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TuesDAY • MAY 23 • 2017
DIMAPUR • Vol. XII • Issue 139• 12 PAGes • 5
T H e
ESTD. 2005
We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided
o F
T R u T H
— J.K. Rowling
Ronaldo fires Real to “Our Pencil is first title since 2012 with the Hammer” win at Malaga
‘Nearly 2.8 million people internally displaced in India’ PAGE 08
PAGE 02
PAGe 12
Sustainable development in Nagaland: Mountain ecology & Moral grounding
Admission to UG courses in DU begins Morung Express News Dimapur | May 22
The registration process for highly sought undergraduate seats in the Delhi University kick started on Monday with the activation of its online admission portal for various courses offered in all its affiliated Colleges. The Merit Based Undergraduate Admissions (2017-18) Web Portal, https://ug.du. ac.in/app/ became operational from 6:00 PM, May 22 onwards. All together around 54,000 seats are up for grabs in 62 affiliated colleges and the registration process will continue till June 12. However, registration for Undergraduate Entrance Based Programmes, Post Graduate and M.Phil/PhD. Programmes will commence online only from May 31 onwards.
P o W e R
Morung Express News Dimapur | May 22
Nagaland State has developed at a rapid pace since its formation in 1963—but development activities were accelerated in the past two decades due to politically favourable conditions as well as a slew of central policies facilitating economic growth. To make a development process inclusive, as well as save Nagaland’s environment in its wake, needs two essential attitudes induced into the process: strategies to sustain the mountain ecology and moral grounding. These were extrapolated at a discussion on ‘Sustainable Development— the future we want to see’ organized by the North East Network, Nagaland, at Kerünyü Ki in Sechu, Zubza on Saturday, May 20. Sustaining mountain ecology & people What does sustainability in a mountain region mean? Nalini Nayak raised this question by way of ‘observations and response to Nagaland’s concerns’ which were brought by sustainable development practitioners from various districts of Nagaland State.
Nalini is a feminist activist who has done extensive work organizing coastal fish workers and communities, and founded the Kerala chapter of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). If all development is based on using up (buying/ selling) natural resources, it is not possible for the process to be sustainable over generations. “How can we regenerate what has been destroyed?” is the mantra to be applied when using resources, explained Nalini. She acknowledged that Naga elders already have the knowledge required to preserve and replenish natural resources. But “they have no voice” which, she observed, has created a gap in designing a contextual development process. Citing the example of bamboo, she said, “In Kerala, we pay to buy bamboo where many structures are made with bamboo and mud. Why does the Nagaland State Government not build its offices with bamboo? It is easily available in Nagaland and grows back quickly. Why not make church buildings with bamboo instead of concrete?” Nalini felt that many central policies that have resulted in destroying natural
Prof. Gabriele Dietrich raises concerns on Nagaland State’s development model during a discussion on the same at Kerünyü Ki in Sechu, Zubza, on Saturday, May 20. (Morung Photo)
resources elsewhere in the Union are now being applied to Nagaland. Rubber, for instance, was planted large scale in Kerala once upon a time which resulted in drying up water resources in the region. In Nagaland State, or even the North East region, rubber, teak or gamari are promoted. Their long term effects on the environment are neither studied nor publicized. “We need norms to preserve and maintain natural resources,” said the rights’ activist who has been visiting Nagaland for two decades now. This requires Nagaland State’s homegrown policies such
as ‘communitisation’ to be strengthened—institutional norms need to be created that highlight what can or cannot be done, how resources can be used or not, or what actions to take when something goes wrong. This will guide communities through the process as well as create an accountability mechanism. It will further strengthen local civil society. Nagaland’s Vision 2030, she noted, must be based on “conserving mountain ecology.” To develop the State’s human resources, Nalini reminded that we must look beyond hotels and
spas for young Naga people to work in. “Naga people are good at sports. You can train sports coaches who can coach all over the Indian Union. Nursing, geriatric care, paramedical services are also fields in which young people can be skilled to get gainful employment,” she suggested. To complement this, Prof. Gabriele Dietrich wondered who it is that international linking of states really serves. She was referring to the Nagaland’s development process depending heavily on the centre’s Act East Policy. Wide international highways steal access from lo-
cals, like cultivators who sell small produce on highways. Huge transnational highways also lead to increase in sex trafficking along highways and proliferation of HIV/AIDS. Prof. Gabriele teaches at the Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary in Madurai and has allied with several peoples’ movements across the Indian Union, most prominently the National Alliance of People’s Movements. She highlighted how state policies today are being designed more to suit the centre’s desires to “Make in India”. Inadvertently the development model creates economic disparity giving rise to a host of socio-political problems. Such policies “do not stand to uplift local populace,” she asserted. Moral Grounding Niketu Iralu, Naga elder and Trustee, Initiatives of Change, was hosting the discussion. “The health of a tree determines the quality of its fruit,” said Iralu while exposing the theme. He was referring to a process of moral grounding—to keep the process clean and outcome will be alright. He narrated two stories.
