads who not only shared their suggestions, grievances, but also explained in de-

tail the efforts taken by the villages in the area towards conservation, banning of hunting and reduction of jhum cultivation. The villagers requested for usage of camera traps in the region to identify more fauna species in the region. They also said that conflict between wildlife and humans in this particular region has reduced. Additional inputs were also requested from

the department on management of abandoned jhum lands. The participants also acknowledged the efforts of Rongsenlemla (IFS), DFO Kohima (previously DFO Phek).

Wildlife Warden Kiphire, Suman WM Sivachar (IFS) also addressed the gathering regarding the position, policies of the State Government and MoEFCC. Owing to the fact that grow-

Int'l Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Participants carry out rally to create awareness on harmful effects of drugs and prevention of HIV & AIDS on International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 in Pfütsero.

Pfu T ser o, J une 26 (Mexn): As part of the sensitization campaign on drug abuse and HIV & AIDS, 9 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ 5 Sector, IGAR (N), Lightway Society, Kalos Society, Red Cross, Pfütsero Branch and Kripa Foundation observed International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 in Pfütsero as second phase of the campaign.

A press release from Kupelhi Losou, Director, Kalos Society, Pfütsero informed that the first

phase of the campaign was organized on June 7 in the form of seminar, wherein more than 150 people participated.

In the second phase of the campaign on June 26, a rally was carried out with participants comprising youth of the town, students of TMT School, troops of 9 Assam Rifles, NGOs, and public of Pfütsero. They marched around the town with banners, placards and posters to create awareness among people on the harmful effects of drugs and pre-

vention of HIV & AIDS, the release added. Vikholie Yiese, Program Manager, Kripa Foundation and master trainer in his guest lecture emphasized on abuse of drugs, alcohol and narcotics. The program objective was shared by Vesusa Tetseo, Project Director, Lightway Society.

The release mentioned that Pfütsero Youth Front and people of the town appreciated the initiative of the organizers in educating and creating awareness among the people, especially the future generation.

ing human populations are overlapping with wildlife habitats and also sources of food for the wildlife are reducing, human animal conflict is on the rise, he pointed out. The virgin forests of Phek contain flora and fauna that are unique not only to the region but also to the entire world, he added.

A total of 110 people including Throtingba, EAC Meluri, Chülekhu, President, Pochury Hoho, Pochury Mothers’ Association, Women Welfare Society Meluri Town, Kenei, Officer-in-charge Me- Dziesekhrienuo Keretsü presents special number during the inaugural programme of Ist Koluri, staff from Adminis- hima District Inter-High School Football Tournament jointly organized by Royal Club Kohima tration, Police, Forest and and school education department at Kohima Local Ground on June 26. (Morung Photo) allied departments, village leaders from 27 villages, women and children attended the event, which was sponsored by MoEFCC, Government of India, New Delhi.

Earlier, the programme was chaired by Seichutho Katiry, Range Forest Officer, Phek Forest Division.

Folktales of Wolam to be released June 27

Out of the box 2 – how to make a living out of music M-Table to organize workshop on July 1

KohiMa, June 26 (Mexn): A book titled Folktales of Wolam (Pangsha) authored by Putchong Thai will be released on June 27, 11:30 am at Ladies Common Room, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus, Meriema. The book will be released by Prof. N. Das, Department of English, Nagaland Uni- Members of M-Table at the press conference held at Hotel Grand Tizu in Dimapur on June 26. versity. Hangching M. Thai, president, Morung Express News discussions on different spheres of the Wolam Nyukyan Students’ Union will music industry mainly focusing on how to Dimapur | June 26 deliver short speech, while Dr. Rosemake a living out of one’s music. mary Dzüvichü, Head, Department of M-Table organization aspiring to assist The members of the organization adEnglish, NU will chair the function. and bring together upcoming Naga musi- dressing a press conference at Hotel Grand is hosting a workshop titled “Out of Tizu here on June 26 mentioned that they NCD informs to attend road cians the box 2” on July 1, 1:00 pm at Aida Build- are musicians coming together to give back ing, Don Bosco, Dimapur. safety awareness prog to the society and that they encourage and Eminent personalities from the mu- wish to guide people interested in joining the DiMaPur, June 26 (Mexn): The sic industry like Jaya Singh (Asst. Man- music industry.

Motor Vehicles department, Govern- ager – content acquisition and label artThe organization has appealed to peoment of Nagaland under the initiatives ist relations, business development, Artist ple of all age groups with a passion for muof Ministry of Road Transport and Aloud–Hungama), Tetseo Sisters (folk artsic and for those who plan on working in Highways (MORTH) and Association of State Road Transport Undertaking ists), Among Jamir (bass player of Pritam, the music industry to attend the workshop.

Methaneilie Jutakhrie will be the spe(ASRTU) is organizing a road safety former member of AGNEE), Alobo Naga (singer, song writer, composer), James cial guest at the workshop, while RD Minawareness programme with the theme Swu (music lecturer MSSM, composer ister CL John will be the chief guest.

‘Time for Action’ on June 27, 11:00 am With limited seats available, registraat IMC Hall, Dimapur. Therefore, Naga and conductor), Moa Subong (musician, Council Dimapur (NCD) has request- inventor of Bamhum) will be there at the tion will also be done on the workshop day itself at a cost of Rs 200. For registration, call ed all the councilors, tribal hohos, GBs workshop.

Apart from promoting importance of +91-9089409715, +91-8787516614, +91(Sadars), DUCCF, DDCF and NWHD music education, the workshop will have 8730024687. members to attend the programme.

Tuesday 27•06•2017

NORTH-EAST 3

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

GJM threatens to intensify Gorkhaland agitation with fasts, 'self-sacrifice'

Darjeeling, june 26 (ianS): Urging the Central government to start a dialogue about a separate Gorkhaland state to be carved out of northern West Bengal hills, a section of GJM leadership on Monday vowed to intensify their agitation though actions like "selfsacrifice" and fasting till death.

"The Central government should immediately start dialog about the separate state of Gorkhaland," Prakash Gurung, President of the Gorkha Janmukti Yuva Morcha (GJYM), the youth wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, told reporters here.

"We will intensify our agitation for Gorkhaland by taking the path of self-sacrifice and fasting till death from now on," he said.

Accusing the Central and

state governments of staying mum on the death of three GJM activists in a clash with security forces in Singmari area here, Gurung said there would be symbolic protest against the role of state government in handling the situation.

"Three of our brothers were martyred in the Gorkhalannd movement but the state government and Central government is silent about it. The one point agenda of our agitation is Gorkhaland.

"We will do a symbolic protest by burning the GTA documents at various places in the hills and the Dooars region tomorrow (On Tuesday). We will also burn the documents at the Pintel village in Darjeeling where the GTA agreement took place," he added.

Meanwhile, the security

personnel and senior officers of West Bengal police route marched in Darjeeling to oversee the law and order situation.

A police convoy led by IPS officer Siddhinath Gupta, marched from Chowk Bazar to the district magistrate's office in Darjeeling. The team also went to Singmari police outpost where the massive clash between the security forces and Morcha activist had taken place on July 17.

Morcha's announcement of intensifying the agitation came on the 12th day of GJM sponsored indefinite shutdown in the north Bengal hills.

The shutdown was partially relaxed for 12 hours on Monday on occasion of Eid and the public vehicles were allowed ply on the streets of Darjeeling.

GJM delegation hands over resignation from GTA to Governor

KolKata, june 26 (ianS): A three-member delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) met Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi here on Monday to formally submit their resignation letters from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the developmental board in the northern West Bengal hills.

"MLA from Darjeeling Amar Singh Rai, ex-GTA chairman Roshan Lama and Deputy Chairman Rabindra Lama were in Kolkata today to hand over their resignation letters to the Governor of West Bengal," Binay Tamang, GJM's Assistant General Secretary, told IANS. Tamang said the delegation, led

by Amar Singh Rai, also handed over the resignation letters of 43 GJM leaders, including party chief Bimal Gu-

rung, who resigned en masse from the board on June 23.

"The other GTA member Satish Pokhrel, who is in judicial custody, had handed over the resignation letter to Roshan Lama," he added.

The GJM, spearheading the movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland in the Darjeeling hills, announced it would resign from the GTA over its differences with the Mamata Banerjee government.

The GJM chief, who had been in hiding since a police raid at his residence in Darjeeling's Patlebas locality on June 15, had resurfaced on Friday and vowed to burn the GTA Regulation Act documents before the public on June 27 as a symbolic protest against the board.

Tension in Sikkim following scuffle between Sino-Indian troops LNC asks Liangmais to withdraw new Delhi, june 26 (the inDian expreSS): Tension gripped remote areas of Sikkim after a scuffle between Indian Army and Chinese troops which led to Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) damaging bunkers near the border area, PTI reported.

According to an official source, the incident happened in the first week of June near the Lalten post in the Doka La general area in Sikkim after a faceoff between the two forces, which triggered tension along the Sino-Indian frontier. The source said

that the Chinese troops entered Indian territory and damaged two makeshift bunkers of the Army.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area has been under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15km from the international border. In a bid to defuse the tension along the LAC, the Indian Army twice asked the Chinese to join a flag meeting, which they turned down. Finally, the Chinese side agreed to a meeting on June 20.

It was then that the Chinese side conveyed to their

Indian counterparts that Indian pilgrims, who were on a yatra to Kailash Mansarovar, would not be allowed to cross into Tibet, the sources said.

The pilgrims were kept waiting till June 23 after which they returned to Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, which is the only region where the border between India and China is demarcated.

According to sources, the Chinese side said a bridge had broken because of which the pilgrims could not cross into Tibet for the annual yatra.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La, on the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Earlier this year, Chinese helicopters had entered the airspace in the Barahoti area of Uttrakhand, called the middle sector. Sikkim is a part of the sector and experts have been warning the government of increased Chinese activities in this area.

from Zeliangrong organisations

imphal, june 26 (nnn): The Liangmai Naga Council (LNC) has asked any Liangmai individual associated with any Zeliangrong organisation to withdraw their positions from the organisations immediately.

According to LNC, its latest move has been necessitated as the Liangmai people in Manipur have disassociated from every Zeliangrong civil organization as the Zeliangrong bodies have “failed to ad(With inputs from PTI) dress our concerns even

after several appeals in the past many years.”

The LNC stated that “failing to comply with this directive, concerned Liangmai individuals should know that he or she does not represent the Liangmai community and he or she should not claim so.”

The LNC then requested every Naga or other civil organizations to declare null and void if any Liangmai from Manipur is representing Zeliangrong in their organization.

Manipur State Transport: ZYF appeals to include Tamenglong district in second phase imphal, june 26 (mexn): A day after the Manipur State Transport (MST) was revived through launching of bus services in first phase, Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF) while appreciating the move today appealed to the State government to consider the case of Tamenglong district on top priority by including the district in the next phase of MST system “in order to mitigate the suffering of the people and to enable the people to catch up with the rest of the people of the State.”

ZYF president, Titus Kamei in a press release highlighted the sufferings of people in Tamenglong district due to absence of public transport system.

The Front had submitted a memorandum on June 10, 2017 to Chief Minister of Manipur demanding MST system for all the subdivisions of Tamenglong district. The suffering of the people compounded since the discontinuation of erstwhile Manipur State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) system for more than twenty years ago, the release said.

“The present trend of passenger service system provided by private vehicle's operators without considering the extreme financial hardships which charge exorbitant and intolerable amount as travelling fares has compounded the suffering of

the people in addition to the district being lagging behind in all fronts therefore, providing MST system by the government for the people of the district at the earliest will eradicate the suffering of the people on transportation sector,” it added.

ZYF further cited that the people of Tousem subdivision are presently connected to Imphal, which is located about 200 km away, by walking on foot for the whole day from early morning to till late evening to reach Tamenglong district HQ and then take taxi from there on the next day “thereby wasting two precious days to reach Imphal.” The other option is to take foot journey for 54km to reach Kaiphundai village located on the NH No. 37 so as to board passenger service vehicles bound between ImphalJiribam.

“Many precious lives have been lost without getting medical attention due to extreme neglect by the government in the past. This being the real situation for the people of Tamenglong district especially for the people of Tousem sub-division who are living in the far flung and interior areas, it is the bounden duty and unavoidable responsibility on the part of the State government to provide or arrange transportation system on top priority basis,” ZYF appealed.

Meghalaya woman shunted out of BJP urges Centre to impose AFSPA in Tripura Delhi Golf Club over traditional dress new Delhi, june 26 (ianS): A governess was shunted out of the Delhi Golf Club for wearing a Jainsem, a dress worn by the indigenous Khasi women in Meghalaya, the woman said.

On Sunday, Tailin Lyngdoh had gone to the Club along with her employer Nivedita Barthakur after they were invited for lunch by a member of the Club.

However, 15-20 minutes into the lunch, two Club officials asked Lyngdoh to leave the table and the Club saying the dress (Jainsem) she was wearing was a "maid's uniform" and also allegedly hurled racial abuse at her.

"We were invited for lunch at the Delhi Golf Club. We were all seated and the lunch was almost to be served. Suddenly the Club official came to me and asked me to leave the place," Lyngdoh told IANS. "I enquired the reason.

They told me that the dress (Jainsem) I was wearing was a maid's uniform. They even said that I look like a dustbin," said a visibly upset Lyngdoh, who hails

from Meghalaya's Langtor village in Mairaing Civil Sub-Division.

"I have travelled almost all over the world and several parts of India and eaten food in the best hotels and clubs. But no one has hurled abuses on me or commented on my dress."

The Club President, Siddharth Shriram, told IANS that he had no knowledge of the incident and had received no complaint. The Secretary, Rajiv Hora, did not take repeated calls from IANS. "The attire comprises of two pieces of fabrics which are either tied or pinned at the shoulders and is worn either below the knee or ankle length.

The Jainsem is generally worn with a blouse and a petticoat underneath," said Meghalaya's leading designer Daniel Syiem, who has showcased ethnic apparel in global fashion hubs like New York, London and Rome.

Barthakur, who is an entrepreneur and advisor to the Assam government, told IANS that they had a lunch invitation

from her friend.

She said the two Club officials who told Lyngdoh to leave were Ajit Pal and Sumita Thakur.

"We explained to them about the dress... I am appalled that a citizen of India is judged on her dress and treated as a pariah," she said.

"I am astounded over the Delhi Golf Club episode. It was a bitter experience for me and Nivedita and everyone out there.

You cannot judge a person by what she wears and call someone a dustbin," Lyngdoh added.

Barthakur said they will take legal action against the Club officials.

"I have started consulting my lawyer. I will also take it up with Kiren Rijiju (Minister of State for Home) and Conrad Sangma (Lok Sabha member from Meghalaya)," she said.

A former Delhi Golf Club President who did not want to be identified by name told IANS: "We do have a strict dress code. Just what happened in this case, I can't say."

agartala, june 26 (ianS): Citing last week's clashes with CPI-M workers, the BJP on Monday demanded the imposition of AFSPA in Tripura while the ruling Left accused it of unleashing hostility to discredit the government in view of next year's assembly polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) raised the demand for promulgation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) following clashes between its

workers and those of the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in a few places in southern Tripura since last week.

"During the past few days, CPI-M activists attacked BJP workers in some places in southern Tripura, killing one and injuring 50 others. The CPI-M used the police against BJP workers in these incidents," BJP state vice-president Subal Bhowmik told reporters.

He said his party has demanded that the Centre

promulgate the disturbed areas act in Tripura to maintain peace. "Our state president Biplab Kumar Deb went to Delhi on Sunday to apprise the Union Home Minister about the state's situation and to reiterate the demand for imposition of disturbed areas act."

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), popularly known as "disturbed areas act" empowers the Indian Armed Forces to maintain law and order and to arrest anyone

lation they police, the force has sent several proposals to the government, among which is a suggestion for reservation for youths from under-represented areas.

The representation of the two insurgency-affected hill districts among the constables is only 0.2%. Other backward and militancy-hit areas have fewer constables in comparison. The number of constables from the Bodoland Territorial Council is 1.67% and from the flood affected areas of eastern Assam, the figure is 6%.

“One of the reasons for insurgency is unemployment... More representation from backward areas...could address the issue,” Sahay said.

If approved by the state cabinet,thenewpolicywould ensure 10% reservation for youths from backward areas, 2% for former militants, 2% for sportspersons and 5% for home-guards.

Newmai News Network Aizawl | June 26

The ongoing peace talks between the Mizoram government and Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) or HPC(D) scheduled to be held in July is most likely to be elevated to a 'political level', a senior state Home department official said on Monday.

Mizoram finance department is said to have approved the financial allocation for rehabilitation and resettlement of HPC(D) cadres once they come over ground, the official said.

The peace talks between the two was revived in August last year after it had ended in a deadlock over extension of period of Suspension of Operation (SoO) in 2013. So far,

workers were injured in the BJP attack.

Dhar, also a CPI-M Central Committee member, said: "As the BJP thinks that they would not be able to defeat CPI-M in next year's assembly elections they have started various types of conspiracies against the Left Front government."

"The people of Tripura will not allow any kind of conspiracy against the present Left Front government," the CPI-M leader warned.

