November 21st 2014

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The Morung Express

Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 321

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The Chutzpah of AFSPA in North East

–Euripides

Schumacher ‘communicating with wife by blinking’

finicky about hygiene in nagaland? Good luck

Morung Express Feature Dimapur | November 20

You`re allergic to second hand clothes? Darlyn, paint a smile to hide the pain; winter will be over before you know it.

The Morung Express POLL QUESTIOn

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS your anSwer to 9862574165 Is the Nagaland media strengthening transparency in public affairs?

Yes

no

Others

We ask for dignity, not charity: Pope

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ROME, NOVEMBER 20 (AP): Pope Francis demanded a more just distribution of the world’s bounty for the poor and hungry Thursday, telling a U.N. conference on nutrition that access to food is a basic human right that shouldn’t be subject to market speculation and quests for profit.

“We ask for dignity, not for charity,” Francis told the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization.

His speech came a day after more than 170 countries at the conference adopted newvoluntary guidelines to prevent malnutrition, promote healthy diets and reduce levels of obesity around the globe.

Currently, one-third of the world’s population suffers from nutritional deficiencies of the sort that caused 45 percent of all child deaths in 2013, according to U.N. data. At the same time, 42 million children under age 5 are overweight and some 500 million adults were obese in 2010. Francis recalled that when St. John Paul II addressed the first U.N. conference on nutrition in 1992, he warned against the risk of the “’paradox of plenty,’ in which there is food for everyone, but not everyone can eat, while waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for other purposes is visible before our very eyes.”

Francis said unfortunately, that paradox remains today.

Francis has frequently spoken about the plight of the poor and hungry, denouncing the “scourge of hunger” during his Easter address this year and lamenting that the world’s needy could be fed with all the food that is wasted.

The U.N. estimates that a third of all the food that is produced is lost to waste and spoilage.

“It is also painful to see that the struggle against hunger and malnutrition is hindered by ‘market priorities,’ the ‘primacy of profit,’ which have reduced foodstuffs to a commodity like any other, subject to speculation, also of a financial nature,” Francis said.

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By Sandemo Ngullie

Friday, november 21, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4

Pensioners committed to ‘peace, justice, equality, respectability’

Rampal sent Ebola to jail, police transmission search ashram ‘intense’ in as followers Sierra Leone [ PAGE 09] leave

reflections

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There is just one life for each of us: our own

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On World Toilet Day, I am in the ‘busy and famous’ Dimapur Hong Kong market. Feigning immediate urgency to answer nature’s call, I ask a shopkeeper for a public toilet.

“You are a guy, go and urinate near flyover wall,” he says, nonchalantly. On being told that the “nature of my need” is different, he directs me to a decrepit structure built at the far end of the flyover bypass to railway station, an engineering marvel.

The toilet is built by the Hazi Park Business Welfare Committee. A person is employed to keep the area clean on a monthly salary of Rs. 3000. It is healthy business as the “users” are charged Rs. 5 or 10 depending upon the nature of “nature’s call.”

I overhear two women talk among themselves after using the toilet, “It’s unbearably claustrophobic and makes me nauseous but we have no other option.”

“I usually drink less water if I have to go to the market,” states a shopper.

(LEFT) A run down public toilet facility at Old nST, Dimapur. (RIGHT) Another stench filled, claustrophobic public toilet in Hazi Park, Dimapur. (Morung Photos)

“Build toilets first, temples later,” dared Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the consternation of purists, putting forward the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Campaign Clean India) in October.

On his part, Chief Minister of Nagaland, TR Zeliang, called the National Sanitation Awareness Campaign a ‘people’s sanitation movement’ at its launch in September and made a ‘clarion call to all citizens’ to actively participate in securing proper sanitation in the State.

This ‘clarion call’ would, however, have been unnecessary if the State’s

Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) had achieved its 2010 ‘vision’ to achieve ‘total sanitation’ in Nagaland by 2012.

This remains but a pipe dream, as per a reality check done by The Morung Express on World Toilet Day. A quick survey of “public convenience” reveals a grim reality. In Dimapur’s main town area, for instance, there seem to be only 5-6 public toilets. The biggest of all, New Market, has two toilets maintained by private operators.