One highlighted how slave trade across the Atlantic flourished due to the “British rejection of moral values” but finally embracing a moral value system led to the abolition of slavery in Britain in the early 19th century. The other story took the example of how Niger’s desertification was reversed through an initiative that used the country’s internal roots system to grow 200 million trees in 500 hectares of land in 10 years. “Can this be applied to Intangki?” wondered Iralu. Perhaps. But to do this, Nagas need to identify and resolve the most “destructive sin” by acknowledging everyone’s role in it. “If all Nagas say that I will reduce my selfishness by 10% this year, it can dramatically change the Naga reality,” the elder emphasized. He also called for bridging the theological gap— what is, where is, when is the Kingdom of God? Is it here on earth or an unseen life in heaven? “A shallow defective theology has become our Christianity. We need to know ourselves better in order to do the right thing,” he observed, concluding his remarks with Philip Stanhope’s “Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.”
Young blood and decentralisation, the Call for sustainable tourism on new mantra for Congress in Nagaland Int’l Biological Diversity Day Morung Express News Kohima | May 22
With an aim to re-invigorate the Party, inflicted among others with defections and waning influences, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has decided to undertake a unique decentralisation process as well as concentrating on young candidates in the upcoming State Assembly election. The decentralisation, both in the governance and in the party, will be launched with the objective of enabling grassroots participation in the process of political election, stated NPCC President K Therie and General Secretary Medokul Sophie addressing a press conference here at Congress Bhavan, Kohima on May 22. Under the new unique process, the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) will frame the Party policies, programs, ideologies, principles and also impart trainings while the Assembly Constituency Committees (ACC) will be empowered to nominate
respective candidates, they informed. The ACCs are ready in 59 Constituencies. An optimistic Therie further predictedthatduetodrasticchanges in the movement of the Naga society, there will be a sizeable shift of power from the present government (which is in alliance with the BJP) to secular forces. “Congress is the only secular party available in Nagaland,” he asserted adding that the other parties are “either in the RSS and BJP wing, or supporting the BJP.” Furthr stating that “Now the ruling vote will be divided atleast into three,” Therie anticipated a shift of votes from the ruling party. “Atleast seven to ten percent votes will be shifted due to antiBJP sentiments while a three to five percent vote will be shifted on account of anti–incumbency,” he added projecting anywhere between 10 to 15 percent vote shift in favor of the Party. “If that really happens, then Congress would have absolute majority in the next election.” Some erstwhile Congress voters may have parted with the Par-
ty due to “some shortcomings” on its parts, the NPCC President admitted but stressed on reconciling with them. “The main point,the State needs a secular party and we want to reconcile with all those voters so that we fight back BJP and RSS here in Nagaland,” he said asserting that the Congress is the only secular party which can “guarantee freedom of religion and also defend and protect the identity of the Nagaland”
Focus on young candidates Further, believing that the State in Nagaland is desperately in need of change, the NPCC will be concentrating on young candidates in the coming general elections. “Why we feel we should have the youth is because with the old ones, if you elect them again they will be jackals,” Therie pointed out. “We cannot expect clean governance in the existing 60 MLAs because nobody is clean,” he further alleged adding that they “do not represent their people and therefore Nagas do not deserve
such kind of leaders.” “Our people do not have any expectation from the government. They don’t even want to complain, because there is no response from the government. We feel sorry for our people,” added Therie. Pinning its hopes on younger generation, Therie cited the example of 39 year old Emmanuel Macron, the newly elected French President to buttress his point. “Many of our youths are capable to become some of the best legislators in the State. Therefore we expect it as an opportunity for the youth to participate in the next elections” The Party, Therie claimed, has been contemplating on the youth candidates for quite some time. “We want to focus on the youthful and youth candidates in the coming election. There is big vacuum in the leadership in Congress as the old ones have defected. We want to give an opportunity for the youth to participate and change in the State,” he added. “The young generation should now seriously take over,” affirmed Therie affirmed.