Flood in eight Assam districts Swine fever kills 79 pigs in Mizoram Snakebite kills 3 in Tripura Meanwhile, Mizoram guwahati, june 26 together 170 hectare of ag(pti): The flood situation in Assam worsened today as four new districts were hit by flood taking the total number of flood hit districts to eight. According to an Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) report here the deluge has affected the districts of Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Jorhat, Karbi Anglong, Hojai, Golaghat, Sivasagar and Sonitpur overrunning 126 villages in 11 revenue circles.

Over one lakh people in the eight districts are affected by the flood. Al-

riculture land with standing crops have been submerged by the floods with the worst hit being Lakhimpur district, the report said.

Eight relief camps have been set up with seven of them being in Sonitpur district and one in Karimganj giving succour to a total over 11,700 flood displaced people. In river island Majuli district erosion had damaged an embankment at Sesuguri area and roads damaged at several places there, while a ring embankment was damaged at Ajaguri.

Newmai News Network Aizawl | June 26

At least 79 pigs have died and many taken ill in the Mizoram-Myanmar border town of Champhai since early June, which is believed to be caused by 'classical swine fever'. Leaders of the Champhai District Vawkvulh (piggery) Association said that 79 pigs have died as on June 23. As per the finding of preliminary examination, pigs were reported to have died of 'classical swine fever', official sources said.

The pig keepers' association last Friday convened a meeting and endorsed the prohibitory order issued by the Champhai Deputy Commissioner which banned import of pigs, piglets and poultry products from neighbouring Myanmar. council was proposed to The meeting also decided be changed to Sinlung to take legal action against Hills Council (SHC), which those who violate the order. would comprise 12 elected members and 2 nominatLOST NOTICE ed members to be headed I, Ngamgoulal S/o. by a Chief Executive MemMongjangam am ber (CEM). applying for a duplicate The Home department copy of B.Sc, Pass course/Honours: officials said that one round Chemistry, Semester: of official level talks may be V Admit Card bearing required after which it is Roll No.: 14SH083, expected to be elevated to Year : November 2016 political level talks. as I have lost it.

Assam police may HPC (D) peace talks likely to hire ex-militants be elevated to political level guwahati, june 26 (ht): Hit by manpower crunch, the Assam police is looking to recruit youths from backward and insurgency-hit areas, and former militants. Of the total sanctioned strength of around 74,000, nearly 12,000 posts, including around 8,000 of constables, are vacant.

“Investigation and policing activities are getting affected to a large extent due to the lack of enough manpower. The new policy is expected to address that issue,” Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay told HT. The state government is in the process of formulating a new recruitment policy for the police, as per which it is hoped that employing youths from insurgency-affected areas would deter them from joining militant outfits. In a bid to make the force more representative of the popu-

without prior notice.

The CPI-M has strongly criticised the BJP for raising the demand ahead of the assembly elections, due in February next year.

"The BJP workers on the pretext of a concocted issue are attacking CPI-M workers and damaging government property leading to deterioration of the law and order situation in some places," CPI-M state secretary Bijan Dhar said.

According to the Left leader, several CPI-M

both sides have held talks on four occasions with the first round of talks held in Aizawl on August 10 last year. This was followed by another two rounds of talks in 2016 (October 5 and December 16). The fourth round of talks was held on April 28 this year.

The Mizoram Home department officials said the four rounds of talks were held under cordial atmosphere and mutual trusts.

Both sides were optimistic in finding an amicable solution to the Hmar political imbroglio.

The ongoing peace talks revolved around autonomy to Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC), formed after the signing of peace accord between the state government and the erstwhile underground HPC on July 27, 1994. The name of the

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND OFFICE OF THE ADDITIONAL DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, CHOZUBA DISTRICT, PHEK, NAGALAND No. JUDL/SUCC-20/2012-13/24

Dt. Chozuba 16th June, 2017

NOTICE

Whereas Shri/Smt/kumari Rüüsie-ü S/o, w/o D/o Lt. Dutsosi-o a resident of Rikhuba, Chetheba village/Town has applied for succession certificate in her/his name under the Indian succession Act of 1925, to enable her/him to draw/claim dues and benefit in respect of her/his late Husband Lt. Shri/Smti Dutsosi-o who was working sweeper under the establishment of PHC-Chetheba (Department) and expired on 06-06-2017.

Public are asked to file claims/objection if any, within 30 (thirty) days from the date of issue of this notice.

Sd/- Additional Deputy Commissioner Chozuba, Phek Nagaland

Animal Husbandry & Veterinary department on Friday sent a Rapid Response Team to Champhai town to find out the actual cause of the deaths. The team took blood and tissue sample of dead pigs and began laboratory test on Saturday.

According to the finding of the AH&Vety department, the cause of death is attributed to 'classical swine fever'. However, samples of dead pigs were sent to College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry laboratory at Selesih for test to find out whether it was due to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS). AH & Vety Director Dr Saingura Sailo said the result is expected to be out within June.

agartala, june 26 (ianS): Three members of a family, including a child, died of snakebite in Tripura, police said here on Monday.

A snake bit Kamal Krishna Tripura, 27, and his wife and two-years-old daughter on Sunday night when they were sleeping at their home at Gandachara," a police official said.

He said that the villagers killed the snake and took the victims to the hospitals, where doctors declared them brought dead.

Forest officials, who were also rushed to the spot, said that there were a large number of King Cobra snakes in the mountainous region.

PFPSD Clarifies

The Public Forum Pungro Sub-Division (PFPSD) has clarified that, the name of the Thutheze Council, which was published in the advertisement section under the caption “PFPSD appreciation” in Morung Express on June 26th 2017, should be read as Tethuyo Village Council and not as published.

4

TuesdaY 27•06•2017

business

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

TDS, TCS provision for government, e-commerce operators postponed New Delhi, JuNe 26 (iANS): With just five days to go for the roll-out, the government has postponed the provision relating to one per cent Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and Tax Collection at Source (TCS) for two categories of deductors -- government, including local authorities, and e-commerce companies and their suppliers.

In a press note, the government said the postponement of the provision relating to TDS (Section 51) and TCS (Section 52) of the Central GST and State GST Act, 2017 has been taken to pro-

vide more time for persons liable to deduct tax at source, e-commerce companies and their suppliers to prepare for the historic tax reform.

Section 51 deals with deductors who may be a department or establishment of the central government or state government; or local authority; or governmental agencies; or such persons or category of persons as may be notified by the government on the recommendations of the GST Council. Section 52 deals with operators who are e-commerce traders and their suppliers.

The note said with the objective of ensuring smooth rollout of GST and taking into account the feedback received from the trade and industry regarding the provisions of deduction of tax at source under Section 51 of the CGST/SGST Act 2017 and collection of tax at source under Section 52 of the CGST/SGST Act 2017, it has been decided that the provisions of Tax Deduction at Source (Section 51 of the CGST/SGST Act 2017) and Tax Collection at Source (Section 52 of the CGST/SGST Act, 2017) will be brought into force from a date which will be

communicated later.

Persons, who will be liable to deduct or collect tax at source, will be required to take registration but the liability to deduct or collect tax will arise from the date the respective sections are brought in force, the note explained.

It also said the persons who were liable to be registered under clause (ix) of Section 24 of the CGST/SGST Act, 2017 (as they were supplying goods or services through electronic commerce operator, who is required to collect tax at source under Section 52) will not be liable to register till the provision

of Tax Collection at Source is brought under force.

“In other words,” the note said, “persons supplying goods or services through electronic commerce operator liable to collect tax at source would not be required to obtain registration immediately, unless they are so liable under Section 22 or any other category specified under Section 24 of the CGST/SGST Act, 2017.”

This step has been taken to provide more time for persons liable to deduct tax at source/ECommerce Companies and their suppliers to prepare for the historic tax reform.

Makeover exercise for GSTN releases 3 videos to guide people to register themselves The GST common portal three videos just after the opening Delhi, JuNe 26 (iANS): Rajdhani, Shatabdi trains New To help the people register them- opened on Sunday inviting fresh of the portal. The videos are an ofNew Delhi, JuNe 26 (PTi): Trolley service for catering, polite uniformed staff and on-board entertainment are some of the changes slated to be introduced in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains from October this year.

Aiming at enhancing the experience of passengers travelling by these premier trains, the Indian Railways has undertaken a complete makeover exercise in 30 trains - 15 Rajdhani and 15 Shatabdi - at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore.

Targeting the festive season which begins from October, railways have launched a three-month programme under Project Swarn (gold) to refurbish coach interiors, improving toilets and cleanliness in coaches.

There have been complaints pertaining to catering, punctuality, toilet cleanliness and quality of linen among others in these trains.

It has been decided to improve services in these premier trains significantly and accordingly the Project Swarn has been launched with a threemonth timeline, said a Railway Ministry official involved with the project.

The project also envisages strengthening of security system in trains with adequate escort personnel

by RPF. Rajdhani Express meant for Mumbai, Howrah, Patna, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar are among the 15 Rajdhani trains selected for service upgradation.

Shatabdi trains of Howrah-Puri, New DelhiChandigarh, New Delhi-Kanpur, Howrah-Ranchi, Anand Vihar-Kathgodam are among the 15 trains selected for the makeover exercise.

Steps will be taken for improving punctuality by reducing delays in premier trains, he said.

The catering will be also a focus area beside cleanliness.

The staff will be specifically trained on hygiene and use of trolley for serving food in premier services as part of the makeover exercise. A new uniform has been designed for staff in the premier trains.

Passengers will be offered films, serials and music among other facilities as an on-board entertainment package.

selves to the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) portal smoothly, GST Network (GSTN) has released three videos just after the opening of the portal, a company statement said here on Monday.

Registration with the GSTN is necessary for doing business in the GST regime as businesses will have to upload monthly supply data as well as file return forms on this portal.

GuwAhATi, JuNe 26 (MexN): To commemorate the overwhelming response and to reconnect with the customers, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. organised a Vitara Brezza Treasure Hunt in Guwahati on June 25.

The event saw a turnout of 100 plus participants, who came with their near and dear ones in their Vitara Brezza, a press release stated.

Vitara Brezza, the latest compact SUV from Maruti Suzuki, delivers an outstanding fuel efficiency of 24.3 km per litre, the highest in SUV category and 10-20% superior to existing models in the segment, it said.

Using the acclaimed DDiS 200 engine and multiple innovative technologies like intelligent battery management, Vitara Brezza stands tall on the promise of fuel efficiency and value for the customer, it added On a route starting from Vivanta

by Taj and finishing at Accoland, covering about 40 km, the participants were required to solve 6 clues in and

CROSSWORD # 3986

The Indian Express

Since June 16, prices of petrol and diesel are being revised every day; The Indian Express explains how the new mechanism works, what it aims to achieve, and how it has affected prices so far.

What is the new ‘daily dynamic price revision’ all about?

From June 16, 2017, the public-sector oil marketing companies started the system of daily price revision as against the previous system for auto fuel, where any revision would be taken fortnightly.

Is there a fixed time every day for revision of prices?

Yes, the price for any day will become effective from 6 am. Before that, oil companies will inform dealers at 8 pm about the next day’s price.

Is there a way to keep track of the changes without actually going to a fuel pump?

Customers can access the daily updated prices of petrol and diesel at all cities through a mobile app created by Indian Oil Corporation, Fuel@IOC. Alternatively, customers can also check the fuel price in their city by sending an SMS —RSP<SPACE>DEALER CODE — to 9224992249. Each petrol pump will display its dealer code prominently on its premises.

How have prices moved since this system was introduced?

Industry insiders say that the price is determined not only by the movement of crude oil price (the main raw material) but also by the rupee/dollar exchange rate and demand-supply situation in the market. While a deficit of the product leads to a rise in its price, an increase in supply will lead to a decrease. Over the first one week (June 16-22), the global crude oil price for the Indian basket fell by 2.5% — from $45.6 per barrel to $44.45 per barrel — and the price of petrol and diesel in Delhi came down by 1.6% and 1% respectively.

ficial guide for registration which will ensure a smooth roll out of the regime,” said Navin Kumar, Chairman, GSTN. “The videos have been crafted to help all taxpayers including those who are not well versed with technology to complete their en- Who gains — the government, oil producers, oil marketing rolment. These videos are available companies, retailers, or the customer?

This move will ensure that the benefit of even the smallest of on the YouTube channel of GST,” he changes in international oil prices is passed down the line to dealadded. ers and the end users everyday. It ensures that no party loses out for an entire fortnight in the event of a sharp fluctuation, as it used to be earlier when the revision happened only fortnightly. In case of a decline in crude oil prices, the benefit will be passed on to the customer the next day itself. In case of a rise in crude prices, oil marketing companies will be able to immediately pass on the price hike to the customers.

Answer Number # 3982

What else is the economic rationale behind all this?

Insiders say the move is aimed at bringing parity with international product prices — diesel and petrol. There is also a belief that daily dynamic pricing will rein in speculative market forces. Officials at OMCs say that when changes were fortnightly, it led to speculation in the market at times that prices would go up or come down and customers behaved accordingly. “While at a small level it may not seem big, at a national level it had a big impact. This will get reduced,” said a senior official with an OMC. around Guwahati city, it added.

Maruti Suzuki planned a host of entertaining and engaging activities for the participants and their families ranging from a round of warm up games, breakfast at Vivanta by Taj and lunch along with free tickets for entire family to Accoland followed by an entire day at the water park.

“It was an enjoyable and entertaining day for all the participants, who had to solve a series of chal-

lenging yet exciting clues to reach the destination,” the release added.

The top 4 winning teams took home exciting prizes like HP Laptop, Samsung LED TV, Sony Home Theatre System, and Samsung microwave. Every participant got assured gift packs for participating in the event.

The release further noted that the treasure hunt was not a race and was held keeping customer and public safety in mind.

ACROSS 1. Chimes 6. Overtake 10. An escape of water 14. Dimwit 15. Modify 16. Relating to aircraft 17. Assemble 19. Poop 20. Vomiting 21. Some people chew this 22. Employ 23. Courtyards 25. Cause to happen 26. Weight to be borne 30. ___ public 32. Memory loss 35. A Christian recluse 39. Trader 40. Breathes noisily during sleep 41. Invigorate 43. A man’s high tasseled boot 44. Next to 46. Being 47. Less hazardous 50. Speedy 53. A purring sound 54. Avenue (abbrev.)

55. Emissary 60. Murres 61. Wildlife warden 63. A mooring post 64. Dwarf buffalo 65. Vermin 66. Dull pain 67. Deliver a tirade 68. Shooting sport DOWN 1. A pale blue pigment 2. Anagram of “Dome” 3. Connects two points 4. Records 5. Stripes 6. Dowel 7. Slowly, to a conductor 8. Place

9. Flower stalk 10. Sorrowful 11. Creepy 12. A kind of macaw 13. 1/100th of a ruble 18. Eastern Standard Time 24. Ribonucleic acid 25. Small songbirds 26. Stow, as cargo 27. Portent 28. A Freudian stage 29. Careful 31. Backside 33. Cut 34. Angers 36. Colored part of an eye 37. Orange pekoe 38. Feudal worker 42. Enlightenment 43. Cool, once 45. An evil supernatural being 47. Aqualung 48. Golden 49. A woody place 51. Type 52. Oceans 54. Food thickener 56. Eccentric person 57. Church alcove 58. French for “Head” 59. At one time (archaic) 62. Consume

Answer to Crossword 3985

Do other countries follow a system of daily fluctuations of fuel prices?

It is a practice in developed countries, including the United States and several European countries. There are some countries where prices change more than once during the day.

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std code: 03871

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232224

emergency

229529 229474

mh hospital

227930 231081

fire brigade

2222952

faith hospital

228846

naga hospital

2222916

shamrock hospital

228254

oking hospital

2243339

Zion hospital

231864 224117 227337

bethel nursing home

2224202

northeast shuttles

08974997923

police Control room

228400

Police Traffic Control

232106

east police station

227607

west police station

232181

Cihsr (referral hospital)

242555 242533

dimapur hospital

police station fire brigade

north ps south ps

Officer-in-Charge 8575045520

229366 242441 225212

Chiephobozou ps 8575045506 Officer-in-Charge 8575045516 tseminyu ps

8575045507

Officer-in-Charge 8575045517 khuzama ps

8575045505

Officer-in-Charge 8575045515

nikos hospital and research Centre

232032, 231031

kezocha ps

nagaland multispecialty health & research Centre

248302, 09856006026

women Cell

248722 /248288, 9615945510

C

8575045508

Officer-in-Charge 8575045518

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8575045502

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131/228404

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8575045501

Officer-in-Charge 8575045510

railway

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Apollo hospital info Centre 230695/ 9402435652

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222246 222491

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Civil hospital

Chumukedima fire brigade 282777

W Abound About Admire bAte breAk bust CheCk Cheese CleAnse CreAture dies dirty disAppeAr dreAmy fleet gentle helmet house hunger kittenish legAl

In what way is the new system better than earlier?