Asked whether the Dimapur Municipal Council does anything to help

answer “nature’s call,” a shopkeeper in the Market seems surprised. The ‘Pay and Use’ toilet they use is managed by private operators, he says.

Ask an auto driver waiting in Dobhinala auto stand about the availability of public toilets in the vicinity, and you will be directed to a makeshift structure at the entrance of Zelaingrong Village. It used to be a butcher’s shop before.

Again, the person manning the “structure” says it is privately run.

A stroll through Murgi Patti and Nyamo Lotha Road reveals two structures either manned by charita-

north east’s traditional environmental knowledge important: nobel laureate KOlKATA, NOVEMBER 20 (iANS): The traditional environmental knowledge from India’s northeast and northern regions, particularly the Himalayas, integrated with modern science is important for battling climate change, suggested Nobel laureate Betsy Weatherhead here Thursday.

Weatherhead, an American environmental scientist with a background in ozone depletion and climate change, shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution on the Intergovern-

mental Panel on Climate Change.

“It is very important to document the changes that have been happening for decades and the old people, particularly the farmers, can tell you what changes they see and what is perplexing them now,” Weatherhead told IANS on the sidelines of a lecture at the Presidency University here.

A protege of IndianAmerican Nobel winner Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, she said India is “a wonderful place” to detect changes in weather patterns.

“In India, the people who really work close to the ground conditions in northeast and the northern hilly areas, the Himalayas, will have a lot to say on changes and that could be somehow meshed with what scientists are doing today, for forecasting other changes,” said Weatherhead, who is currently working on forecasting related to renewables.

Back home, the scientist led an initiative where indigenous environmental knowledge of the Inuits is being combined with modern science to learn

new things about what’s happening to the Arctic climate.

Of special importance were changes experienced by the Inuit during the spring, a time of transition for many environmental processes.

Weatherhead, a research scientist with the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, suggested India should bring on board its best scientists and get them involved with government officials to develop strategies.

Naga scholar from Manipur found murdered in Delhi NEw DElhi, NOVEMBER 20 (ThE hiNDu): In a gruesome incident, a 32-year-old PhD scholar, Kashung Zingran Kengoo, from Manipur was brutally murdered at his rented accommodation in Kotla Mubarakpur on Tuesday night.

The victim’s throat was slit and head almost severed, recalled witnesses who saw the body. The victim was unemployed and job search had brought him to the Capital according to family members.

After completing his doctorate from Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, Zingran relocated to Delhi a few months ago.

Phunsghok, a representative of the North Eastern students in Delhi, said the occupant of the third floor of the house first spotted the body. “He noticed that the door was not bolted from inside and when he went inside, he saw Zingran’s body in a semi-decapitated state. There was blood all over the room and blood marks were visible on the door and the walls. He

3 arrested for assaulting NE student in Bangalore

BENgAluRu, NOVEMBER 20 (AgENCiES): The Bengaluru Police has arrested three people in connection with the assault on 22-year-old Manipuri student in the IT city. All the accused are labourers from Andhra Pradesh, said police.

The victim, who was attacked by the accused when he objected to the harassment of a girl, has suffered head injuries and is undergoing treatment at a city hospital. “They started teasing the girl and then teased me also, called me names like Chinese etc. They used racial discrimination language. She called the police. but first police didn’t respond at all. She then took us to the police station,” he told CNN-IBN. Clearly disturbed the racial discrimination against people from north east states, the victim said, “The incident took place in dim light, the attackers faces were not clear. In our state we don’t look down upon people, we treat them equally. But alerted the landlord who in turn informed the police,” said Phungshok.

The police sent the body for post mortem and informed family members.

A knife was also recovered from his room while his belongings were left untouched. According to the police, prima facie, it did

here, people...the way they talk and call names, it’s racial. They assume that we are from Nepal or China.”

DCP, Bengaluru North East, Vikas Kumar said, “Samuel is a Manipuri student.

Three boys teased him to which he replied.

He was hit. A case has been registered. We have started investigation. The attackers have been arrested.”

The incident happened when the three men passed lewd comments on the girl and the youth who was passing by confronted them for their misbehaviour last night, police said. As the trio persisted with their misbehaviour, the 22-year-old youth, an undergraduate student at a city college, warned them against it, following which they allegedly assaulted him, police said.

