March 17th, 2015

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The Morung Express

Dimapur VOL. X ISSUE 73

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Tuesday, March 17, 2015 12 pages Rs. 4

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny Shraddha and Aditya are back together!

Congress hits the street against land bill

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Prog on child rights and protection held in Longleng

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Myanmar students at odds with Nagaland Governor urges for ‘People to people connection’ older activists as reforms stall Our Correspondent

If the Modi government doesn’t extend the ceasefire, I’d like to buy your house.

Public Information All press statements, memorandums, articles, reports and news related documents should be sent to the official email address:

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Press releases will be accepted only till 8:00 pm Editor, The Morung Express

CMO Peren informs on Swine Flu vaccine DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The office of the Chief Medical Officer Peren has informed that vaccine for Swine Flu is available at District Hospital Peren. A press note from the CMO, Peren said that 100 vials of vaccines have arrived. Due to limited vaccines stock preferences will be given to patients after medical examination and will be administered under supervision of a medical practitioner, it added. The public have been informed to contact the Medical Officer in charge of District Hospital Peren and avail the vaccine on payment of Rs. 720 per dose with effect from March 18.

‘Conversations between Naga political groups will continue’

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DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) today informed that “ongoing conversations between the Naga Political Groups are already taking place and will continue.” A press note from the FNR stated that after meeting with Church and civil society leaders from March 9 to 11, the FNR also met with the NSCN/ GPRN and the GPRN /NSCN. “We are very much encouraged by the support expressed by both groups for the approach to sovereignty expressed in the civil society Statement. Their joint support provides an excellent basis for moving forward in the wider conversation as proposed in the Statement,” the FNR said. “All agreed that the Statement will open the way for both groups to respond positively to future invitations to participate in the broader civil society conversation as proposed in the Statement,” it added. The groups, informed the FNR, have also expressed their commitment to find a way of coming together in their search for a way forward. While acknowledging the “difficulties in the past of groups honouring commitments,” the FNR expressed determination to “do all in its humble capacity to ensure that the Church and civil society Statement is implemented in letter and spirit.”

–Martin Luther King Jr.

Williams, Federer, Nadal advance at Indian Wells

New Zealand confronts violent past, gives new hope to Maoris

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YANGON, MARCH 16 (REUTERS): Kyaw Min Yu’s first political rally was almost his last. On March 16, 1988, he joined a group of Yangon students protesting against the military junta which then ran Myanmar. They had reached a lakeside spot called White Bridge when police and soldiers attacked. By some accounts, nearly 100 students were clubbed to death or drowned in what has come to be known as the Red Bridge incident, the day 27 years ago when the White Bridge turned red with blood. “Sometimes, I can still hear the sound of the police’s red wood sticks hitting students’ heads,” said Kyaw Min Yu, who managed to escape and became one of the leaders of the famous anti-junta group, the 88 Generation Students. Students are again protesting in Myanmar and police have responded harshly. Kyaw Min Yu, now 46, says he has regular contact with the students and has given informal advice but he declined to give details. But it’s clear that some of the older generation of activists, including democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, are at odds with the students over their tactics. Suu Kyi now fights her battles in parliament as leader of

parliament under a constitution written by the last military government. Last week, riot police used wooden batons to forcibly disperse students protesting against a new education law, arresting over 125 of them. The crackdown in the town of Letpadan, near Yangon, was a reminder that some hardliners remained in positions of power and could derail the reforms.

Student protesters shout slogans during a protest ahead of a crackdown in Letpadan, 140 kilometers north of Myanmar’s main city of Yangon on March 10, 2015. (AP File Photo)

the opposition and is engaged in a fraught reform process with the semi-civilian government of President Thein Sein. The students have little faith the government is committed to completing Myanmar’s transition to democracy. The students still revere Suu Kyi and are reluctant to criticise her. But their isolation from the reform process they worry is going nowhere is likely to push them to take to the

ACAUT slams ‘unethical’ government appointments DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT) Nagaland today stated that the show cause notice issued to 119 employees of the Nagaland state Health and Family Department has “brought to fore the illegal unethical practices in appointments.” A press note from the ACAUT Nagaland lauded the Director for Health and Family Welfare for issuing the show cause notices terming it as a “bold and ethical stand.” The 119 employees, informed the ACAUT, were not sanctioned posts. “This is a worse case scenario considering the fact that these people were appointed as regulars. It is also interesting to note that 89% of the appointments were made between the years 2007-