Only 10% regularized employees in Agri dept appointed through NPSC: NLC says
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DIMAPUR, MAY 22 (MExN): In continuation of what it called “hitherto unexplored facts and figures on backdoor appointment in the state,” the Nagaland Congress (NLC) today claimed that as of October 13, 2016, only 10% of total regularized employees in the Agri-Department Nagaland were appointed through NPSC. Another 0.4% was appointed through Combine Recruitment Exam and 1% on compassionate ground & on deputation. “The rest 90% Regularized Employees were appointed either directly or
through questionable departmentalprocess,”alleged the NLC in a press note issuedbyitsMedia Cell. The data, NLC stated, were revealed by a Right to Information (RTI) reply furnished by Office of Directorate of Agriculture, Nagaland. It further maintained that most of the contractual appointments in Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) were done through “questionable appointment process.” The “so-called” departmental appointments
has no rationality and are highly manipulative, NLC further said adding that it ranges from as high 80% in Longleng or 74% in Zunheboto to a low of 31% in the Directorate or 40% in Dimapur. “Few major departments will be revealed in coming days,” NLC informed challenging “all serious-minded people to join hands with the party on the task to bring desired change.” In case appointment of 206 ATMA and 64 KVKs employees, in the breakup in different districts were as follows:
Appointment Questionable ATMA/KVKs through appointment NPSC (%) process (%) Kiphire 3 97 Peren 4 96 Longleng 4 96 Wokha 4 95 Mokokchung 11 89 Tuensang 11 89 Mon 12 88 Zunheboto 12 88 Dimapur 12 88 Phek 13 87 Kohima 11 86 Directorate 10 85 In addition, 0.8% in appointments on ComMokokchung and 1% in passionate ground and Directorate were appoint- Deputation were 3% and ed through combined de- 4% respectively in Kohima partmental exams, while and Directorate.
Chizokho Vero Kohima | May 22
Nagaland is host to biologically diverse and unique species like Tragopan, Mithun, Naga hottest chilli, tallest rhododendron, tallest paddy rice, rare and threatened orchidRed panda, Bulbophyllum, wild rose, wild pepper etc. “Even though Nagaland has very small land mass, the diversity of plants and animals is enormous because it can find tropical wet evergreen forests to temperate forest- Alpine, grassland, jhum regrowth and bamboo forests,” said I. Panger Jamir (IFS), PCCF & HoFF, Forest, Environment & Climate Change, during the International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) here under theme ‘Biodiversity and sustainable tourism.’ It was held under the aegis of Nagaland State Biodiversity Board (NSBB). Nagaland is a part of the Indo-Burma biodiversity hot spot because of its rich biological resources. The State has recorded floral diversity of about 2400 species of angiosperms, 9 species of gymnosperms, 340 species of orchids, 22 species of bamboo. The faunal recorded diversity includes more than 100 species of mammals, 400 species of birds and a good number of reptiles and amphibians. Jamir said our responsibility is to preserve and protect biodiversity, and reduce pressure on the biodiversity by protecting endangered species. “Unless we act now it may be too late for next generation to survive,” he said, challenging young minds to focus on conservation of the fragile ecosystem that hosts biodiversity on planet earth. He said the role of forests is not only to provide resources for human survival but are vital for social, cultural, historical, economic and industrial development and to
A view of Shilloi lake under Meluri sub division of Phek district.
maintain ecological balance. Jamir informed although India has only 2.4% of the world’s land area, its share of the global species diversity is 8.1%. Nearly 45,000 plants species and twice as many as animal species have been recorded from the Union. He added that the most biological diversity in India is found in the North East and Western Ghats. It is estimated that tropical deforestation may result in the loss of upto 15% species by 2020. He said community biodiversity conservation efforts in the State have started, citing examples like Sendenyu, Kanglatu, Dikhu green zone and Khonoma nature conservation. NSBB chairman T. Lotha, IFS (Rtd) said the existence of humanity depends on biodiversity. The theme ‘Biodiversity and sustainable tourism’ was chosen to coincide with the UN General Assembly’s observance of 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Celebration of International Day of Biological Diversity provides an opportunity to raise awareness and action towards the contribution of sustainable tourism to economic growth, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
He said when we talk about diversity, we are talking about livelihood, economy, environment and social and cultural aspects. He also stated that globally, more than 1.30 billion people depend on the ecosystem. Species and ecosystem biodiversity play an important role for eco-tourism. Lotha suggested that the areas/habitats where Asian elephant, Mithun, Tragopan are found in Nagaland should be developed for ecotourism. He said for sustainable tourism, one has to ensure the optimum use of natural resources, viability of economy and viability of stakeholders like host community. “We have to preserve our forest so that we can sustain our life,” said H. Singson, Joint Secretary, Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Government of Nagaland. NSBB member Prof. Sapu Changkija maintained that North East India is one of 25 biodiversity hotpots in the world, adding that it possesses the richest medicinal plants, orchids, birds, snakes and the highest variety of ornamental fishes. Prof. Changkija encouraged students to be aware of the rich biodiversity in the State and become “nature lovers”. Prospects of developing ecotourism on Page 5