In another incident involving a person from North-East, a Manipuri student leader was beaten up last month by three men for not speaking in Kannada.

not appear to be a case of robbery and they were looking at it as a case of either personal enmity or sudden provocation.

Zingran’s brother Yaorei flew from Manipur after receiving the news said it was on November 8 that he last spoke to his brother. “During that con-

versation, he did not bring up any such thing which could even remotely suggest that he was under any kind of threat. My brother was a gentle and shy person, someone who had few friends but no enemies.

I can’t even imagine him picking a fight with someone,” said Yaorei.

ble organisations or a concerned local body, but not a government body.

At the Old NST Station, another public toilet reveals itself. “It is an eyesore,” a taxi driver quips but “At least it comes to our rescue at desperate times.” The new one at ISBT is no more inviting.

However, Dimapur is nothing compared to Kohima, interjected a resident of Kohima. “Apart from non-existent public convenience, we have to bear with the peculiar habit of people opening their septic tanks within a few drops of rain without even giving a thought to

the unbearable discomfort it causes to others,” he exclaims wryly. Even the CM expressed disapproval of such practices at a recent function.

The problem assumes epic proportions if you are a woman on a journey across Nagaland. “There isn’t a single structure that you can call a proper toilet… we have to relieve ourselves in pathetic toilets the roadside hotels or eateries offer,” stated a traveller.

“The busiest KohimaDimapur route has many hotel and eateries, not a single one has a structure where a woman can answer her nature call freely, except for one in Zübza,” stated another exasperated woman, who commutes frequently on this sector.

The Governor of Nagaland might have recognised this predicament.

He has recently directed all banks to construct at least one toilet before the end of November or beginning of December 2014 and advised the banks to construct the toilets in public places, particularly in places where more women come for marketing. He also advised bank-

ers to request land owners to donate land, convincing them that toilets are meant for their use.

But the absence or non-maintenance of such public structure is particularly confusing as the 69th round (2012) of National Sample Survey reveals that Nagaland tied with Delhi as the State with best toilet facilities at only 0.3 (per 1000) of the households without toilets. On the public front, the PHED across the State spent World Toilet Day cleaning their office premises and surrounding without even a single known gesture towards public convenience.

The public also seems to be at fault. “Any public facility is either abused or used with complete disregard,” said a worker in State Secretariat, adding that, even the structure inside the office is plastered with tobacco and paan stain, though he considers the toilet “clean.”

So, whose fault is it?

Maybe we are clean inside our house but do not bother with public hygiene.

Though, dare we say?

“Build toilets first, churches and festivals later!”

Nagaland gears up for Hornbill 2014 Morung Express news Kohima | November 20

“Made in Nagaland” is a key feature of the ten day Hornbill Festival this year, claimed Himato Zhimomi, Nagaland Commissioner & Secretary, Tourism Department during a press conference held on November 20 at the Tourism office. He informed that the Festival, which kicks off from December 1 to 10, will introduce some new concepts and brands for tourists to take back. Hornbill 2014 will feature the Great Hornbill Adventure Trail (GHAT) that will take tourists to the interiors of Nagaland. The department anticipates that locals, cultural troupes, hotels, and businesses will benefit from this venture.

Responding to criticism over extension of the festival to 10 days, Zhimomi clarified that extending the festival for three days will bring 50,000 more tourists and harped on “benefits for everybody.”

He said that ten days is less, compared to other states and countries where festivals continue for months.

As an example, he cited the Sangai Festival in Manipur, which was influenced by the Hornbill Festival.

With almost 1, 80,000 visitors for the Hornbill Festival in 2013, which included local visitors, domestic and foreign tourists, Nagaland can expect 2 lakh tourists this year. Zhimomi informed that Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s visit will be confirmed by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Nagaland Chief Minister’s Office. However, he expressed confidence that the PM would make it to the festival.

Nagaland can also anticipate the visits of the Chief Ministers of Kachin and Saigang of Myanmar, and renowned Indian personalities such as Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar. Zhimomi however affirmed,

Tourism dept dissuades public from panicking over Ebola

KOhiMA, NOVEMBER 20 (DiPR): Nagaland state Commissioner and Secretary for Tourism, Art and Culture, Himato Zhimomi informed that there is no need for the public to be fearful of any possible outbreak of the Ebola Virus during the upcoming Hornbill Festival.