2009,” said ACAUT. At a time when the state government is facing financial deficit, it lamented that unethical practices in appointments have drained the state of precious resources and slammed the “rampant nepotism and favouritism in the system.” Terming the stand of the Health and Family Department as “culture-changing,” ACAUT said that this “probably breaks the myth that there are no credible men and women in the bureaucracy in Nagaland today.” It urged the department to pursue the case with outmost sincerity without any fear or favour and assured that ACAUT is “solidly behind the department in its endeavour to fight the corruption of illegal appointments.” It further appealed to other departments to initiate similar initiatives.

streets again and radicalise Myanmar’s politics. After 49 years of military rule, Thein Sein’s semi-civilian government took power in 2011 and made wide-ranging and rapid reforms that initially inspired optimism Myanmar would become fully democratic. But the reforms have stalled. Thein Sein and many of his cabinet colleagues are former generals. Serving officers are guaranteed a quarter of the seats in

DIFFERING OVER TACTICS The differences with the groups in the formal opposition came to the fore when students continued to protest against the education law even after the government accepted their demands for change. The students do not believe that parliament will enact the changes to legislation they say will stifle academic freedom. “We want to see the written agreement,” Lin Htet Naing said. Suu Kyi’s advisers say she is frustrated students will not give the parliamentary process time to play out. “The students demanded results by a certain date,” Nyan Win, one of the top leaders at the NLD, told Reuters. “She told them that would be impossible. They don’t understand the process of parliament.”

DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN):The Nagaland (Dimapur) police have arrested two more persons in connection with the March 5 incident. This has brought the total number of arrests to 56. Both the persons were arrested from Dimapur, informed Dimapur ASP/PRO Shouka Kakheto. One of the persons was on the Look Out notice issued by the police, and both have been suggested by the police to be ring leaders of the mob that led to the lynching of a man on March 5. Dimapur Police issue Look Out Notice (Details on Page 5)

NLA session from today Our Correspondent Kohima | March 16

The 8th session of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) will take place from March 17 here. Another session will be held on March 19. According to the provisional programme of business, day one (March 17) will be marked by questions, obituary references, laying of annual administrative reports, reports papers rules, presentation of supplementary demands for grant, presentation of CAG Report (2013-2014) etc. Proceedings on March 19 will witness laying of reports; discussion and voting on supplementary demands for grants; introduction, consideration and passing of various bills; announcement of the constitution of various financial and non-financial committees and panel; etc. The sessions will be chaired by the NLA Speaker, Chotisuh Sazo.

AR continue to defy CFGR: NSCN (IM) DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today alleged that the Assam Rifles “continue to defy and trample upon” the Cease Fire Ground Rules (CFGR). In a press note from its MIP, the NSCN (IM) alleged that AR troops “raided the house of V Zholia, Steering Executive Member” at 4:30am on March 16 “in his residence at Naga United Village.” It is appalling, said the NSCN (IM), that “despite several meetings and discussions on the issue of respecting the CFGR, Assam Rifles continues to ranand Peace Talk between the Government of India and NSCN,” the said news channel “had no knowledge of the Government of India position on NSCN.” The NSCN (IM) added that it is equally concerned as to how the editor of that particular channel “allows

Nagaland Governor, PB Acharya today emphasized on the need to develop “people to people connections” between people in the North East region and rest of India. Addressing a press conference this afternoon, the Governor said that the perceived backwardness of North East is not the creation of the people of the region, but it is a section of people from the mainland, who have no knowledge of the region and are reluctant to show interest in the region. Acharya said that the present government at the centre has realized the importance of the North East, as the region may help the economic development of the country with its resources, and act as the way to open business with the neighbouring countries. He also informed that as part of a mission to develop “people to people connection,” a batch of school teachers from Maharashtra will come to Nagaland to work in various schools for a month and they will be replaced against one teacher each, who will work in Maharashtra for one month. The details of this initiative is yet to be finalized, it was informed. On the March 5 violence in Dimapur, the Governor stuck to

the rhetoric of only condemning the incident, while appealing to people not to take the law into their own hands. He appreciated the steps taken by the Chief Minister and Home Minister and appealed to all to wait for the Inquiry Committee report. The Governor further informed that a team of six Specialist Doctors will come to Nagaland for a two-day camp in the Naga Hospital, Kohima from March 25 to 26. Acharya said that the specialist doctors will be available for consultation. People can register their names in Naga Hospital with a nominal charge of Rs 10 to 15. The team of doctors will also interact with the local doctors and visit all district headquarters of the state. This programme, the Goverbnor informed, will be an annual event. All doctors in the team have been in service for more than 15 to 25 years. In this regard a meeting was also held on March 12 at the chamber of Commissioner Secretary Health and Family Welfare, which decided that the principal director would be the nodal officer for the medical camp. Two liaison officers have also been detailed. All OPD cases will be attended in regular OPD rooms and the MD/MS NHAK have been asked to make the necessary arrangements for OPD cases.