Prior to June 16, 2017, petrol and diesel retail prices were revised fortnightly, depending on fluctuations in international crude oil prices and the demand/supply situation in the country. Oil marketing companies say the daily revision will bring in more transparency within the system and it will also minimise the impact of increasing/decreasing prices on the working capital of companies and dealers.

std code: 03862

DiMaPUR

Simple Rules - Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

Game Number # 3983

sandeep singh

Maruti Suzuki organizes Vitara Brezza Treasure Hunt in Guwahati

leisure

SUDOKU

registrations of first time taxpayers including those to be registered as tax deducted at source/tax collected at source and enrolment of GST practitioners.

It is also open for existing taxpayers to complete their enrolment process.

“To help the people register themselves to the new GST portal smoothly, we have released

New fuel prices every new day: Who gains? How is it better?

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8575045549

Officer-in-Charge 8575045538 8575045509

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kohimA south: 0370-2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) kohimA north: 7085924114 (O) dimApur: 03862-232201/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC) ChumukedimA: 7085982102 (O) 8732810051 (OC) wokhA: 03860-242215/101 (O) 8974322879 (OC) mokokChung: 0369-2226225/ 101 (O) 8415830232 (OC) phek: 8414853765 (O) 8413822476(OC) Zunheboto: 03867-280304/ 101 (O) 9436422730 (OC) tuensAng: 8414853766 (O) 9856163601 (OC) mon: 03869-251222/ 101 (O) 9862130954 (OC) kiphire: 8414853767 (O) 9436261577 (OC) peren: 7085189932 (O) 9856311205 (OC) longleng: 7085924113 (O) 9862414264 (OC) we4 women helpline 08822911011 WOMEN helpline 181 CHiLD welfAre Committee Toll free No. 1098 childline

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66.03 84.22 8.73 50.08 47.70 50.01 59.67 73.86 2.01 0.0599 18.54 9.95

Tuesday 27•06•2017

NAGALAND

NISC bats for unity among NPGs Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): The Naga International Support Center (NISC) today recommended the newly election NSCN (K) Chairman Khango Konyak as well as all other Naga Political Groups “to sincerely come together and discuss differences aiming at iron-

ing them out.”

It was stated in a congratulatory note to new the leader of NSCK (K) Khango Konyak, who was recently elected unanimously as its Chairman.

Khango should realize with his fellow freedom fighters the legacy of SS Khaplang, who stood

“practically all his life for a free Nagaland devoid of occupation,” it said.

Stating that divide and rule policy of outside actors have brought division by money, weaponry and power brokering, NISC asked the NPGs to sincerely come together and iron out their differences.

Forest colony Dmp kicks off clean election campaign

Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): The Forest Colony Dimapur, on June 26, kickstarted the Clean Election Campaign (CEC) initiated

by NBCC and the joint forum of DUCCF & GB Union under urban municipal area.

At an event organised

by Forest Colony Council to mark the occasion, it was resolved that along with the Clean Election Pledge, no political youth camps will be allowed to be set up in the Colony, a press note informed.

No political parties will union and youth body will be held on July also “solicit or give away 10, 2017 (Monday) to finalize ‘Colony Core cash/kind for selling or Group (CCG)’. buying votes,it said.

Further, the meeting decided that the residents will have a “Social Work” on July 1 from 6:00 AM onwards in their respective areas. However, all youths shall gather at Children’s Park to clean the park as part of its first activity in response to the Cleanest Colony Competition from July to November 2017 initiated by Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), the release added.

Supply Colony resolves to form youth body Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): A combined meeting of Supply Colony Council (SCC) Executive Committee, Supply Colony Mothers’ Union, and youths of the colony was held on June 24 at Children’s Park.

A press release from SCC joint secretary, Wati Ao and chairman, Wekhape Letro informed that the house entrusted and empowered Hecto as Convener and Chibo as co-Convener to re-organize youth body on or before July 2, 2017.

It was also resolved that a combined meeting with colony council, mothers’

Social Aspects, Governance, Code of Conduct, Government Employees and Election, history of clean election campaigns around the

world were addressed from the core members Piholi, Akokla from Women Department and Youth President Hinong, it added.

The Colony Council members Vikaho, Shilumayang and Vivika Sema, and General Secretary also spoke on the campaign.

NSSATA to hold Use Phuvkiu, not Chomi urges its villagers election for new office bearers

Jalukiesom village council condemns Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): The Jalukiesom Village Council has strongly condemned the “inhuman act against destroying and burning down” of the villager’s Jhum hut and paddy plant on June 26.

Miscreants numbering about 50 from two other villages committed the illegal act, alleged a press note from Jalukiesom Village Council Chairman/Head GB Tochu Yimchunger and Secretary Shelongthong.

The Jalukiesom villag-

The Program, chaired Chairman Forest Colony Council S. Bendang, also discussed several issues related to Clean Election on

ers identified the involvement of a Head GB & Ex. Chairman of one village and Ex. VDB secretary of another village as well as 2nd Lieutenant Cadre of “NSCN/GPRN” Condemning the cowardly act which has “grievously injured the sentiment of the villagers and properties with the reason best known to them” the village council demanded the concern authorities to initiate “necessary appropriate action against those

individuals involved” in the illegal Act. “It was also made known that there is no history of any misunderstand occurred between the two villages and the recent incident has left the Jalukiesom villagers shocked, bizarre and quest for reason for this illegal Act,” it added.

It also appealed the “NSCN/GPRN” group to take action on those erring workers for intimidation against the public & misused of position.

Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): The Nagaland Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Teachers’ Association (NSSATA) will elect the new office bearers of its Central Executives for the tenure 2017-2019 on July 6.

In connection with this, the association has convened a joint executives meeting on July 6, 10AM onwards at Ungma Kiti Hall, Old Minister’s Hill, Kohima, Nagaland with executives from all its eleven (11) district units.

All the District Unit Executive Members are asked to attend along with their nominees compulsorily with Fifteen (15) members for Dimapur and Kohima, and Ten (10) members each for the remaining districts without fail, NSSATA said in press release.

The meeting will also be compulsory for the advisors and former executive members, added the release issued by NSSATA President Aliba Sangtam and General Secretary Thungchamo Lotha.

Dimapur , June 26 (mexn): The citizens of Phuvkiu village, under Pungro SubDivision of Kiphire district, converged on June 18 to mark the 5th ‘Phuvkiu Day. The annual event is held since 2013 to commemorate the change of nomenclature from erstwhile Chomi to Phuvkiu, a press release informed.

Inhabited by the Yimchunger, the word ‘Phuvkiu’ is derived from local dialect ‘Phuvsitiu’, a fruit bearing tree which was abundantly found in the locality and village since its inception, said the release issued

by Chairman Phuvkiu Village Council Khiutsikiu For reason unknown, it said that the government recorded it as Chomi which does not have any meaning in any of the local dialects.

Therefore, PVC and PVSU

Elders posing for lens near the village monolith erected on 'Phuvkiu Day'.

jointly pursued for change of nomenclature and subsequently, a government approved was conveyed via notification on June 3, 2013, it added.

During the celebration, P Cheusumew underscoring the significance of the day lamented that despite Govt. notification on change of its nomenclature on several instances, still various departments wrongly addressed to as ‘Chomi’.

All concerned departments

and individuals to use the name ‘Phuvkiu’ village for all purposes henceforth, he noted.

Earlier in the program, Khiutsikiu VCC proposed welcome address and pastor Kumkiu PBC offered special prayer.

The program was chaired by Lensemew Council secretary and invocation by Rupewmew, of Catechist Christ King Church, Phuvkiu. The program was successfully concluded with a mass prayer.

21st General Meeting of Assam Rifles hold anti-drug drive across Nagaland Revoke transfer of SDO (C) Kuhuboto: KGPO urges CM II, under Chiephobozou knowledge about narcotics, KNSK Kohima Unit held Sub Division of Kohima Dis- drugs, tobacco, addiction

Kohima, June 26 (mexn): Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (KNSK) Kohima unit organized its 21st general session on Saturday at the residence of its treasurer Khango Konyak, a press release informed.

Exhorting the gatherings NPSC Chairman A. Yanang Konyak recalled the social evil practises in olden times stating that women were deprived of their rights and discriminated in many ways.

He said time of discouragement for women has ended and urged the women folks and parents to give security to women, stating that women should be given equal opportunity in all aspects of life.

Yanang however was positive that with changing time, women are excelling and performing much better and appealed KNSK to encourage their children.

In her greetings, Manngam C.L John acknowledged the Konyak women leaders who have led the Konyak people living in the state capital.

While highlighting the bigger challenges for a person to get through competitive exams, Manngam appealed the parents to give full support and encourage the children to excel in various competitive exams.

The second session was followed by induction of new team of office bearers and various general reports. The new team will be led by Lemnon as president, C.N Moe as general secretary, Lochumbeni as treasurer and four other members.

trict with 115 villagers and 27 personnel from 10th IRB Bn of Zeizou in attendance.

The workshop focused on creating awareness about ill effects of HIV/AIDS and Drug abuse an AR press note informed. A lecture upon substance abuse of drugs, alcohol & narcotic was delivered by 2IC N S Rani, Chief Medical Officer of 9 AR, it said. The programme was organized with the help of Village Council Members of Zeizou and Zadhima villages.

Participants at a anti-drug drive organised by AR in Tuensang.

Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): In connection with the ‘International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking,’ different units of Assam Rifles organised various programme

across the Nagaland.

Zadima-II: The 9 AR also organised a seminar cum workshop on Drug Abuse and HIV/Aids at the Community Hall, Zadima-

Tuensang: The 15 AR under the aegis of HQ IGAR (North) conducted also an anti-drug drive on in the remote villages of Dan, Noklak, Shamatore and C' Saddle on June 26.

Awareness lecture at Shamatore was conducted

by Captain (Dr) Prakash Chandra Rai, RMO where the motive was to give

and its negative impact on physical and mental health, another AR press note informed.

Lectures were also conducted by 15 Assam Rifles at C' Saddle, Dan and Noklak, it added. Altogether 271 villagers including 198 male and 73 female attended the lectures. Free medicines were also distributed to the ailing.

Chizami: The 9 AR also organised a friendly Basketball match with the youth at Chizami village June 25 with the aim of encouraging the village youths to take active participation in sports and take to healthy lifestyle.

The match was followed by an informal interaction and refreshments. During the interaction youth were also informed about the opportunities available to join Armed Forces.

Dimapur, June 26 (mexn): Reiterating its demand for revoking the transfer of SDO (C) Kuhuboto Alongdhimen Jamir NCS, the Kuhuboto Ghakhu Public Organization (KGPO), on June 26, called for “immediate intervention and necessary action” of Nagaland Chief Minister on the matter.

The SDO (C) Kuhuboto was transferred as SDO (C) Zunheboto, when the State Government undertook a transfer and posting of the IAS/NCS/NSS officers through a notification on June 17.

Consequently, KGPO, representing 23 villages and Kuhuboto Town, had appealed the state government through the print media to immediately revoke the transfer order in respect of SDO (Civil) Kuhuboto “in public interest.”

However, seeing no positive response from the earlier appeal, in a public memorandum to Chief Minister, submitted through the Deputy Commissioner Dimapur, KGPO sought clarification from the State Government regarding the transfer of SDO (C) Kuhuboto who it informed had “a cordial relation with the public of Kuhuboto area.”

As far as KGPO knowledge is concern, the SDO (Civil) Kuhuboto took over the office December 20, 2015, stated the memo released to the media here by KGPO President Ghoshito Shohe and General Secretary Z Ato. “If the government is for the people, the demands of its people need to be address imediately by revoking the transfer order and retaining the Alongdhimen Jamir at Kuhuboto Sub-Division,” further demanded the KGPO.

Public SPace

Myanmar – the next economic power house?

K Haralu Daragapathar, Block D Dimapur

T

he Government of Nagaland through the Industries & Commerce Department had facilitated an interactive session with the Thai Trade delegation who visited Kohima a couple of months back.

One of the things which struck me during the event was the composition of the visiting team. Except for a handful of Govt officials who were present only as facilitators, the major component of their team were businessmen who were already prepared to market their products, firm up partnerships and generally talk about business. It was also remarkable that this group of businessmen had travelled overland all the way through Maesot in Thailand, covering the difficult roads in Myanmar by public transport and entering India through Moreh. It is appreciable that through the initiative of the Governments, some of the NE

States have already tied up trade and cultural relationship with people of Thailand. However, let us not forget that by our standards, Thailand is already a developed economy, possessing a fairly high level of technological applications in carrying out their business. Very often we forget that Myanmar is our immediate neighbor, similar to the NE region in many ways and that not much has been done to understand or build up relations with the country.

Myanmar is undergoing its most important Political and social transformation in over half a century as it opens up to the rest of the world. 50 years of military rule after a century of colonialism had turned Myanmar into one of the poorest nations in the world. In 2011, Military rule was replaced by a nominally civilian Government led by General Thein Sein. Few believed that President Thein Sein (2011-2016) would lead the country through a series of dramatic reforms. He sur-

prised the world by releasing hundreds of Political prisoners including prodemocracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, stood up to China by cancelling a major Dam project and eased censorship in the media. In less than a year, the country of 16 million which sits between two economic giants (India and China) had shed its pariah status and begun to take steps towards democratic reforms. The transition in Myanmar was remarkable because it was not through a revolution but it was an evolutionary process where the old order had decided to change and it was these leaders who were driving the transition. The transition took place without Facebook or street protests.

The elections in 2015 were closely observed by international bodies and as the world watched, the National League for Democracy led by Aung San Suu Kyi was voted to power, they having won 86% of seats in the National assembly. The world was excited about the birth of a new democracy. The country however

is beset with years of insurgency by different ethnic groups; there is little or no infrastructure especially in rural areas, outdated technology, limited Banking and credit facilities, limited International aid compared to neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Despite all these, one can see hope and excitement on the streets of Yangon.

The biggest strength of Myanmar lies in its rich natural resources and a hard working population who are also deeply religious. Natural resources include Oil & Gas, Minerals, Forest products, precious stones and Hydro power.

Understandably, Myanmar was viewed as another `El Dorado’. Literacy rate stands at 90% and English is a second language from Kindergarten. With a fully functioning democracy in place, the country is poised to become the next economic power in the region. It will play a pivotal role in the future of South East Asia in the days to come. Even before sanctions are fully lifted, busi-

ness houses from the west are already jostling to do business with the youngest Democracy in the world, as the new regime struggles with the art of running a democratic system.

Where China is concerned, they already have a strong presence by way of investments in infrastructure and economic activities. If you check Burmese products coming into India, you will see that many of them have Chinese labels. There are whole townships in northern Myanmar bordering with China, which are already developed by the Chinese for their business interests. On its part, Govt of India had first declared the `Look east policy’ during the Congress rule and now the `Act east policy’ under the present Govt.

However, since no policy documents were released under either Govt, neither the public nor Government officials really know about the `Policy’. Interactions at official level are still very limited. There seems to be a `wait and watch’ approach from the Indian side. Even

Indian Businessmen are still hesitant to make much investments in the country.

Till date there are only two flights a week (Air India) connecting Kolkata and Yangon, catering mostly to Budhist Monks visiting Bodh Gaya. Aside from China, the other major investors at the moment are Thailand, South Korea and Singapore.

Having missed several deadlines and with China taking big strides, India is trying hard to speed up its infrastructure commitments in Myanmar. India’s tardiness in project implementation has marred its reputation, even though it has extended over $1.75 Billion in grants and credit to Myanmar. India has completed the Sittwe Power and inland water terminal in Paletwa. The Rs1600 Crore contract for road construction from Paletwa to Zorimpui in Mizoram covering a distance of 109 Kms has been awarded.

India is also building the trilateral highway or India-Myanmar-Thailand highway. 69 bridges on

Tamu-Kalay road are being repaired and the Kalaywayagyi section of the road in Chin State bordering Mizoram is being built. This eastern neighbor has not seen the kind of attention lavished on Bangladesh, Sri Lanka or Nepal. Yet, the country would be crucial to India’s interests particularly as India tries to balance out China’s massive presence in the country. With the Trump Administration showing little interest in the affairs of Myanmar, the country is once again leaning towards China for investments. Though there remains a general distrust of China, Beijing- Yangon relations seem to be improving seeing that China has announced investment of $10 Billion in a Port and Special Economic Zone project in Myanmar.

In this backdrop, Entrepreneurs of the North east are also placed well to do business with Myanmar considering the close proximity with the country and affinity with various ethnic groups in North and Western Myanmar. Once the Tri-

lateral corridor is linked up with the East- West corridor in India, goods and services will move at a much faster pace between India and the South East Asian region. The land locked North east will be connected to the South East Asian countries and road journey from the North east right up to Singapore will become a reality. The region as a whole is expected to experience an economic boom. There will be a shift in the socio-economic scenario in the region. Are Entrepreneurs of the region prepared to capitalize on such an economic boom?

The opportunities would be limitless- Infrastructure development, travel and hospitality, IT, manufacturing, healthcare, warehousing, Transportation & logistic supports etc. Are the Governments prepared to face the new challenges?

It would do well for Economists, social scientists and others to observe how the new democracy metamorphoses to meet the challenges of a fast changing world.