Addressing the media in Kohima today, Zhimomi informed that India is strictly following screening in all international and national airports and railway stations.

He assured that by the time the tourists reach Nagaland, the threat will be lessened. The Commissioner and Secretary further expressed confidence on the effectiveness of the measures taken by the Government of India to prevent the spread of Ebola.

“We don’t want to make it a VIP-centric festival,” rather a tourist-centric festival.

While not disclosing the budget for the Festival’s expenditure, Zhimomi said that the turnover was way above the investment made, which he estimated at 20 to 30 crores. He informed that the government only seeks to allow the public to profit and claimed that to this end, the night carnival has been a success.

Meanwhile, the Hornbill International Music Festival will be held at Hockey Ground, Indira Gandhi Stadium from 5 pm onwards. Gugs Chishi, Project Director of the Music Task Force (MTF) informed that the music festival will bring in genres beyond Rock such as Country and Blues, Gospel and Secular Choir. He further stressed on the need for MTF to take up aspects of employment within the music industry.

December 1 will witness the launch of the music festival with the ‘Night of the Home Warriors,’ where renowned musicians and bands from the state will perform. On December 2, the finale of Naga Orpheus Hunt 2014 will be held.

The concert named ‘Back in Time’ by veteran British Band Smokie will be held on December 3. K3M and Highland Oracle from Nagaland will be the opening

bands for this event. The auditions for the Hornbill International Rock Contest 2014 (HIRC14) will start from December 4 till 5, while the grand finale is on December 7, with a special appearance by Vinnie Moore. December 8 will introduce a new genre, Electro Dance Music or EDM/ Rap Night under the theme ‘Love East,’ with LC Naga Rapper performing as the opening act. ‘Runaway Revisited’ is another event scheduled on December 9, where Bon Giovi, the official tribute band for Bon Jovi will perform.

December 10 sees the Grand Finale of the Hornbill International Music Festival 2014 which will bring a mosaic of Northeastern Musicians featuring Vivace (Nagaland), Street Stories (Shillong), Scavenger (Mizoram), Sliver Tears (Guwahati), Pulse Pundit (Manipur), Yesterdrive (Arunachal) and many more.

Performances will also be held at the Regional Centre of Excellence for Music and Performing Arts (RCEMPA), Jotsoma. At this venue, the ‘Ultimate Hornbill Choir Competition’ is scheduled for December 4, an event to commemorate 25 years of the Miss Nagaland Pageant on December 7 and a performance by the Shillong Chamber Choir on December 9.

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Dimapur

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21 November 2014

Kohima | November 20

Minister for social welfare Kiyanilie Peseyie today made a fervent appeal to Nagaland Pensioners Association (NPA) to accept the challenges with fullest commitment with healthy, bright and prosperous future.

Gracing the 40th annual general meeting of NPA here at the Zonal Council Hall, he said the pensioners had contributed towards progress and development of the state. Peseyie said the pensioners of today were of different designations and status. They were under different authority like the government, the banks, university and so on. After retirement from such services, they are labeled and designated as pensioners.

“They will not retire from being a pensioner, but will leave this temporary world of living, one by one with that designation it implies that the best of life is given, and that life time sources for sustenance has been earned. However, a pensioner is not a spent force. He can still contribute to society and the

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Pensioners committed to 'peace, Atoizu Town GHS justice, equality, respectability' celebrates 50 yrs Our Correspondent

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The Morung Express

Pensioners attending 40th annual general meeting of NPA at the Zonal Council Hall, Kohima on November 20.

world till life last,” he said.

The minister said pensioners could surely flow in the cloudy world to usher in a brighter generation. “Even though pensioner, appearing to be toothless, yet seasoned through experience and with a wisdom of age are expected to play their role for tomorrow,” Peseyie said adding that in so doing, they will derive the joy of living the old age with satisfaction. “Much has been done but again much more has to be done as our

society is still lagging behind the other advanced societies of the world,” he added.