March 5 incident: BJP nagaland urges central party two more arrested leadership to protect minorities

NSCN (IM) concerned by ‘concocted reports’

DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today expressed concern at certain sections of the national media broadcasting “concocted reports,” which “unnecessarily tried to sensationalise” the March 5 incident “by cooking up more unsubstantiated conspiracy theory dragging in the name of NSCN.” The NSCN (IM) informed that a journalist from a national news channel has termed it as a “terrorist group” and a “banned organisation.” This, stated the NSCN (IM) “only shows their information deficiency in regards to the Naga people movements.” A press note from the MIP of the NSCN (IM) lamented that “till today, after more than 17 years of Cease Fire Agreement

Kohima | March 16

domly defy and trample upon the very Agreement that create peaceful and conducive environment for the stability and progress of “ political negotiation” between the Government of India and Government of the People’s Republic of Nagalim.” It demanded that the Chairman of the Cease Fire Monitoring Group (CFMG) “rein in the arrogant Assam Rifles to properly educate them the mutual benefit of disciplining under the current CFGR.”

such unprocessed knowledge to be documented in their journalistic history.” It advised the said channel to “do basic research” and look up the list of banned terrorist organisations under Section 35 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 of

the Government of India “and tell us if they find NSCN in the list of banned organisations.” Stating that investigative journalism is at stake, the NSCN (IM) urged the channel to “rectify and apologise to NSCN in particular and Nagas in general.”

DIMAPUR, MARCH 16 (MExN): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nagaland unit has condemned the recent incidents in India, where a nun was gang raped in West Bengal and a Church was vandalized in Haryana. In a press statement, BJP media cell, Nagaland unit termed these incidents as “most disgusting and inhuman, which needs to be rooted out as soon as possible if social fabric of Indian constitution is to be preserved.” It added that such crimes “committed by some few self vested persons in the name of BJP is highly condemnable and the central BJP leadership

needs to address this issue at the earliest.” Secularism being a vital part of Indian constitution needs to be protected and preserved, if Indian union is to remain united, the BJP Nagaland unit reiterated. Such acts by ultras in the name of religion, it asserted needs to be “curbed by the BJP central leadership and the BJP government under Narendra Modi, before the BJP as a party becomes a liability to the people of India, instead of governing India to a developed and an industrialized nation.” The BJP Nagaland also termed the attack on churches in Lahore, Pakistan where dozens of pre-

cious lives were lost as a “desperate attempt to damage and stop the growth of Christianity in Pakistan.” This attack on the minorities, it said, have serious implications not only on the religion but also affects the social balance of the country as a whole. The BJP Nagaland strongly urged the concerned state governments and law enforcing agencies to investigate in a proper manner without any bias. It further hoped that such incidents do not occur anywhere in the country and called for effective and stringent measures to protect religious minorities across India.

‘A drop of water is powerful’ Our Correspondent Kohima | March 16

“A drop of water is flexible. A drop of water is powerful. A drop of water is in demand,” said Anenla S Longchari, Secretary for Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Nagaland while launching the National Rural Drinking Water &Sanitation Awareness week here today. Water, she said, is the core of sustainable development, on which poverty reduction, economic growth, environmental health and hygiene are dependent. The awareness campaign will culminate on March 22, World Water Day. The occasion intends to offer a global reminder of how critical fresh water is for life as well as how limited supplies are. Kevisekho Kruse, Chief Engineer, PHED meanwhile said that the campaign will focus on safe drinking water from a health point of view. We need adequate water in quantity and quality, he said, adding that the campaign will also touch on water related diseases. In India, 1000 children die every day because of diarrhea caused by unsafe water, he informed. In Nagaland, the most common contaminations include excess iron and nitrates.

Kruse stressed on the need for hygienic water handling practices and water conservation. Kruse further stated that special emphasis will be given to rain water harvesting. He said the campaign will also focus on the role of WATSAN committees for effective operation and maintenance of water supply systems, while encouraging more household water connections. Kruse stated that the campaign will focus on the problem of garbage and the need for effective management of waste through the mantra of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.’ The campaign will also highlight the importance of toilets in schools and Angawadi centres and create more awareness on the National Award for clean villages- Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP). This award is for the villages which are totally open defecation free and which have garbage free environments. “Nagaland has a total of 90 villages already awarded with NGP and many more have qualified for receiving the award,” said Kruse. The campaign will largely deal with issues of sanitation, which according to Kruse is vital for human health, economic benefits, dignity, social status and the environment.

National Rural Drinking Water & Sanitation Awareness week launched in Nagaland

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