The Morung Express “Public Space” is to provide space for diverse opinions to be expressed and heard. The opinions in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper nor the editor.

6

IN FOCUS The Power of Truth

The Morung Express volume Xii issue 174

Inter-state Trade as Economics of Peace

H

istorically, trade was the fulcrum in the dialectical relationship of geography, history and politics – and ultimately the questions of war and peace. Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Dutch East India Company’s Governor-General in the Indies, who observed that trade and war were inseparably linked is quoted to have said that, “we cannot make war without trade nor trade without war.”

Notwithstanding this point of view, the Trade-Peace Theory argues that an increase in trade leads to universal benefits (which expand to include peace). Around AD 100 Plutarch wrote about how sea trade allowed humans to cooperate and “redress defects” in their relationship with one another through mutual exchange.

In 1748, Charles de Montesquieu incisively made a fundamental conclusion that trade was an instrument of peace and gave rise to the idea that, “Peace is the natural effect of trade.” Adam Smith further popularized the idea of trade and peace and promoted concepts of interdependence.

This, in turn enhanced the understanding around the economic benefits of peace and the economic costs of war.

In today’s interdependent world, the interrelationship between trade and peace is more acute and critical to human co-existence and the vision of a shared humanity. In his collection of essays in Small is Beautiful, E. F. Schumacher hones the view that it is not economics that is at stake, but culture, not the standard of living but the quality of life.

This also translates to the economics of peace.

Given the land-linked geography, history, politics and culture of the Naga context, the viability of inter and intrastate trade is central to the economic stability. Because of our complex history the question of trade is embedded within a decolonization framework that requires understanding and defining inter-state trade primarily as one of inter-cultural and cross-cultural relations. The connections become clearer when we see them through the cultural lens which doesn’t limit them to finite geographic boundaries defined by others.

When we limit the understanding of inter-state trade within the existing paradigm as defined by the State, its dynamism is lost as it is regulated by rigid boundaries and legal norms where people are reduced to consumers and statistics.

By (re)defining inter-state trade as one of inter-cultural and cross-cultural relations, Nagas will realize that human aspirations assume the foundational stone in building common ground. In turn, our inter-dependent and interconnected nature becomes our guiding principles.

This removes people from the status of being dependent subjects to being makers of their own destiny in which boundaries are no longer lines drawn on a map to separate and divide, but provide fluid and soft lines where tensions are creatively transformed as shared and respectful spaces.

The future of the Nagas and our neighbors are deeply intertwined, tied together. All Naga villages, towns and their neighboring communities rely on using trade linkages as a means to revitalize, re-establish relationships and build new links between. We need to share our stories, listen to each other and define our problems and solutions.

Nagas and our neighbors have the opportunity to form a cross-cultural framework that promotes values and principles of shared responsibility, mutual respect, shared benefits with the realization that our humanity is tied to one another.

Such cooperation and alliances can build a peace economy through trusted relationships with trading partners.

lEfT WING |

Sirshendu Panth IANS

India should aim to get 40% electricity from n-power by 2050: Former AEC chief

I

tuesday 27•06•2017

ndigenous manufacturing of major components and ensuring a strong participation from the domestic industry are the major challenges before the Indian nuclear power programme now, says former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chief M R Srinivasan.

"For a large nuclear power capacity to be built in a country like India, it is very important to have major components made within the country. Otherwise economics will be not so good," Srinivasan told IANS in a wide-ranging interview here on the sidelines of the Atomexpo 2017 organised by Rosatom.

Lamenting that nuclear power formed only three per cent of India's electricity generation, he said: "in our view by 2050 we should have a much larger nuclear component, may be 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the overall electricity capacity," he said, adding, "We think there is a scope for India to substantially increase nuclear power."

Srinivasan said while the country should encourage solar and wind power to the maximum extent, for the base load requirements the way forward was either nuclear or gas. "Base load requirements will be substantial, it will not be less than 50 to 60 per cent. That capacity will have to come from coal, gas or nuclear," he said.

The widely respected atomic energy expert said there was a great scope for a substantial increase in the share of nuclear power in the country's overall electricity capacity.

"Cooperation among the international community is a good thing...Of course in the context of Russia, our cooperation is very good, it has become strong. We hope the scientific cooperation between India and Russia in the nuclear field will intensify over a period of time," the 87-year-old scientist said.

Having worked in his early years with Homi Jehangir Bhabha, considered the father of India's nuclear programme, Srinivasan said that Bhabha had also stressed on self-reliance.

"He recognised that when we develop it (atomic power) fully we should be largely self-reliant. That means we should create internal capacities in India," said Srinivasan, replying to a poser on Bhaba.

Calling the present NDA government at the centre "supportive" of harnessing India's nuclear power potential, the Bengaluru-based veteran atomic scientist exuded confidence that the authorities would continue to back the programme.

"Our challenges will be to see to it that the Indian industry participation is strong, and they also make necessary investments, training of personnel, so that the economy can move ahead," said the Padma Vibhushan awardee.

Queried on the safety of India's nuclear power plants, Srinivasan said: "They are operating safely, their radiation discharge is far below the authorised limits, personal exposures are very low, and there has been no accident related to release of nuclear material."

"The debate on safety of nuclear projects is a continuing debate. But I think by and large people in India accept nuclear power, so long as those reactors are operating well, and they see benefits for the economy."

He described the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu as one of the safest reactors. "It has got one of the safest designs. We have worked jointly with Russia to make sure it has got what is called a passive heat removal system," Srinivasan said.

"It has got multiple levels of safety and redundancy built into the systems and it has been validated for all the earthquake or tsunami and other circumstances at the site. It is a very safe site; it is a very safe design without a doubt," he said.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M E N T A R Y

IPS World Desk

THE WORLD IS BURNING

R

ecord high temperatures are gripping much of the globe and more hot weather are to come. This implies more drought, more food insecurity, more famine and more massive human displacements.

In fact, extremely high May and June temperatures have broken records in parts of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the United States, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported, adding that the heat-waves have arrived unusually early.

At the same time, average global surface temperatures over land and sea are the second highest on record for the first five months of 2017, according to analyses by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA-Goddard Institute for Space Studies and the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Europe In Portugal, extremely high temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius contributed to the severity of the devastating, fast-moving weekend wildfires that ripped through the country’s forested Pedrógão Grande region, some 150 kilometres (95 miles) northeast of Lisbon, leaving dozens dead and more injured.

WMO on 20 June also reported that Portugal is not the only European country experiencing the effects of the extreme weather, as neighbouring Spain – which had its warmest spring in over 50 years – and France, have seen record-breaking temperatures. France is expected to continue see afternoon temperatures more than 10 degrees above the average for this time of year.

Meantime in Spain, spring (from 1 March to 31 May 2017) has been extremely warm, with an average temperature of 15.4 ° C, which is 1.7 ° C above the average of this term (reference period 1981-2010), the UN specialised body informs. Many other parts of Europe, including the United Kingdom, also witnessed above average temperatures into the low to mid 30°s.

United States On the other side of the Atlantic, the US is also experiencing record or nearrecord heat, WMO reported. In parts of the desert southwest and into California, temperatures have hovered near a blistering 120 degrees Fahrenheit (49 degrees Celsius).

Media reports on 20 June suggested that some plane traffic was halted in and out of Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport in Arizona because it was too hot to fly. The flight cancellations came amidst of one of the hottest days in the past 30 years of record keeping in the US state.

Near record-to-record heat has also been reported in the desert South West US and into California, with highs near 120°F (49°C) in places. More than 29 million Californians were under an excessive heat warning or advisory at the weekend. Phoenix recorded 118°C (47.8°C) on 19 June. A number of flights to Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport were reportedly cancelled because it was too hot to fly.

And the so-called Death Valley Na-

A view of rusted, abandoned ships in Muynak, Uzebkistan, a former port city whose population has declined precipitously with the rapid recession of the Aral Sea. Credit: UN Photo

tional Park, California, issued warnings to visitors to expect high temperatures of 100°F to over 120°F (38°C to over 49°C). Death Valley holds the world record for the highest temperature, 56.7°C recorded in 1913.

North Africa, Middle East and Asia Meantime, temperature in United Arab Emirates topped 50°C on 17 May, while in the centre of Iran’s Kuzestan province in the South-East of the country, neighbouring Iraq, temperatures reached 50°C on 15 June, said the UN specialised agency.

The heat-wave in Morocco peaked on 17 May, when there was a new reported record of 42.9°C Larach Station in northern Morocco.

The high June temperatures follow above average temperatures in parts of the world at the end of May. The town of Turbat in South-Western Pakistan reported a temperature of 54°C. WMO will set up an international committee of experts to verify the temperature and assess whether it equals a reported 54°C temperature recorded in Kuwait last July.

Unprecedented Record of Displacements Meanwhile, the world has marked New Inhumane Record: One Person Displaced Every Three Second. Nearly 66 million people were forcibly displaced from their homes last year, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) informed in its report Global Trends, released ahead of the World Refugee Day on June 20.

The figure equates to “one person displaced every three seconds – less than the time it takes to read this sentence.

Such an unprecedented high records of human displacements is not only due to conflicts. In fact, advancing droughts and desertification also lay behind this “tsunami” of displaced persons both out of their own countries and in their own homelands.

On this, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on the occasion of the World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) on June 17, alerted that by 2025 –that’s in less than 8 years from today– 1.8 billion people will experience absolute water scarcity, and two thirds of the world will be living under waterstressed conditions.

Now it is feared that advancing drought and deserts, growing water scarcity and decreasing food security may provoke a huge ‘tsunami” of climate refugees and migrants. See The Relentless March of Drought – That ‘Horseman of the Apocalypse’ Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary, reminded that the world’s drought-prone and water scarce regions are often the main sources of refugees. Neither desertification nor drought on its own causes conflict or forced migration, but they can increase the risk of conflict and intensify ongoing conflicts, Barbut explained. See: Mideast: Drought to Turn People into Eternal Migrants, Prey to Extremism?

An Urgent, Potentially Irreversible Threat In Parallel, the United Nations leading agency in the fields of agriculture has issued numerous warnings on the huge impacts that droughts have on agriculture and food security, with

poor rural communities among the most hit victims.

As a ways to help mitigate the effects of the on-going heat waves, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on 20 June signed with WMO an agreement to deepen cooperation to respond to climate variability and climate change, “represents an urgent and potentially irreversible threat to human societies, natural ecosystems and food security.”

Through this joint work, the two organisations will work on strengthening agro-meteorological services and making them more accessible to farmers and fishers; improve global and regionspecific monitoring for early warning and response to high-impact events like droughts.

The agreement was signed on June 19 by FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva and WMO SecretaryGeneral Petteri Taalas on the sidelines of an international seminar on drought organised by Iran, the Netherlands, and FAO in Rome.

“Saving livelihoods means saving lives – this is what building resilience is all about,” said Graziano da Silva.

Recalling the 2011 drought in Somalia that saw over 250,000 people perish from hunger, he said, “People die because they are not prepared to face the impacts of the drought – because their livelihoods are not resilient enough.”

“For years, the focus has been responding to droughts when they happen, rushing to provide emergency assistance and to keep people alive,” he said, noting that while “of course, that is important,” investing in preparedness and resilience is essential.

World Poverty Could Be Cut in Half If All Adults Completed Secondary Education

A

uNesCo

new UNESCO policy paper shows that the global poverty rate could be more than halved if all adults completed secondary school. Yet, new data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) show persistently high out-ofschool rates in many countries, making it likely that completion levels in education will remain well below that target for generations to come.

The paper, Reducing global poverty through universal primary and secondary education, is being released ahead of the UN High Level Political Forum (10-19 July), which will focus on poverty eradication in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The paper demonstrates the importance of recognizing education as a core lever for ending poverty in all its forms, everywhere.

“The new analysis on education’s far-reaching benefits released today should be good news for all those working on the Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate poverty by 2030,” said Irina Bokova, DirectorGeneral of UNESCO. “It shows that we have a concrete plan to ensure people no longer have to live on barely a few

dollars a day, and that that plan has education at its heart.”

The new analysis on education’s impact on poverty by UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report team is based on the average effects of education on growth and poverty reduction in developing countries from 1965 to 2010. It shows that nearly 60 million people could escape poverty if all adults had just two more years of schooling. If all adults completed secondary education, 420 million could be lifted out of poverty, reducing the total number of poor people by more than half globally and by almost twothirds in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Studies have shown that education has direct and indirect impacts on both economic growth and poverty. Education provides skills that boost employment opportunities and incomes while helping to protect people from socio-economic vulnerabilities. A more equitable expansion of education is likely to reduce inequality, lifting the poorest from the bottom of the ladder.

Despite education’s potential, new UIS data show that there has been vir-

tually no progress in reducing out-ofschool rates in recent years. Globally, 9% of all children of primary school age are still denied their right to education, with rates reaching 16% and 37% for youth of lower and upper secondary ages, respectively. In total, 264 million children, adolescents and youth were out of school in 2015.

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest out-of-school rates for all age groups: more than half (57%) of all youth between the ages of 15 and 17 are not in school, as are more than one-third (36%) of adolescents between 12 and 14 years and one-fifth (21%) of children between the ages of about 6 and 11. Six countries are home to more than one-third of all outof-school children of primary age: Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Sudan.

Of the 61 million children of primary school age currently out of school, 17 million will never to set foot in a classroom if current trends continue.

This affects one in three children out of school in sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia and Northern Africa, and more than one in four of those in Central Asia

WRITE-WING

and Southern Asia.

Girls in poor countries continue to face particularly steep barriers to education. According to UIS data, in lowincome countries, more than 11 million girls of primary age are out of school, compared to almost 9 million boys. The good news is that the girls who do manage to start school tend to complete the primary cycle and pursue their studies at the secondary level.

Education must reach the poorest in order to maximize its benefits and reduce income inequality. Yet the GEM Report shows that children from the poorest 20% of families are eight times as likely to be out of school as children from the richest 20% in lower-middle-income countries. Those of primary and secondary school age in the poorest countries are nine times as likely to be out of school as those in the richest countries.

While calling on countries to improve the quality of education, the paper stresses the need to reduce the direct and indirect costs of education for families. New UIS data confirm that many households still have to bear expenses relating to education, totaling $87 per child for primary education in Ghana, $151 per child in Côte d’Ivoire and $680 in El Salvador.

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The morung express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: morung@gmail.com All letters (including those via email) should have the full name and Postal address of the sender.

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

TUESDAY 27•06•2017

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

7

Honoring Oscar Lopez Rivera — beyond parades, referendums and media myths Matt Meyer

I

Waging Nonviolence

t was a peaceful day, full of joy and celebration. CBS News affirmed that despite the controversy, over a million people participated in the 2017 National Puerto Rican Day Parade last Sunday. The New York Daily News reported that former political prisoner Oscar Lopez Rivera received “a hero’s welcome” at the event (even though the later print edition of the tabloid ran a misleading front-page sidebar falsely suggesting that he was booed along the route). The controversy centered around plans by the parade committee to give Lopez Rivera the title of “National Freedom Hero.”

In response, the multinational business community, including Coca Cola, AT&T and other corporations, pulled funding and sponsorship from the parade.

Within the diverse and sometimes-divided Puerto Rican community, however, there was little disagreement that Lopez Rivera’s attendance at the event was cause for excitement. A beloved and unifying figure, Lopez Rivera — the longest held prisoner in the history of U.S.-Puerto Rican relations, who was commonly referred to as “the Mandela of the Americas” — had recently, finally been freed.

The disconnect between Lopez Rivera’s role in Puerto Rico and the diaspora — and how he is mistakenly perceived, even among some progressives, within the United States and elsewhere — showcases both the colonial cultural/ political divide between the two peoples, as well as the tremendous organizing involved in his case. Outside of the Puerto Rican community and nation, Lopez Rivera is seen by some as a freedom fighter to be defended at all costs, by others as a misguided advocate of ultra-left armed actions, who nonetheless deserved release on humanitarian and human rights grounds, and by others as a straight-up terrorist.

Among the people of Puerto Rico, though, support for Lopez Rivera is decidedly not a controversial subject. Some surely disagreed with the tactics used decades ago by the organization to which he belonged; others may disagree with one or another of his political positions. But after more than 35 years behind bars, Lopez Rivera is as admired a figure as a top celebrity or artist — appealing to common folks across generational, class and ideological lines. The grassroots campaign built especially over the past 15 years reached every town and village, with ardent support for Oscar’s release coming from the pro-statehood mayor of his hometown and the pro-commonwealth Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla, who visited Lopez Rivera in prison. An “Oscar in the Street” aspect of his freedom campaign saw life-size cut-outs of his image spread across the island during the last years of his incarceration, and organizing among women’s groups, young people and the religious community helped make Lopez Rivera a household name, with hundreds of thousands of petitions signed calling for his unconditional release.