NPA president V. Angami said NPA has a big responsibility which state government has authorized the Association during March 2006 for compulsory production of “Drawing Card” for genuine and bonafide pensioners. “Unfortunately, the so called some pensioners are bogus and fake, which are in the group and mixing

with the genuine pensioners,” he said adding that some pensioners are not coming forward for membership enrolment.

As per record, annual membership enrolment remained the same with the 15 years back. During 2013, state pensioners were found to be 22, 312, whereas many hundreds are getting retirement yearly. He said many pensioners are taking part in social activities and helping SHGs. “We should not be a liabil-

ity but should be a resource person,” he said and challenged the fellow members to prepare to go extra mile.

Vizosul Neikha, advisor Kohima District Pensioners Association in his welcome address thanked the state government for all facilities extended to the pensioners whenever the need arises. “Our Association is committed to peace, harmony, justice, equality, respectability, obedience, fraternity and above all to “Fear our Almighty God,” he added. He said NPA was formed in 1973 with late Dr. Sevilie Iralu and late H.P. Rai as the first president and first general secretary respectively.

Rongthungo Tungoe, Watianshi and Kiyaviu were honoured with gifts during the general meeting. The function was compered by Vincent Belho while Dr. R. Rose Chakhesang proposed vote of thanks. Review of yearly membership collection, central office building, review of pensioners grievances and nomination of office bearers and executive committee marked the business session of the Association.

‘Magnificat Fiesta’ annual Pre Nagaland bags IGNSS Award 2014 Christmas Extravaganza on Dec 13 Morung Express News Dimapur | November 20

‘The Coming Generation’ is organizing ‘Magnificat Fiesta’ an annual Pre Christmas Extravaganza on December 13 at the NEZCC Complex.

“The objective Magnificat Fiesta is to promote a culture of togetherness for a fair and tolerant society we all want to be a part of through the chime of Carols singing in the sweetest melodious tune,” said one of the organizers. “We had celebrated many Christmas yester-years with friends and families. However, Magnificat Fiesta is celebrated with the primary focus to make a journey of fellowship with the purpose between cultures inter and intra national in tune with the mission of The Coming Generation-Leading the Lead,” it added.

Magnificat Fiesta International Partners are Osiris International- a youth based corporate led by vibrant young leaders. Osiris International has been conferring and assisting youth events in Hong Kong, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, China and Malaysia. Osiris International is based at Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia and is led by Dr. DK Tan and Chaskar; KPD

Foundation -Nurturing the Future- a New Zealand based organization, which provides services to charitable organization to make significance in the Governance of Civil Society.

The International partners will be supporting the Magnificat Fiesta and the best performing artist of the Fiesta will be elected as the International Ambassador for Osiris International.

The elected International Ambassador of Osiris will get the exposure and opportunity to perform in many youth events/festivals across Asia Pacific and Europe.

To add colour to the joyful atmosphere of Christmas season, Magnificat Fiesta has prepared a blissful setting to carol the congregation with melodious songs, nimble steps and delightful refreshment by the local Innopreneurs.

“Magnificat Fiesta shall twinkle to be one of the most evocative attractions in the rhythm of Supernova the Star from the East during the Christmas Season,” the organisers added.

The Coming Generation-Leading the Lead (TCG) is a registered society and work with young people in the endeavour of innovation, education and learning for life.

Diezekhonuo from Oriental College, Kohima achieving the Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme (IGNSS) Award 2014 from the President of India on November 19.

Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The National Service Scheme (NSS) Cell, Directorate of Youth Resources & Sports, Nagaland has produced, Diezekhonuo from Oriental College, Kohima in achieving the Indira Gandhi National Service Scheme (IGNSS) Award 2014.

C. Theyo State Liaison Officer, NSS Kohima in a press release stated that this IGNSS Award was constituted during 1992-93 for giving recognition to the outstanding work done under NSS. The award carries Cash, Citation and a medal received from the President of India on November 19 at

Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi.

NSS is one of the flagship programmes of the Government of India which aims at development of students’ personality through voluntary community services and to acquire positive social attitude and values.

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Parliamentary Secretary Yitachu accompanied by officers and elders during the Golden Jubilee of Government High School, Atoizu town on November 18.

Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The people of Atoizu town on November 18 celebrated Golden Jubilee of Government High School despite the school remains “one of the most neglected schools in the state.”