While it is true that the campaign reached unprecedented international proportions for a U.S. political prisoner, with Pope Francis and a half-dozen Nobel Peace laureates joining the pressure campaign on Obama, the re-branding of Lopez Rivera as a “terrorist” by those seeking to disrupt the June 2017 parade raised doubts among some about Lopez Rivera’s positions regarding violence and social change. As the recently-elected national co-chair of the pacifist-oriented interfaith Fellowship of Reconciliation and a former chair of the secular nonviolent War Resisters League, I can understand initial concerns and confusion.

Since 1992, however, those involved in the Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación

Nacional, or FALN, and many of the armed groupings of the 1970s have stated that changing conditions warranted changing tactics; some began strongly advocating the use of militant nonviolent direct action (which was widely used in the successful campaign to get the U.S. Navy base out of the Puerto Rican island of Vieques). Although never even accused of any acts of violence, Lopez Rivera himself spoke and speaks repeatedly about his personal devotion to the sanctity of life, and how the only time that has been challenged is when he was a soldier in Vietnam. Even in that chaotic experience, Lopez Rivera is certain there is no blood on his hands.

Yet after it was clear that the FALN were taking a different path than their original tactics — which included largely-symbolic bombings of empty buildings — it has been recently repeated that Lopez Rivera refused a 1999 clemency offer because he was unwilling to renounce violence. Although this refusal is exactly what kept Nelson Mandela in jail for 27 years (convicted of the same “seditious conspiracy” thought crime), and the right to take up arms against crimes against humanity such as colonialism is enshrined in the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, the 1999 refusal is simply more media misinformation.

When offered clemency under the Clinton administration, Lopez Rivera joined all his co-defendants in pledging (again) that they would neither engage in nor advocate acts of violence — and they have lived up to that agreement in both letter and spirit. Those released in 1999 are peacemakers, coalition-builders and inspiring artists and activists working productively in every region of the island.

And Lopez Rivera was not released at that time in large part because he refused to accept the draconian conditions of staying in prison 10 years longer than the rest. He also protested the fact that some among his co-defendants were offered no deal at all.

But there is much more than a simple concern about violence and nonviolence behind the current efforts to discredit Lopez Rivera. Within the War Resisters League and Fellowship of Reconciliation, members were thrilled at the successes of the Oscar campaign and anxious to welcome this man who has said since his release that the movement has “transcended violence.” We understand that social change does not take place in a fixed historical moment, that people and movements grow and mature, and certainly that it is the primary job of those of us from the colonizer’s side to get out of the way — tactically, strategically and otherwise — of those fighting for their freedom. Self-determination and solidarity is our most important priority.

It is impossible not to notice that those shouting loudest about “terrorist”

Oscar Lopez Rivera are also involved in posting physical threats against him and New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, one of his most vocal and prominent supporters. “The only 21-gun salute they deserve is between the eyes” wrote one blogger: Those are the words of real and contemporary terrorist violence, directed not at an empire or unjust institutional symbols, but against individuals. As usual, the root causes of perpetual violence are quickly overlooked, and institutional militarism (such as interventionist armies or tear gas-wielding police) are rationalized and accepted. “The only terrorist group I was ever a member of,” noted Lopez Rivera on his first day of freedom, “was when I was part of the U.S. armed forces in Southeast Asia.”

Consistent repression, incrimination, incarceration, black-listing and economic devastation are also acts of state-sponsored terrorism, directed — in the case of Puerto Rico — most intensely at pro-independence advocates. Often led by U.S. intelligence agencies, especially the FBI, those acts would rarely be labeled terrorism, though they have been responsible for more violence and death than any action taken by armed militants. It is terrorism to live in fear of U.S. Navy bombs being tested and dropped on one’s homes, but the people of Vieques faced that reality for decades.

Although the “independence option” has always been a third-place loser on the electoral front, there is plenty of evidence that a vast majority of people believe Puerto Rico to still be a colony, unsatisfied with the current status and unconvinced that previous “votes” on the status question have been anything more than a sham, held by and for the non-Puerto Rican overseers in Washington.

The plebiscite held on the same day of the 2017 parade may have seen a majority of votes favoring Puerto Rican statehood, but the big news was that over 78 percent of the eligible voting population stayed away from the polls altogether. Independence advocates, commonwealth supporters, and many others waged a far more successful boycott of the vote than Coca Cola and the corporations waged of the parade.

Since the first moments of his release, Lopez Rivera has been clear that he will use his uniquely unifying position to build towards a trustworthy and legitimate process of decolonization. “First,” he carefully explained, “I want to travel to every village and town, to listen to what the people have to say.” This first step in the building of his new foundation is straight out of Gandhi’s playbook; the noted Indian independence leader traveled through the Asian subcontinent before he formulated detailed strategies for a friendly separation from Britain.

“The campaign for my release,” Oscar reflected, “was the third of four waves of successful campaigns.” The first wave helped free five nationalists, imprisoned in the

1950s and freed under President Jimmy Carter’s administration. The second was Bill Clinton’s 1999 decision to grant clemency to a dozen Puerto Rican independence activists. The final, according to Lopez Rivera, will be the freeing of the island nation itself.

This is, of course, the real reason the ultra-elite of the island and their U.S. corporate backers hate him so. Lopez Rivera has the possibility of uniting an unprecedented and historical number of people in a decolonization process that will conform to the standards of international law and accepted democratic practice.

In all decolonization processes monitored by the United Nations and international accredited bodies (including the ones led by President Carter), certain conditions are required before a vote can be called legitimate. These include freeing all political prisoners held by the colonizing power, the one condition now almost fully met. Also included is a withdrawal of all colonizing military powers, an idea far from complete, with U.S. bases essentially surrounding the island and the sprawling Roosevelt Roads base taking up a substantial portion of arable land. Although the U.S. armed forces seem ever-present on Puerto Rico (the Marines served as the government of the island for the first years following the 1898 U.S. invasion), the question of outside intervention and its effects on the electoral process can’t be overlooked.

It will take some time for Lopez Rivera to complete his homeland tour, as will any true transition process on status. The dire economic situation, with teachers unable to get paid a livable wage and unemployment at record highs, make the fuse on the Puerto Rican time bomb — far more deadly than any 1970s explosive — an incredibly short one.

Meanwhile, in New York for his historic first visit, Lopez Rivera speaks of peace.

Honored with a position at the front of the throng of cheering parade-goers, he rode a float designed by Puerto Rican artisans to appear as a scene “by the water’s edge” — a reference to the locale the 74-year-old patriot missed most during his close to 36 years behind bars. While he did not accept the “national freedom hero” title that the National Puerto Rican Day Parade committee had wanted to bestow upon him, there was little stopping the outpouring of love and affection for this archetype so beloved by his people. Lopez Rivera noted that he preferred to march as an ordinary Puerto Rican elder and grandfather and to bestow the titled honor on all the people of his homeland and those allies who fight with them for justice and freedom.

He, therefore, neither wore the special sash designating him as an honoree, nor marched with the other honored parade grand marshals or dignitaries.

Of course, some in the corporate media — careful to remain faithful to their Trump- and Breitbart-aligned backers — still suggested that there were many who booed Lopez Rivera, a lie easily transparent to any who (like me) walked with his contingent all the way up Fifth Avenue.

There were maybe half-a-dozen at most who criticized Oscar along the route.

Those same reporters suggested an overwhelming majority of Puerto Ricans back on the island had just voted in favor of statehood, despite the extraordinarily high stay-away rate.

For those of us who have gotten to know Oscar Lopez Rivera, it is hard to escape the feeling that we are in the presence of both a great, transcendent figure — having made and about to make history, and a cherubic grandfather type, sweet and caring and giving of his time and energy. As organizers, however, we know that while it is nice to gain friends and family, it is more important to wage effective campaigns that will end injustice and give us reason to celebrate for more than one sunny Sunday afternoon.

Safeguarding Precious Crop Genes in Trust for Humanity Ini Ekott

A

Inter Press Service

genetic resource centre run by the Nigeria-based International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has banked thousands of crop varieties for disaster relief and research, holds the world’s largest and most diverse collection of cowpeas, and contains some of Africa’s rarest insect species.

In times of crises when farmers lose their seeds, the genetic resource centre – which the institute calls genebank – provides new seeds that are multiplied and given to farmers. Researchers can also pick from the bank preferred traits they incorporate into breeding programmes.

For a continent plagued by perennial food shortages, and a world rapidly losing its genetic resources, the genebank is a precious gift, and its contents are kept in trust for humanity.

“The IITA genebank is one of the most precious resource centres to Africa, in particular, and the world at large. I see it as the pride of Africa,” said Michael Abberton, the head of the IITA’s genetic resource centre.

Since plant and animal genetic resources are the foundation of sustainable

serving crop varieties helps prevent “genetic erosion”, said Abberton, referring to the tendency of losing varieties either as a result of the development of new varieties or disasters.

The IITA’s conservation activities started in the mid-1970s with the establishment of a genebank to help in crop improvement. That bank was later upgraded to provide seeds for people affected by flood, fire, wars, and other disasters.

The genebank currently holds over 28,000 accessions of plant material, called germplasm, of Africa’s major food crops – maize, plantain, cassava, cowpea, banana, yam, soybean, and bambara nut.

The bank has some 15,122 unique samples of cowpeas that come from 88 countries, close to half of global cowpea diversity.

Seed samples of IITA’s cowpea collections stored since 1978 are still viable.

The crops’ germplasms are held in trust on behalf of humanity under the auspices of the United Nations, and distributed without restriction for use in research for food and agriculture, the institute says.

Abberton said depending on the species of a product, and its reproductive and dissemination biology, collections are either stored in the field, or in the seed or in-vitro genebanks. All crops producing

water content and low temperatures of 5 ºC in short term, and -20 ºC in long term.

At the research level, crops’ traits such as seed colour, resistance to pest and diseases, height of plant, sweetness or others can all be harnessed from the genebank.

The IITA was the first centre to contribute to the new Svalbard Global Seed Vault project, built by the Norwegian government as a service to the global community. The facility is funded by the Romebased NGO Global Crop Diversity Trust.

In 2008, twenty-one boxes of IITA germplasm samples, part of a first installment, arrived in Oslo to go to the isolated Norwegian archipelago in time for its Feb. 26 opening. In 2009, another shipment was made.

Seeds samples sent to Svalbard Global Seed Vault were large sample of cowpea (also known as black-eyed pea), wild vigna, soybean, maize and bambara.

The IITA genebank based in Nigeria also plays a vital role as a reservoir for response to disaster. It did so on May 22 when the institute donated 35,930 kilograms of seeds to Nigeria’s Borno state government to cushion an eight-year humanitarian crisis caused by the Islamist group Boko Haram.

Borno, in northeastern Nigeria, has

lence. The group is responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 people and the displacement of more than 2 million – a majority of them farmers.

The seeds donated to Borno government included improved varieties of cowpea, soybean, maize, millet, sorghum, and rice.

They were adapted to the climate of the region with some being extra-early, early, and intermediate, maturing, IITA’s deputy director general for partnerships for delivery, Kenton Dashiell, explained.

“They are also high yielding and resistant to the major pests and diseases, and other biotic and abiotic constraints in the region,” he said.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo, who as an IITA ambassador made the presentation on behalf of the institute, described the donation as the most meaningful gift ever given to the people of Borno.

Abberton, the head of the genetic resource centre, told IPS the donations to Borno state would not have been possible if not for the genebank that helped the institute in conserving the seeds.

“So, the genebank is a life wire for the IITA and humanity,” he said. He added that the IITA was committed to alleviating hun-

The Practice of Literature in the Age of Digitals James H.K Head, Dept. of English, SJC, Jakhama

H

ow is literature practiced in The Age of Digitals? With the speedy advancement and progress made in the technologies, how does literature flourish? How does it survive? How is it moving? And to what destination?

Or is the Literature dying out with the people having no more time for it? I believe, it’s worthwhile for us to take a serious note of it. But before we go to expatiate the Digital Age, good be it to note what could be this Literature in digestive gulp.

Literature may be defined as the written works that are regarded as having artistic merits. It includes books and printed information on particular subject. There are various types of literary works like lyric, poetry, epigrams, epic poetry, haiku, satire, comedy and tragedy, prose, sonnets, drama, elegies, history etc. Broadly “literature” is used to describe anything from creative to more technical or scientific works, but the term is more commonly used to refer to works of the creative imaginations, including works of poetry, drama, fiction and non-fiction.

Literature represents a language or a people: culture and tradition. Literature introduces us to new worlds of experience, we learn about books and literature everyday. Thus, we may even grow and evolve through our literary journey with books.

Literary works have been great source of inspiration even for the development and invention of so many things of great importance and significance.

For instance, gliders and air plans have been invented through the inspiration of the poets who imagined themselves flying and soaring the skies like birds, in the heights of their fantasies. Literary works have proved to be quite contributory to scientific and technological developments at large.

History of literature begins with history of writing, it is said to have developed out of proto sign system by the 30th century B.C. Some of the prominent classical writers known to us are Plato, Horace, Homer, Aristotle, Thucydides, Sophocles, Desmosdenes etc. Their works are characterized with authencity, originality and complexity; their works are a proof of the excellence and the creativity of the great minds.

Literature was brought to a different level after the period of Renaissance and Reformation in England. ‘The Authorized version of the Bible’ or ‘King James Bible’ (1611) is considered as a classic in English literature.

The works of Shakespeare, Milton, Alexander Pope, Shelley, Wordsworth, Marlowe, Spencer, John Donne, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens; to name some few who contributed to literature; their works are a masterpiece, each different from the work of the other. But with the development and the invention of the Digital, the literature suffered a heavy setback. Don’t we fear that in future reading would be completely dominated by Digital?

The books lay rotten in the shelves, waiting for someone to read and taste the originality of the masterpiece of the authors of great caliber. The true meaning of the literary works can be understood through their original works. But today, with the invasion of the digital technology, literature is less appreciated. In order to appeal to the eye of the viewers, the original works are reduced and twisted.

Meanings are being distorted with modifications, the works no more appear to be a masterpiece.

Even a bulk of a book can be reduced to a short movie, thus omitting so many lines and sentences. Digital technology refines literature for its production; for its progress, it betrays the work of art.

There are instances of the degradation of literature in the present era, a story is often shortened and the grandiloquent words are being replaced by simple dictions and vocabularies. Words like ‘thou’, ‘thee’, ‘thine’ etc are no more used today. These words are losing their importance today, such words find their beauty only in literature, and they fit in perfectly in written forms.

Moreover, a very depressing truth is that people often opt for digital because they spend very little time to understand and complete a particular video or movie, contrary to that, reading consumes a lot of time. Prose is at its very end almost all the works of fictions and dramas are now highlighted in the form of movies; some of the relevant examples are that of Jude the Obscure, Wuthering Heights, Macbeth, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, She Stoops to Conquer, Sense and Sensibility, A Walk in the Clouds, Life is Beautiful, Love Comes Softly etc… which are not in their original forms; there are some modifications. They have failed to maintain their authenticity; they are nothing compared to literature.

There has also been gradual depletion of literature; there are hardly any poems at work in the digital arena. Poems are neglected, they find no place today’s world, poetry is replaced by cheap works. It is very difficult, rather impossible to explain poetry through films and videos. Real work of beauty is visible only in poetry; but it is being polluted with dilutions. With discoloration, poetry is no more alive in its natural form.

Another discouraging fact is that unlike literature, old movies/ videos are often neglected with the production of new books. We have learnt how man evolved from ape; man started adapting to new living conditions and shed their old self to undergo a process of evolution. Likewise, literature is undergoing a constant change and we are easily adapting to the transitions and deviations. In spite of being conscious about saving the original materials by keeping a continuation in printing the exact copy; people are not bothered about its importance; rather they in lieu proceed into publishing new name and fame.

Thus, we can say that the age of digital has hampered the growth of literature. Digital works find a superior place than the original text itself.

There is complete anarchy in the quest for the preservation of the true work of art. I have opined, how about you???

8

tuesDAY 27•06•2017

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Not a single blot of corruption against my govt, says PM Modi

Kutumbakam (the world is one family). This is our character," he added.

Modi also said: "We do not want to disrupt the global order. Following the international norms and law, in order to ensure that the sovereignty, security and peace is maintained, we are capable of taking very stern action."

Addressing the diaspora here as "members of family", Modi promised a developed India in their lifetime.

He said their success is due to the supportive environment in the US, and his government is working to provide the same environment back home.

"Your heart always asks when would our country become like this (the US)...

I assure you that this will happen in your lifetime," Modi said here.

Saying that Indians in America have not just helped India progress but also the US, Modi said that success and action of the Indian diaspora is still echoing in the world.

"You are the same people but your success story has a simple reason, it's because you got supportive environment here," he said. The Prime Minister added that "1.25 crore equally talented Indians are there back in India, they are now getting supportive environment and soon we will develop India soon".

Washington, June 26 (ians): Projecting his government's success in the areas of fighting terror and graft, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that there has not been a single blot of corruption against his regime and no country has questioned the surgical strikes conducted across the border.

Addressing the Indian diaspora here, he also promised a supportive environment for developing the country matching the progress in the US. Calling corruption as the root cause for which previous governments were changed in India, Modi said his government has emerged corruptionfree in the past three years.

"Governments were changed because of corruption. The common people hated this... There has been not a single blot on our government in the

past three years. And governance is being modified so that honesty becomes an in-build process," he said to a cheering audience.

"Technology is helping with that," Modi said.

"Increased usage of technology brings transparency in systems. When I think of a developed India, I think of a healthy India, particularly the good health of women and children of our nation," he said.

Talking about the army's surgical strikes on terror launching pads across the border on October 26 last year, the Prime Minister said no country has questioned the government's action.

"The entire world could have raised many questions and pointed fingers at us over the surgical strikes.

But, not a single country questioned India's surgical strikes against the terrorist launch pads in Pakistan

9-member panel to prepare final draft of National Education Policy

'India-Afghanistan air corridor reflects 'India's thermal plants may become economically unviable' New Delhi's stubborn thinking'

neW Delhi, June 26 (ians): The Human Resource Development Ministry on Monday constituted a nine-member panel to prepare the final draft of the National Education Policy to be headed by eminent scientist K. Kasturirangan.

Besides Kasturirangan, the panel includes Vasudha Kamat, academician from the field of education technology; Manjul Bhargava, Professor of Mathematics in Princeton University, USA; and K.J. Alphonse, who played a crucial role in achieving 100 per cent literacy rate in Kottayam and Ernakulam districts of Kerala, according to a statement. The panel also comprises Ram Shankar Kureel, Vice Chancellor of Baba Saheb Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, Mhow; T.V. Kattimani, Vice Chancellor of Tribal University, Amarkantak; and Krishna Mohan Tripathy, who was instrumental in implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Mazhar Asif, Professor of Persian at Gauhati University; and M.K. Shridhar, former Member Secretary of Karnataka Innovation Council and Karnataka Knowledge Commission, are also part of the panel.

(last year). Those (Pakistan) who suffered because of this, is a different thing," Modi said.

Maintaining that the entire world is suffering because of the menace of terrorism, which is against mankind, the Prime Minister said, "When India spoke about terrorism about 20-25 years back, for many countries, it was beyond their understanding.

For them it was a law and order problem, because they were not the sufferers.

Today, it is not required to explain what's terrorism.

Terrorists have themselves explained it to them."

"But when India conducts surgical strike, the world understands India is a patient country but if required, it knows how to demonstrate its ability," said Modi.

"We are bound by international laws. We believe in the idea of Vasudhaiva

BeiJing, June 26 (ians): Bypassing Pakistan in a direct air corridor with Afghanistan reflects India's "stubborn geopolitical thinking" and its opposition to Beijing's connectivity project, a Chinese daily has said.

The Global Times in a commentary advised India "to develop economic and trade relations" with China's "all-weather ally" Pakistan where Beijing is building a multibillion-dollar worth economic corridor that passes between Islamabad and New Delhi.

Last week, India and Afghanistan opened a direct commercial air route, bypassing Pakistan with which ties of both the neighbours have soured over the issue of terrorism.

Pakistan lies between India and Afghanistan and has not allowed overland trade between both countries.

"India and Afghanistan inaugurated a direct air freight corridor last week, a dedicated route designed to give a boost to trade between the two countries. This begs a question: Will India bypass Pakistan to develop trade with Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries?" Global Times' reporter Wang Jiamei asked in the online commentary.

"All such connectivity efforts have not only signalled India's desire to more actively participate in regional economic development, but have also highlighted the country's stubborn geopolitical thinking."

"India has always been pushing back against the Belt and Road initiative, so its intention to create its own connectivity network appears to be a strategy to counterbalance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially to bypass Pakistan, which has prohibited India from transporting any goods through its territory due to their tense relationship."

India is opposed to the CPEC which cuts

A Hindu devotee shows his painted back with a message stating “GST (Global Service Tax) – A new boon or a lasting burden?” ahead of the rollout of the new tax in India, during the annual Rath Yatra, or chariot procession, in Ahmedabad, June 25. (Reuters)

'Act of God' blamed for cable car accident that killed 7 srinagar, June 26 (ians): The management of the company that operates the gondola cable car service in Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday blamed "an act of God" for the Sunday tragedy which killed seven people including four members of a Delhi family.

Riyaz Ahmad, General Manager of the project, told IANS that there was no violation of the standard operating procedure (SOP) on Sunday as alleged by some.

A man, his wife and their two children were killed in the accident that also left three locals dead.

Another 150 people who

through Gilgit-Baltistan, in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir claimed by New Delhi.

So much so that India boycotted a twoday Belt and Road Summit organised by Beijing in May, citing sovereignty issue over the project.

"India has also started another project to develop the Iranian port of Chabahar, with the aim of opening another direct transport route to Afghanistan and Central Asian countries," the article noted, referring to a media report.

India is a developing Chabahar port in Iran which is 72 km away from Gwadar port in Balochistan being built by China under the CPEC. "It is undeniable that geopolitical issues are complicated in this region, but it would still be better for India to develop economic and trade relations with Pakistan."

"From the point of view of connectivity, regardless of India's mindset behind the air freight corridor, the new route will somehow boost the development of trade relations, which will of course facilitate regional economic growth, but the big question is whether the air route is commercially viable and sustainable for trade exchange."

"No matter how India is thinking, if the country really wants to participate more in regional economic development, it should not bypass Pakistan, which offers the most efficient and cost-effective land route. Regional connectivity cannot live without the cooperation between both India and Pakistan."

"In this sense, the Belt and Road has actually created the opportunity and platform for cooperation between India and Pakistan, and now we will see if India can eventually seize the opportunity," the commentary concluded.

were in other cable cars were saved.

"We don't operate the gondola during high velocity winds and there is an inbuilt safety mechanism in the system that automatically stops the operation whenever there are gusty winds," Ahmad said.

"What happened yesterday was a great misfortune because of an act of God," he told IANS. Ahmad said there was bright sunshine when the cable cars were in motion.

But, he said, "suddenly a gush of strong wind uprooted a pine tree that hit another large pine tree, whose branch fell on the cable derailing it from the

neW Delhi, June 26 (ians): India's ultra thermal plants, designed to run on foreign coal, may no longer afford to do so economically in the future, says a top financial analyst with a leading US-based institute.

This can be seen in the case of India's two largest thermal power projects in Gujarat's port town of Mundra -- Adani Power's 4.6 GW and Tata Power's 4 GW plants. Both are no longer competitive owing to nearly doubled price rise of coal from Indonesia since their planning and incapability to hike tariffs, says Tim Buckley, Director of Energy Finance Studies Australasia with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

Adanis' Mundra plant has previously been disclosed to be operating with 100 per cent imported coal from Indonesia while Adani Power has been operating at a net loss, and has been doing so for the last seven years, Buckley told IANS in an email interview.

The Mundra plant is by far Adani Power's largest and is the intended destination for the majority of its thermal coal imports from the Carmichael proposal in Australia under Adani's "pit to plug" strategy.

After an adverse Supreme Court ruling disallowing any tariff revision to compensate for higher cost of imported coal, Adani Power discontinued 1,250 MW of power supply from Mundra due to unviability of running these units on imported coal.

"These plants will curtail production rather than lose money with every unit of production. It is a likely conclusion that a $1-2 billion write down of Adani Power's $5bn

pulley.

"The system stopped operation and we found out that the cable had been derailed between the fifth and sixth towers.

"After getting derailed, the cabins in this sector started swinging dangerously but no cabin crashed to the ground," he insisted.

"What caused the deaths of our guests was the shattering of glass.

"After the glass shattered, the occupants were thrown out of the cabin because of the way the car was dangerously swinging."

The dead were identified as Jayant Anderaskar, his wife Manisha and their daughters Anagha and

plant is on the cards. As it stands, this plant is a clear stranded asset," said Buckley.

Adani Power has approached state-run Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) to bail out its Mundra plant. According to reports, one option for GUVNL is to take a majority stake in the plant post a write-down of equity.

Likewise, Tata Power has written to the central government proposing to sell 51 per cent equity of its ailing asset for a nominal fee of Re 1, citing challenges faced by the company since Indonesian coal prices doubled.

According to Buckley, a writtendown plant can be reconfigured to be viable, particularly if cheap ($20/tonne) domestic coal can be procured in proximity to the plant without exorbitant rail freight costs.

However, a key requirement is that blending in low energy and high ash Indian coal requires high quality existing Australian thermal coal which is high energy and low ash.

But coal from Carmichael would be low energy and high ash and far from ideal for blending with cheap domestic Indian coal, he said.

Commenting on Energy Minister Piyush Goyal's recent assertions that India would need to keep importing coal, including from the proposed Carmichael mine, Buckley said: "The strategic aim to cease non-coast power plant usage of imported thermal coal within the next two to three years means domestic operators will need to reconfigure their plants so that they can use domestic coal."

In May, the Indian government

Jhanvi. They were from Shalimar Bagh in Delhi.

The other three victims were identified as Mukhtar Ahmed Ganie, Javed Ahmed Khandey and Farooq Ahmed.

It was the first such disaster in the ropeway project which has 36 cabins and 18 towers and is a joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and a French firm. It is hugely popular with tourists who flock to Gulmarg, a skiing hub.

Manager Ahmad added that the system was restored in a record time of two hours and other occupants in different cabins were rescued.

stated that it was considering auctioning Coal India's domestic coal for supply and blending at import coal-based power plants where possible. As India works through and resolves domestic supply shortages, the need for imported thermal coal will continue to progressively decline.

India targets for all public sector undertakings to be using 100 per cent domestic coal by this fiscal, following NTPC's move to virtually cease coal imports in 2016-17.

"As proof of the gradual success of this program to protect India's current account deficit and currency, Indian coal imports peaked in 2014-15, and have progressively declined since then. May 2017 saw a six per cent year-on-year decline for the month," said Buckley, who is in Mumbai and New Delhi this week.

For India, tapping renewable energy sources is a great opportunity, he said.

"The move away from thermal fuel imports improves the balance of payments, helps improve the currency and hence reduces imported inflation generally," Buckley added.

An IEEFA report titled "NTPC as a Force in India's Electricity Transition" showcases how the Indian government is shifting rapidly towards a low-carbon economy -- a step towards achieving the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement aim of cutting greenhouse gases from burning fossil fuels.

India's draft "Ten Year Electricity Plan" calls for a staggering 275 GW of renewable energy by 2027, in addition to 72 GW of hydro and 15 GW of nuclear energy.

Eid celebrated across India, clashes occur in Kashmir Valley

neW Delhi, June 26 (ians): Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, was celebrated across India on Monday with tens of thousands of Muslims converging at mosques to offer prayers and greet each other. In the turmoil-hit Kashmir Valley, clashes were reported between stone-pelters and security places at various places.

Eidgahs across various states saw members of the Muslim community coming out in large numbers to offer 'Namaze-Eid'. Thousands of people offered prayers at the Jama Masjid in Delhi, and main mosques in Mumbai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Srinagar, Bhopal, Bengaluru and several other places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation on the occasion, hoping that the auspicious day further the spirit of peace and brotherhood in our society.

A string of Bollywood personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Anil Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, wished their fans and followers

a year full of happiness, peace and love. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday extended his greetings to the people of Kashmir on Eid, saying he hoped the festival will bring peace, harmony and happiness in the Valley.

However, clashes broke out on Monday between the security forces and stone pelters at several places in the Kashmir Valley after Eid prayers.

At least 10 protesters were injured in the clashes in Anantnag, Sopore, Kulgam, Pulwama and Pattan towns, police said.

Eid prayers elsewhere in the valley ended peacefully.

A huge number of devotees were seen offering Eid prayers at the Hazratbal shrine and other mosques and Eidgahs in the valley. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti offered Eid prayers at a mosque in the high security Sonawar area.

The Kashmir Inspector General of Police on Sunday issued an advisory, asking the VIPs to offer Eid prayers only at protected places and avoid

Children pay and enjoy after offering Namaz at Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid-ul- Fitr in New Delhi on June 26. (UNI PHOTO)

public places.

Heavy rains in Kerala forced Muslims to hold prayers and religious ceremonies indoors.

The largest crowds were witnessed in the-Muslim dominated areas like Malappuram,

Kozhikode, Kannur as well as Kochi and Trivandrum. Mutton and beef stalls were crowded at most places as people were seen queuing up to get their requirements for the day since late Sunday evening.

Eid celebrations were held with fervour in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Huge congregations were seen at the historic Mir Alam Eidgah, Madannapet Eidgah, Ujale Shah, Balamrai, Makkah

Masjid, Public Gardens mosque, hockey grounds, military grounds and Secunderabad Eidgah in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad.

Guests were treated to 'sheer khorma' (special sweet made of vermicelli, milk and dry fruits) and other dishes.

Eid celebrations were also held in Kolkata and other places in West Bengal.

Since morning, people gathered at mosques, including Kolkata's main Nakhoda Masjid, to offer prayers and greet one another. The sprawling Red Road in the city saw a huge number of faithfuls sitting on rugs and offering prayers.

Amid the ongoing indefinite shutdown in the hills, the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha leadership had announced a "partial relaxation for 12 hours" on Monday to enable the Muslims to celebrate the festival.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also greeted people on the occasion but also warned there is an "environment of intolerance" in the

country and urged the people to stay united.

The festival was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm across Madhya Pradesh.

Muslims started gathering at the Taj-ul-Masajid in Bhopal since early morning for prayers, while their Hindu friends greeted them. Reports of celebrations were received from Indore Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Burhanpur, and Ujjain.

In Rajasthan, thousands of Muslims participated in the prayers held at Eidgah on the outskirts of Jaipur while celebrations were also held in Ajmer, Tonk, Bikaner and Bhilwara and other places in the state. The Muslim community celebrated Eid in various parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

With tension remaining between India and Pakistan over terror attacks on security forces and ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir, no sweets were exchanged between the border guards at the joint checkpost at Attari-Wagah, 30 km from Amritsar.

TuesdaY 27 •06•2017

WORLD/ENT

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

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Hong Kong youth press campaign forward despite China’s rejection of full democracy HONG KONG/BEIJING, JuNE 26 (REutERs): When the British handed over Hong Kong to China in 1997, Beijing promised to allow universal suffrage as an “ultimate aim”, along with other freedoms, under a “one country, two systems” arrangement agreed with London. That’s not going to happen, well placed sources in Beijing and Hong Kong say, as Hong Kong marks the 20th anniversary of that handover.

China did offer a contentious electoral reform package in 2014, which allowed Hong Kong a direct vote, but only of candidates pre-screened by Beijing.

The city’s pro-democracy lawmakers vetoed the package, which critics called “fake democracy”.

And so Hong Kong’s next leader was again chosen this year by a small electoral college stacked with proBeijing loyalists.

“There will be no second chance,” said a source in Beijing with ties to the Chinese leadership, who declined to be named given the sensitivity of the matter. “We can’t afford to do it all over again.

It’s too painful and a waste of

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong stands in froint of Golden Bauhinia, a gift from China at the 1997 handover, which covering with black cloth to demand full democracy ahead of 20th anniversary of the handover from British to China, in Hong Kong on June 26. (REUTERS Photo)

time and resources.”

A senior Hong Kong official said even if China changed its mind, Beijing wouldn’t back down on its requirement that candidates be vetted, effectively shutting out pro-democracy contenders for the top job.

“A (democratically-elected) chief executive who does not get along with the central (government) will be a disaster for Hong Kong,” said the

source with ties to the Chinese leadership. “It would lead to gridlock ... Hong Kong people will suffer.”

The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of China’s State Council did not respond to faxed questions. But Chinese authorities have long stated they respect Hong Kong’s “high degree of autonomy” and are supportive of lawful and gradual democratic

development until universal suffrage is realised.

In comments reported by state media on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said “one country, two systems” remained the best way to ensure Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability and vowed to stand by it “unswervingly”.

SOWN DISTRUST The battle for full de-

mocracy in Hong Kong has been a defining issue for the city of 7.3 million. It has sown distrust between China and Hong Kong, polarized politics, hampered governance and stoked mass street protests, including the 79-day prodemocracy Occupy movement of 2014 that tried but failed to wrest democratic concessions from Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.

In the process, a young generation has become radicalised, with some agitating for greater autonomy and even independence from China.

Authorities have tried to snuff that out.

In March, Hong Kong police arrested nine activists including a few leaders of the Occupy movement.

That came after two proindependence, democratically elected legislators were kicked out of Hong Kong’s assembly late last year.

Beijing’s harder line on Hong Kong has been mirrored on the mainland with Xi’s crackdown on dissent since coming to power five years ago.

Hong Kong’s democratic experiment is seen as a litmus test of Beijing’s tolerance for eventual political reforms in mainland China, where calls for greater civil liberties and grassroots democracy have been growing, experts say.

Britain acquired Hong Kong island in 1842 after the first of two “opium” wars during the height of its imperial power and returned it 156 years later to a rising China. Colonial Hong Kong’s governor was appointed and Britain did little to promote democracy until near the end of its rule.

INTERNATIONAL PUSH The pro-democracy movement has lost considerable steam following the crackdown on activists, as well as infighting between various democratic groups.

But the movement has recently stepped up its longstanding international engagement, particularly with Washington.