Like-minded and concerned people established the school in 1952 during the peak of Indo-Naga war which had claimed thousands of lives, but state government took over only in 1964. It has produced many prominent people in the state including, Chief Minister, Speaker, several cabinet ministers, top bureaucrats and Naga leaders. “However, today the school is in a pathetic condition no one dares to care for the school which was once a household name in the state.”

A press note issued by the Golden Jubilee Souvenir Committee Atoizu Government High School Golden Jubilee stated that several hundreds of people today gathered at the school compound along with Parliamentary Secretary for School Education, Yitachu and other top district administration of Zunheboto district. The officials who have come from Kohima along with the Parliamentary Secretary were surprised by the dismal condition of the school.

The school had even represented the state in National High School Suborto Cup in New Delhi in 1965 and several time represented Zunheboto district in the state level soccer tournament. The school was also active in NCC activities not only in the state but in the northeast. However, today the school has left with nothing but handful of teachers and school building on the verge of collapse.

Former Chief Minister, KL Chishi expressed regret for the pathetic condition of the school. He said school once a household name in the state has become most

neglected in the state.

“The entire community young and old, tributes especially to the pioneering figures who have selflessly contributed heart and soul to make this celebration, a grandeur to cherish upon” said Toluho Shohe a former student of the school. However, he also regretted over the condition of the school.

“Let us re-build it by taking a giant step through the contributions of its alumni of Government High

heartfelt gratitude to the pioneers for which our society is today. It is heartening to note that the High School has taken a lead in many fields and produced many illustrious personalities who have richly contributed to the development of the state” said former minister, Doshehe Y Sema.

He expressed hope that firm conviction that the people of Atoizu would continue to contribute substantially in the process of prosperity and progress to state and nation in the years to come.

“Atoizu GHS was one of the best school in Nagaland and perhaps that was one of the reasons why our batch was conglomeration of students from all areas of Zunheboto district and other parts of Nagaland as well” said a former student” Sema. He said though he had succeeded his aim to become a Geo scientist dedication towards social works made him a politician and his love for adventure transformed him into the present status of an Army Officer in Territorial Army.

Yitachu urged people to extend cooperation to the state government to rebuild the school so that it could produce more prominent people in the state. He also lauded the pioneers of the school and paid rich tribute to them.

H K Khulu, a retired Additional Chief Secretary’s whose father was also the pioneer of the school urged people not to forget the people who had vision to establish school at Atoizu town.

He however regretted over the condition of the school and urged government to look into it. Former chief minister K L Chishi also attended the programme.

From the well-wishers the organising committee could collect over Rs. 12 lakhs for today’s celebration which marked by cultural songs and dances from surrounding villages.

Officials ‘surprised’ by dismal condition of school School for the sake of 50th Anniversary Jubilee. Let us all remember our past glory days and prepare for rejuvenation of our school to restore back in the coming 75th Anniversary Jubilee celebration” said former student Er. Ghunato Shohe.

Nihoto Shohe a retired bureaucrats and student of Government High School Atoizu said the school marvelled in games and sports in the district under the captain-ship of late K. Shikhu former Speaker of Nagaland Assembly and Atoizu Choir was the talk of the District. “Uniqueness of the town then was the feeling of oneness amongst its citizens,” he added. “Whatever little that I could achieve in my life, I give credit to my school,” he said. “Since its inception till date, all the blocks and villages under Atoizu range have benefited much. But it is also a general sentiment that much more could have been achieved” said Dr. Hezheto for student of the school.

A retired director of school education Lhozhevi Sema also regretted how the state government has neglected school which has produced many prominent citizens of the state.

“When we consider the kind of changes that have been taking place in various fields of human activities during the past 50 years, we really owe our

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State need decisive approached for disaster preparedness Kohima Village VDB building inaugurated

Participants of consultation workshop on the policy on disaster and risk reduction with Commissioner & Secretary Transport, Director, ATI Neihu C. Thur IAS on November 20 at ATI Kohima. (DIPR Photo)

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Kohima, November 20 (DiPr): “Pragmatic & effective Response would reduce Magnitude of Disaster. Therefore, the State need decisive approached by applying our minds together and formulate a policy for disaster preparedness and risk reduction,” stated Commissioner & Secretary Transport, Director, ATI Neihu C. Thur IAS. He said this while delivering his keynote address at the consultation workshop on the policy on

disaster and risk reduction held on November 20 at ATI Kohima.