Last month, Joshua Wong, a skinny, 20-yearold who helped lead the Occupy protests, and veteran democrat Martin Lee told the U.S. Congressio-

nal-Executive Commission on China the “high degree of autonomy” promised to Hong Kong had eroded over two decades of Chinese rule.

U.S. Republican Senator Marco Rubio is pushing a “Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act”, a bipartisan bill to punish Chinese officials who suppress basic freedoms in Hong Kong.

The campaign by Wong, who was featured in a recent Netflix documentary, also took him to Taiwan in recent weeks, where 18 proindependence lawmakers launched a new congressional caucus on Hong Kong, modelled in part on the U.S. initiative. He also travelled to Japan for a lobbying trip this month.

“I’m really optimistic that in the future, we can take this as a reference and just get bipartisan support around the world,” said Wong, who is facing a possible five-year jail term on “unlawful assembly” charges.

its for the 20th anniversary of the handover on July 1, Wong and around a dozen activists, all dressed in black, covered a statue of a golden Bauhinia flower considered a symbol of Chinese sovereignty, in black cloth to symbolise what they called the brutality of the Chinese regime.

“One country, two systems a lie for 20 years,” Wong and his fellow activists shouted, pumping fists.

Tens of thousands of others are expected to attend various protests when Xi is in town including a July 1 rally with the theme “retake Hong Kong for a democratic government”.

“It’s time to let Hong Kong people have democracy and universal suffrage,” said Wong.

Martin Lee, the 79-yearold barrister widely known as one of the fathers of the democratic movement in Hong Kong said Beijing is trying to “extinguish the fire of democracy that is burning in the hearts of young people”.

“But if I were to die toPROTESTS AHEAD day, Hong Kong would be OF XI VISIT fine with young leaders like Just days before Xi vis- that.”

This technique uses body’s Myanmar, Thailand incinerate New U.S. ambassador to China noise to detect cancer early illicit drugs worth $800 million says North Korea a top priority

LONdON, JuNE 26 (IANs): An emerging technology that uses the body’s own “seismic noise”, allows more effective imaging deep inside body to assist in tumour, scientists say. Elastography, sometimes referred as seismology of the human body, measures the elasticity of biological tissue to diagnose cancer or liver and thyroid disease more accurately and at the earliest stages.

In passive elastography, the elasticity of tissue is measured using the body’s own propagation of shear waves, which enables more effective imaging deeper inside the body in an even more non-invasive way than the traditional elastography.

“Passive elastography is foreseen as a viable technique for cancer detection in organs deep in the body, such as the prostate or liver, for well-protected organs such as the brain, and for fragile organs such as the eye,” said Stefan Catheline, research director at the University of Lyon in France.

The research will be presented

at the ongoing Acoustics ‘17 meeting of the Acoustical Society of America in Boston.

The new approach analyses the noise of natural shear waves that are produced biologically.

Just as in earthquakes, shear waves constantly move through organs and other soft tissue of a person during the everyday functionalities of these bodily systems, such as the beating of a heart or the liver performing everyday metabolic processes.

“The idea, as in seismology, is to take advantage of shear waves naturally present in the human body due to muscles activities to construct a shear elasticity map of soft tissues,” Catheline said.

“It is thus a passive elastography approach since no shear wave sources are used,”Catheline added.

Passive elastography is compatible with slow imaging devices, such as standard echographs and MRI scanners, as well as with optical coherent tomography, the researchers said.

BANGKOK/YANGON, JuNE 26 (REutERs): Officials in Myanmar and Thailand burned illegal narcotics worth more than $800 million on Monday to mark the UN day against drug abuse and trafficking.

The move came even as authorities struggle to stem the flood of illicit drugs in the region, with Thailand’s justice minister last year saying the country’s war on drugs was failing. In Thailand’s Ayutthaya province, more than 9 tonnes of drugs with a street value of over 20 billion baht ($590 million) went up in smoke including methamphetamines, known locally as “yaba” or “crazy drug”, according to police.

“Currently, we are able to take down a lot of networks, including ... transnational networks bringing drugs into Thailand ... to be shipped to Malaysia and other countries,” Sirinya Sitthichai, Secretary-General of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, told reporters in Ayutthaya.

In neighboring Myanmar, the police said they destroyed confiscated drugs worth around $217 million.

Myanmar remains one of the world’s largest producers of illicit drugs, including opium, heroin and methamphetamines. Those narcotics are often smuggled into China.

Last year, law makers in Myanmar voiced disappointment over the country’s lacklustre efforts to tackle the drug problem.

The market for methamphetamines has been growing in Southeast Asia, the United Nations has said. It estimates that Southeast Asia’s trade in heroin and methamphetamine was worth $31 billion in 2013.

BEIJING, JuNE 26 (REutERs): The new U.S. ambassador to China has said that stopping the threat posed by North Korea will be a top priority, along with resolving the U.S.-China trade imbalance, according to a video message to the Chinese people released on Monday.

Terry Branstad, a former Iowa governor, has been described by Beijing as an “old friend” of China. Branstad was confirmed on May 24 as President Donald Trump’s new ambassador to China but his arrival date has yet to be announced.

“Resolving the bilateral trade imbalance, stopping the North Korea threat, and expanding people-to-people ties will be my top priorities,” Branstad said in the video message, which was released on a popular Chinese video-streaming platform.

Trump has placed high hopes on China and its president, Xi Jinping, exerting greater influence on North Korea, although he said last week Chinese efforts to rein in the reclusive North’s nuclear and missile programmes had failed.

China’s foreign ministry regularly says that Beijing is doing all that it can with regard to North Korea by implementing United Nations Security Council sanctions, while also pushing for greater dialogue to reduce tensions.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he had pressed China to ramp up economic and political pressure on North Korea during his meeting with top diplomat Yang Jiechi in Washington last week.

“We face many of the same challenges. A strong U.S.-China relationship can contribute to solutions,” Branstad said in the video, without giving details

about how he hoped to work with China.

Branstad also recounted his three decades of engagement with China, from his first visit there in 1984 to hosting Xi, then a county-level Communist Party leader, in Iowa in 1985, and then again in 2012 when Xi was vice president.

Trump pledged during his campaign to take a tough stance on Chinese trade practices deemed unfair to the United States, but his rhetoric softened after a friendlier-than-expected meeting with Xi in Florida in April.

Shortly after their meeting, Trump said he had told Xi that China would get a better trade deal if it worked to rein in the North. China is neighbouring North Korea’s lone major ally.

The United States ran a trade deficit of $347 billion with China last year, U.S. Treasury figures show.

Team Support’s 4th Concert Series Mary Khyriem from Shillong crowned highlights local hip-hop community 15th Sunsilk Mega Miss North East

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eam Support conducted its 4th Concert Series on Saturday by highlighting the Kohima Hip-Hop Community at the Rooftop, West Road Mall, Kohima where a jam-packed crowd witnessed the best hip-hop acts from the capital.

Enlivening the show back to back, the line-ups for the night included Rugks Ngouri, Moko Koza and Macnivil who took the opportunity to set the stage afire with both originals and covers.

Of all the performance that was exhibited, the rap

battle in particular managed to stand out in gaining significant momentum and commendation from the attendees for its entertaining and poetic influence, a press release informed.

In addition to it, exem-

plary skills of deejaying was presented by DJ Li’l Bomb and facets of beatboxing, dougie and finger tutting

by Lian, Tommy and Veezy respectively.

The packed audience sang along to the Moko Koza’s popular number

“One Day” which was performed for the second time on request before winding it up with jovial smiles and high-spirited merriment, the release added.

The release further stated that the efforts of Team Support and the Kohima Hip-Hop Community had accomplished significant milestones and paved the way for taking the initiative forward.

The official footage for the show is officially out at Indihut’s Youtube channel and can be viewed on the link - https://goo.gl/ HrSMzv

Manushi Chhillar Crowned Femina Miss India 2017

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he 54th Femina Miss India World 2017 winner is Manushi Chhillar from Haryana, while the first runner-up is Sana Dua from Jammu and Kashmir and the second runner-up is Priyanka Kumari from Bihar. The event was held at Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai on Sunday night. Manushi, born to doctor parents, studied at St. Thomas School in Delhi and Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Sonepat.

In an interview during her grooming, she said: “The only thing I believe is certain in life is uncertainty and this is what is amazing about the pageant.”

Besides, Vinali Bhatnagar won the Miss Active crown whereas Vamika Nidhi won the special award of ‘Body Beautiful’.

Following a new format this year, the beauty pageant toured 30 states across the country and young girls participated from various places like Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand among others. All the 30 participants were mentored by Neha Dhupia, Waluscha De Sousa, Dipannita Sharma and Parvathy Omanakuttan. The pageant was judged by Miss World 2016 Stephanie Del Valle, along with Bollywood stars.

Source: IANS

Strela Thounaojam from Imphal and Smriti Sarmah from Guwahati crowned 1st and 2nd runners up respectively

I

n front of around 900 spectators from across the North East, Mary Khyriem from Shillong, Meghalaya was crowned the 15th Sunsilk Mega Miss North East at the ITA Cultural Complex, Machkhowa on June 25 evening.

Strela Thounaojam from Imphal and Smriti Sarmah from Guwahati won the first and second runners up titles respectively.

The contestants travelled to Guwahati for almost a week of activities which included grooming and training sessions conducted by Contestant Directors of Mega Entertainment Juhi Gogoi and Jessica Marbaniang, followed by rehearsals, leading up to the Grand Finale of the pageant.

Mary, a 3rd semester mass communication student of St. Anthony's College, Shillong, said that she must thank the people of North East for the support and specially her family members who supported her throughout her life. “I owe my success to my parents and mentors. Special thanks to the panel of judges and Mega Entertainment, and especially Abhijit Singha, for crowning me Sunsilk Mega Miss North East 2017. I am overwhelmed and can’t express my happi-

(L-R) 1st runner-up Strela Thounaojam from Manipur, winner Mary Khyriem from Meghalaya and 2nd runner-up Smriti Sarmah from Assam at Sunsilk Mega Miss North East 2017

ness… this is a dream coming true for me,” said Mary after winning the title.

She has won a prize package worth Rs. 3,00,000, including a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 and an opportunity to become the face of Sunsilk’s print and outdoor campaigns and opportunity to walk the biggest fashion event of the country Lakmé Fashion Week for Trends in Mumbai. She will also get traveling and inter-

national representation opportunities in countries like Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Cambodia.

The three winners will be offered professional representation by Mega Entertainment, a professional grooming session, which would guide them further on how to carry themselves forward in the professional sphere. Besides, the winners also get the opportunity to walk the

ramp in various national and international shows.

The organizers of the event, Mega Entertainment, had shortlisted 49 women, who vied for the coveted title of Sunsilk Mega Miss North East 2017. The contestants had made their first stage appearance on Saturday during Fair & Lovely Men Mega Mister North East showcasing their traditional costumes.

10

sports/public discourse

Results of the 3rd Nagaland Shooting C’ship 10M .77 Air Rifle Men Individual 1st Vijay Rawat 2nd Thejavizo Sorhie 3rd Henthong B Phom 10M 177 Air Rifle Junior Men Individual 1st Thejavizo Sorhie.

10M .77 Air Rifle Women Individual 1st. Divya M. 2nd. Guddi Ahirwar 3rd. Vivi Jane Sorhienuo.

10M .177 Air Rifle Junior Women Individual.

1st. Sentienla 10M Air Pistol Men Individual.

1st. Sandeep Singh 2nd. Seyievituo Whuorie 3rd. Metekhrielie Mejura 10M Air Pistol Junior Men Individual.

1st. Homsagar 10M Air Pistol Women Individual.

1st. Rimkung W. Chothe 2nd. Sharda Bhardwaj 3rd. Zoniengmawii 10M Air Pistol Veteran Individual.

1st. Theja Peseye.

25M Standard Pistol Men Individual.

1st. Imkongmeren 2nd. Vikuo Metha 3rd. Theja Peseye.

50M .22 Rifle Peep Sight Prone Men Individual.

1st. Thejavizo Sorhie 2nd. Imkongmeren 50M .22 Rifle Peep Sight Prone Junior Men Individual.

1st. Thejavizo Sorhie 50M .22 Rifle Peep Sight Prone Veteran Individual.

1st. Merang Jamir.

Results of 8th Aries rifle and pistol shooting C’ship 10M .177 Air Rifle Men Individual 1st. Thejavizo Sorhie 2nd. Henthong B.Phom 3rd. Renben M. 10M .177 Air Rifle Junior Men Individual.

1st. Thejavizo Sorhie 10M .177 Air Rifle Women Individual.

1st. Sentienla 2nd. Vivi Jane Sorhienuo 10M .177 Air Rifle Junior Women Individual.

1st. Sentienla 10M Air Pistol Men Individual.

1st. Seyievituo Whuorie 2nd. Renbemo 3rd. Metekhrielie Mejura.

25M Standard Pistol Men Individual 1st. Metekhrielie Mejura 2nd. Viphrielie Sorhie

Sunday Market Pandemonium

T

Jonah Achumi

he Sunday Market near the city tower junction, adjacent to the KFC outlet is causing a lot of harassment to the general public especially for the Sunday church goers. Though the intention of the authorities maybe good yet it is causing a lot of inconvenience and disorder to the believers earnestly attending the Sunday devotional services.

Members of several major churches like the Lotha Baptist Church, DABA, Chang

Baptist Church, Sumi Baptist Church take this route from in and around the vicinity. The vendors and the vegetable hawkers hovering near the narrow road create a lot of pandemonium for both pedestrians as well as motorists.

Buses and trucks plying have a hard time maneuvering the market area due to the random parking, thanks to those drivers driving the latest cars with no civilized sense. After the market sprouted up, it has now become a miserable routine and a dreary habit of ar-

riving late for the church service as the obstruction by the market causes the delay.

From time to time this market have been shifted to other location like the Tata parking site by orders issued from the authorities but it becomes the same again and it comes back to square one after sometime. We have another open market site near the bus and sumo stand behind the Town Hall. The reason best known to our authorities why this market shed is still not used for such a long time.

Even after the church service gets over, one have to yet go through an ordeal of negotiating the stretch getting home from that so-called Sunday market which sometimes take around 20 minutes to half an hour. It’s a complete mess.

One cannot deny that the market is giving some solace from going to such a far distance as Dillai gate bazaar or Khatkhati but atleast do give us some relief from the chronic traffic snarls, atleast on Sundays, at least to the church-goers.

Inclusion-Acceptance of differences Ameno Rolnu Disability Rights Activist, Jakhama Village

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TuesDAY 27•06•2017

eing young, I am Impulsive, Optimistic, and so on. While there has been many ways through which I have channelled this optimism and determination. I being disabled myself I have always been sure of one thing and that is my desire to work for person with disabilities.

Having worked in the field of disabilities for 4,5 years I realized that it is in the quest to be strong, patient for those in need that I am the happiest and fully content.

In the field of special education or inclusive modules and policies, I wish to bring about a change in our community especially in the understanding of disability and the Society’s treatmentgood and bad both of it. I feel that disability has always been neglected and treated as a pity of subject by the policy makers and even the public at large. In fact, In our public health discourse, I feel when it comes to health the main focus has always been communicable disease, disability, mental illness has hardly ever found importance in the framework of our public health programme, Furthermore to make it worse, many in our Society think that people with disability the way they are because of their bad karma, and hence it is accepted as a result of fate and not as a social responsibility. While I was grappling with such thoughts and looking for ways to learn more, Ms. K.Ela Director Prodigals’ Home Dimapur introduced me of Community Initiative in Inclusion (CII) course in Mumbai but the greatest challenge to undergo this training was the cost of the training, as it was beyond my family’s capacity.

The problem of admitting to the course was eased with the support of K.Ela who mobilized sponsorship for my training. Thankfully Merang Jamir Director Social welfare department and Neino Iralu Member Secretary, Nagaland State Legal Service Authority sponsored my training cost. I am thankful to Prodigal’s Home who not only helped me find a slot in CII course but guided me all through the way. Apart from that I acknowledge their selfless work towards empowering person with disability in Nagaland.

The CII course was for trainers and planners of Community disability services for Asia Pacific Region. The course was held from 10th January to 16th April at Able Disable All People Together (ADAPT) formally known as the Spastic Society of India with participants from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Dheradun, Tibetin- exile and Nagaland. I was the first ever participant from the North East India. The course module focuses on disability, Inclusion, Policy and community. Joining the course made me realize that change is possible provided we work with compassion and dedication. What I aspire to do after the course is to provide workshops on Inclusion and strive

for the rights of person with disabilities in our Community. I look forward to a great learning experience, exchange of ideas, thoughts and building my knowledge to be the change’ in collaboration with my co-friends of Nagaland State Disability Forum and Prodigal’s Home Dimapur and slowly work towards bringing change in my community to help make it more Inclusive.

Highlight of some learning on Inclusion.

Disabled people all experience oppression as a result of the denial of our reality. If our reality is not reflected in the general culture, how can we assert Rights? If we do not appear as real People.

With the need for love, affection, friendship and the right to do a good quality of life, how can a non-disabled people give any meaning to our lives? So what I think and feel is that Inclusion in fact is the first step that we need to know.

Inclusion- To achieve INCLUSION, COMMUNITY and FREEDOM for people with disabilities, we must use People First Language.

“Handicapped”, “disabled” or “People with Disabilities: which description is more accurate?

Using the handicapped or even the disabled usually evoke negative stereotypical feelings (sadness, pity, fear) and creates stereotypical perception that people with disabilities are all alike. All people who have brown hair are not alike. All people who have disabilities are not alike. Many people who have disabilities would never think of themselves as “Handicapped”, “Disability is the natural condition of the human experience”, according to the U.S. Development Disabilities Act and the Bill of Rights Act, 1993. Disability is not a “problem”, We need to rid ourselves of the word “problem” when talking about people’s needs. A person who wears does not walk around saying, “I have a problem seeing”, She would say, “I wear (need) glasses”, Recognized that a “problem” is really a need.

The real problem is attitudinal barriers. There have always been people with disabilities in our world and there always will be.

When we start calling by right names, when we recognize that people with disabilities are people first, we can begin to see how people with disabilities are more like people without disabilities than they are different. While people with disabilities and advocates work to end discrimination and segregation in education, employment and our Communities at large, prejudicial language that creates an invisible barrier to bring included in the Ordinary mainstream of life .

acceptance of differences. It means making room for a person who would otherwise be excluded. Translating this philosophy into reality is a process that requires collaboration, teamwork, a willingness to take risk, and support from a whole array of individuals, services, and institutions.

A PRACTICE. It is the educational process by which all students, even those with disabilities, are educated together, with sufficient support, in age-appropriate, regular education programs in their neighbourhood schools. The goal of inclusive education is to prepare all students for productive lives as full, participating members of their communities.

EVOLVING.....As people learn more about inclusion, they understand that “full inclusion” means that students with disabilities are part of the regular education system-even if their curricular goals and needs differ from those of their classmates.

REWARDING FOR ALL PEOPLE INVOLVED....When inclusion is carried out appropriately, friendships develop, students without disabilities learn to appreciate differences, and students with disabilities are more motivated. All of this is carried home and into the community.

INCLUSION IS........ A philosophy build on the belief that all people are equal and should be respected and valued, as an issue of basic human rights. An “unending set of process” in which children and adults with disabilities has the opportunity to participate fully in ALL community activities offer to people who do not have disabilities.

INCLUSION MEANS.......

Educating children with disabilities in the schools they would attend, providing services and supports the parents and children with disabilities they need. Supporting regular education teachers and administrators. Having children with disabilities follow the same schedule as other children. Encouraging friendships between children with disabilities and their classmates/peers without disabilities. Teachers and administrators taking these concerns seriously. Teaching ALL children to understand and accept differences.

INCLUSION IS NOT....A PASSING FAD. Numerous federal district court decisions have affirmed the right of students with disabilities to attend regular classes full time when the educational benefits for the student warrant such a placement. Inclusion, with its focus on outcomes, is the spirit of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the trend for the future.

INCLUSION IS NOT EASY......So parents, educators, peers, and the adminisWhat is Inclusion? trators are all partners in the inclusion INCLUSION IS ....A PHILOSOPHY. It process and must work together to make is a belief, every person’s right to partici- it successful. On-going problems solving pate fully in society. Inclusion implies is involved. TOGETHER WE CAN!!!

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The DABA Youth Ministry Sumudem Fellowship organized its first ever inter fellowship friendly Badminton tournament under the theme - "We are one-1 Corinthians 12:12" at the State Indoor Stadium on June 26. The winners in the Mens doubles were Tsuktimeren & Medemnochet (Yongkum Fellowship) while the runners up were Limatemsu & Mohsem (Duncan Fellowship). Winners in the Womens doubles were Yashikala & chubanungla (Yongkum Fellowship), while the runners up were Wapangienla & Takuienla (Yinsem Fellowship).

ON CRIMES AND PUNISHMENTS Kahuto Chishi Sumi

Akukau (G.B.) Hevishe Village

T

here are numerous types of crimes in the world, and every nation and society has a corresponding punishment to these crimes. A punishment for a certain crime may seem too harsh or too mild to others; for instance, the vast majority of the world views with horror the practice of cutting off the hands of a thief, in societies which practice a strict interpretation of the Islamic Laws of Sharia. But they, in turn, would look askance at the moderately mild jail sentence of Bernie Madoff, who swindled thousands of Americans of billions of dollars, reducing many of them to poverty.

But I am of the opinion that there is a crime for which the punishment issurprising mild, if not a joke. This crime occurs in every society in the world, no matter how advanced or how primitive, across all races and across all religious denominations. The crime is rape. And what may seem strange is that the punishment for rape, across societies, races and religions is shockingly mild; when you consider the gravity of the crime.

But this should come as no surprise to anyone. For who commits rape? Men. And who writes the law? Men. Murder is considered to be the ultimate crime, for it ends the life of the victim; something which cannot be restored. It leaves the loved ones of the vic-

tim heart-broken, and creates a void which can never be filled.

But, for the victim, the ordeal is over; and for those he/she leaves behind, the burden of the loss decreases with the passage of time.

But rape is in a class by itself. The victim goes through almost every physical and mental trauma imaginable without the sweet release of death. She is left with the memory of the physical AND mental trauma. Unless her brain can find some way to block the memory of the horrific crime, she relives the crime over and over again, for every moment of her life, till the end of her life. As to her near and dear ones, her very presence is a constant reminder of the crime and a never ending source of pain and misery. And we, the ever hypocritical members of society, what do we do? We look down at the victim of rape as dirtied and marked. And instead of understanding that she is a victim who deserves every support possible, we point at her, behind her back, whispering with gleeful joy, “She was the one who got raped.”Revelling in the fact that it happened to her, not to us, or some member of our family. A woman may have had consensual sexual relations with a thousand men and walk about in society with her head held high. But woe to a victim of rape, we point fingers at her and expect her to hang her head in shame and withdraw from society. So, which crime do you think is more heinous?

And what do you say about Child Rapists? What words can you use to describe “men” who are lower than animals? They are nothing less than monsters walking amidst us. With adult women, there is the possibility of consent, given by her, but denied when the act is discovered. But a Child? What does a child know?

How does a child deserve to have her innocence stripped away in such a monstrous manner?

Penalties for crimes serve a dual purpose. The first purpose is to punish the perpetrator of the crime; but the second, and more important, in my humble opinion, is to serve as a deterrent for all those who would contemplate committing crimes.The laws are already there for the punishment of rapists. But I do not subscribe to them. The gravity of the crime should be reflected in the weight of the punishment. I pray that God grants all men the wisdom to understand and acknowledge that rape needs a more befitting punishment.

If it were down to me, I would suggest castration for cases of proven rape of adults; and summary castration for Child Rapists. Let them also live with the shame of their deeds and with the knowledge that they can never ever commit the same monstrous deed again. Jailing rapists is a joke, for they walk out free in a few short years, and death is too good a punishment for them.

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

(Protective Thinking) Nagas and the Future

Pakinrichapbo

I

Advocate, Dimapur

t has always been physically dangerous in one way or other to comment, work and sacrifice for a Naga cause by a Naga individual due to identity crisis which worsen after the creation of the Nagaland Statehood, but as a true believer in Naga Race, Identity, Culture and most importantly in future of the Nagas, I muster up my courage to pen down my thoughts which I believe are relevant in the present context. And in order to avoid complication of the said statement, let me put this way: long ago a group of related tribal’s groups identifying themselves as Nagas came together to fight for independence, they fought and fought, where in between, separate groups put up other demands to Union of India, giving their own valid reasons leading to the establishment of Nagaland State, to which I believe has created both positive and negative impact on the Nagas. But the struggles never end till today.

In the process, it breaks the already divided Nagas into numerous groups. A careful/ sensible Naga avoid choosing sides and prefer living outside for their own safety but only a rich man can do that not the poor public who will soon be forced to choose sides if the actors like in the near past resort to terror to settle their disagreements and old scores. The victims as usual will be the poor innocent publics not the decision makers.

It is already clear that our future is not bright like a clear summer sky for various selfish reasons. We are living right above the melting pot of a volcano where

wrong decisions taken by the old and new actors will bring inferno along with generation of chaos if the responsible leaders of different groups fail to compromise and decided to go forward with their own respective agendas.

Here the present leaders must never ever forget that many capable past leaders has gone before solving the complex Naga Political Issues as the then leaders had clash of ideologies and what not, in these matter, it is imperative to remember that unlike the Chinese population, Naga population is so few and leading to much fear civil war will be the end of our race and identity making us the smallest minority groups in the world. China was able to rebuild its National economy and resources by the hard working people surviving the Chinese Civil War whereas Nagas are lazy.

Returning to the main topic, the question now is whether we face the repetition of the same old political drama with new and different players or to rest the Naga political conflicts to bed once and for all where all the Nagas can sleep with a peace of mind.

Superficial unity and superficial peace do not last long. Only permanent peace can ensure all round development for the majority of the poor Naga populace.

The present leaders hold the key to the bright and promising future and failing to guarantee better future, they will fall in the same line with their predecessors who failed the economically poor Nagas, by blindly following their own selfish agendas and ignoring the larger picture.

The present debates between the leaders of various political groups including self styled Righteous Naga intellects/think

tanks have only shown the replay of the past debates where the then leaders too debated by not compromising on their views and interests. Nothing new and positive developments are visible till now adding more fears and uncertainties to the ongoing unhealthy debates. Even the public opinion is not clear and will never be after all the poor public is confused. One of the chief factors to our infighting I strongly believe is that almost all Naga individual consider Naga entity to be a mere apex organization of different Naga tribes the very reason Naga cause fell succumbed to respective tribe’s cause and interest and also Naga leaders occupying the top post has no power to go against his tribe dictates. But one phenomenon which topped the lists and has done irreparable damage to Naga cause is the subject of defining proper and improper Naga.

The said practice not corrected in short time, permanent solution shall remain elusive leading to the dissolution of Naga entity.

Nothing is permanent. The present political scenario shows that we are heading to our dooms day. The Naga destiny lies in the hands of the good and brave Nagas who can deliver justice in this world where the word “Justice” is long gone.

Another reminder to democracy loving Naga is that USA was built on the principles of compromise and integrity even in the times of great clash of ideology between the Federalist and AntiFederalist camp. The Nagas still clashes as we are not yet enlightened and will never be as long as we blindly follows federal structure without knowing properly how to follow it.

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.

Tuesday 27•06•2017

C M Y K

EntErtainmEnt

12

Tuesday 27•06•2017

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Kohima Dist Inter School The gloves are off between Football Tourney underway rivals Hamilton and Vettel

JuNE 27 MAtcHES

LONDON, JuNe 26 (ReuteRs): The gloves are off and the fight is on between Formula One title rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

Sunday's explosive Azerbaijan Grand Prix more than made up for last year's dull race in Baku, bursting the budding 'bromance' and replacing it with something much more heavyweight.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff said as much after a crazy afternoon that saw mutual respect and camaraderie tossed aside amid angry accusations.

"Nobody wanted to see the schmoozing anyway, so now the gloves are off," the Austrian told Sky Sports television after Hamilton had dubbed the Ferrari driver a "disgrace" and suggested they sort things out "face to face".

"The sport needs the rivalry.

What we have seen today is the ingredient of a great championship," said Wolff.

The most memorable seasons have been fuelled by controversy, passion and a fierce rivalry sometimes spilling into outright enmity.

Baku, with the championship favourites colliding and a podium of drivers who could scarcely believe their luck, provided enough drama to keep the championship bubbling away for months to come.

In Spain last May, Hamilton had spoken about how enjoyable it was to be battling a rival who was not a team mate -- his main opponent for the past three seasons -- and the admiration he felt for Vettel's speed and consistency.

The Briton had warned then, however, that it might not last and on Sunday he was proven right.

2nd Match (2:40 PM) Khedi Baptist Hr Sec School vs TMGHSS at 2:40 PM

BAttLE LINES The battle lines were drawn the moment Vettel went into the back of Hamilton's Mercedes during the second of three safety car periods, the

Players and officials before the first match of the Kohima District Inter School Football Tourney which began in Kohima on June 26. (Morung Photo) Our Correspondent Kohima | June 26

C M Y K

The 1st edition of Kohima district inter-school football tournament 2017 under the aegis of Royal Club Kohima and school education department got underway here today at Khuochiezie.

Gracing the inaugural function, minister for school education & SCERT Yitachu urged upon the youth to learn to engage with one another, understand and love one another for development and progress to take place.

Appreciating the Royal Club for taken a noble task, he said organizing such tournament is a way of giving back to the society, adding that we required successful people to give back to the society to ensure the society growth in the right perspective.

Yitachu stressed on the need to cater the talent of youth and take the spirit of the game in much higher height.

He wishes the tournament to grow bigger and higher.

Royal Club president Er.

Kevizatuo Miachieo said promoting the game of football in Nagaland is a cherished objective of the Royal Club Kohima.

The Club has been involved in the conduct of football since 1988.

Since, not many of the players get the opportunity to go out of the state; Royal Club decided that opportunity for such players may be provided by bringing reputed teams from across India to play at home. In pursuance of this purpose, the Club has organized The Royal Gold Cup, the only All India Football Federation affiliated and the only all India open football tournament in Nagaland till 22nd Royal Gold Cup 2013.

The Royal Gold Cup has made it possible for many of the state players to play against some of the most reputed teams in India such as, the Mohan Bagan of Kolkata, the Mohammadans of Kolkata, the George Telegraph also from Kolkatta, Mahindra & Mahindra from Mumbai, Punjab Police from Jalandar, Rashtriya Chemicals from Mumbai and many other teams from across India.

The Club has now decided to focus on the development of football in Nagaland beginning with a grass root programme with the launch of the first edition of Kohima district inter school football tournament.

The tournament features 24 teams (22 private and two government schools), which will go on till July 15.

The champion will pocket a cash prizes of Rs. 70,000 while the runners up will be awarded with Rs.50,000. Losing semi finalists will get Rs. 20,000 each.

The inaugural function witnessed special numbers from Dziesekhrienuo Keretsii, Kezieah Mero and Kekhrie Thepa.

The function was chaired

by Thejao Vihienuo while administration of oath was done by organizing committee secretary Kepelhutuo Nakhro.

The club paid respect to the departed member Lt. Shiirho Solo and Neisatuo Keditsu.

Northfield, Model HSS wins Northfield and Model Higher Secondary School today registered in their respective matches on the opening day.

In the first match of the day, Northfield downed Vinyiizo School 1-0 to move to second round.

Ruokuonguzo netted the winning goal for Northfield in the 65th minute.

Model Higher Secondary School overpowered Mezhiir Higher Secondary School 3-2 in the second match.

Chumbemo opened the account for Mezhiir HSS in the 34th minute.

The equalizer for Model Higher Secondary School came through Omwang .The team secured another goal through Atong in the 52nd minute. Omwang netted the third goal for the team in the 58th minute and it confirmed victory against the opponent.

The 2nd goal for Mezhiir was scored by Khriesa.

1 Match (I:00 PM) Bethel Hr Sec School vs St.Peter School st

German shaking his fists and pulling alongside to bang wheels in a gesture that looked a lot like 'road rage'.

The frustrated and angry man of 2016, who raged at rivals and had to apologise to race director Charlie Whiting in Mexico last November after an expletive-laden radio rant, was back.

The stewards were clear in apportioning blame, imposing a 10 second stop-and-go penalty on the German for steering into Hamilton.

The championship leader, now 14 points clear of Hamilton after finishing fourth to the Briton's fifth, was also given three penalty points which could prove significant.

They bring Vettel's tally in the last 12 months to nine and means another such sanction in Austria in two weeks' time would trigger an automatic race ban for the following round at Silverstone.

There were some who felt such a penalty should have been applied already, even if the moment of madness ultimately cost Vettel a victory that would have fallen into his lap after Hamilton had to pit to fix a loose head rest.

"Deliberately driving into another driver and getting away pretty much scot-free as he still came fourth, I think that's a disgrace. I think he disgraced himself today," said triple champi-

on Hamilton.

"Imagine all the young kids that are watching Formula One today and see that kind of behaviour from a four-time world champion. I think that says it all."

Vettel's assertion that Hamilton had 'brake-tested' him, by slowing so suddenly that the Ferrari ran into the back of the Mercedes, was also undermined by the evidence.

The governing FIA confirmed that Hamilton's car data showed he "maintained a consistent speed and behaved in the same manner on that occasion as in all the other re-starts during the race".

Mercedes non-executive director and retired triple champion Niki Lauda said he had never seen anything like it.

"Vettel is a decent guy normally. This I don't understand.

He is crazy. Lewis will hit him one day. Not with the car but with his fist," he said.

MPL 2017: Power Comm beat Morung Utd DIMAPuR, JuNe 26 (MexN): Power Comm beat Morung United 5-1 on day 81 of the ongoing MPL 2017 on June 26. Shwen, Senpenlo and Hethanglo scored for Power Comm, while Lithung scored for Morung United.

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