“Disaster happen by four major factors like water, fire, wind and earthquake and lose of human lives, infrastructure and communication etc were accounted,” he said while adding that rebuilding of infrastructure and communication takes long time and resources but lost of human lives cannot be reprieved. “Therefore the need of the hour

is to come up with a plan action and steps for way forward in the formulation of a policy for disaster preparedness and risk reduction,” Thur added. He said that we need to focus primarily on pre disaster management by creating awareness through training programme with this in mind the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority has organized one day workshop for capacity building to create awareness, sensitized and to

empowering the youth on disaster management programme he added.

Highlights of the programme include technical session on the topic ‘Nagaland State Disaster Management Policy’ presented by OSD NSDMA, Johnny Raungmai, and ‘Empowering of Youth Organisations and Local governments in Disaster Preparedness and Risk Reduction’ by Dr. K. Gireesan, Head, School of Governance and Policy & Coordinator CPAR. During the programme group discussion on the topic were also conducted. Those who have attended the workshop includes stakeholder from the SDMA, Government officials from various departments, NGO’s, and the Youth organization from the State.

Secretary (Home) and Addl Director (Admn) ATI, Lithrongla G. Chishi, IAS, chaired the programme.

The programme was organized by Rajiv Gandhi National institute of Youth Development, Sriperumbudur in collaboration with Administrative Training Institute, Nagaland Kohima.

RD dept “ready” to fund circular road project Our Correspondent

Kohima | November 20

Bringing cheers to populace of Kohima village, the Kohima Village VDB building was formally inaugurated today at Ziekezou by rural development director Metsübo Jamir.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamir congratulated Kohima Village VDB for taking up such project and assured to extend help for early completion of the remaining two floors. Expressing concern over the frequent traffic jam in the state capital, Jamir urged upon the Kohima village authority to take up another circular road project. The director informed the gathering that the department is willing to fund such project in a big way.

He also made suggestion to the village authority to form Kohima Village

RD director Metsubo Jamir and others during the inauguration of Kohima Village VDB building held on November 20. (Morung Photo)

Multi Purpose Society and start VDB piggery, dairy, or fishery projects as income generating activities. He was confident that such activities can meet the requirements of the state capital. The director assured to extend seed money for Corpus Fund of such Welfare Society as and when the village agreed upon.

Rural development joint director Neibu K. Sekhose and Kohima Village Council chairman Neivor Rutsa also spoke on the occasion. VDB secretary John Sote said the

purpose of the Kohima Village VDB building is to generate income for the village. The project was started in 2013. The Ist floor and basement have been completed and another two floor is yet to be completed. Till date, around Rs. 56 lakh have been spent, Sote said. He thanked the commissioner and secretary for rural development and director rural development for their concern and help towards making this project possible.

The VDB secretary also thanked rural de-

velopment joint director Neibu K. Sekhose, DRDA project director Kevipodi Angami, Kohima BDO P. Koza for supporting the project. Pelhousenyü Linyü chaired the function while Ketseiu Solo proposed vote of thanks.

Rural development additional director Hilo Semp, rural development joint director K. Neibu K. Sekhose, rural development joint director Thungjamo, Kohima DRDA project director Kevipodi Angami, DPO Achila, Kohima BDO P. Koza, PO Seihu Bizo also graced the occasion.

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REgional 3 Attacks against North East people 'politically motivated' Meghalaya assembly Friday

The Morung Express

new Delhi, november 20 (Ani): Expressing shock over the increasing attacks on the north-eastern people around the country, writer-activist Binalakshmi Nepram on Thursday claimed that such attacks were 'politically motivated'.

"Even as I speak, I feel that these are politically motivated racial attacks and killings because the people in India generally everyone wants to live a life of peace.

So, who is doing this? 700

cases of attacks this year alone in Delhi NCR," Nepram told ANI while reacting on the brutal murder of a PhD scholar hailing from Manipur in the national capital and another assault on a 25-year -old Manipuri youth in Bangalore.

"I don't know what to say at this moment, we are really shocked. The way the 33-year-old PhD scholar, who could have become a pride of this country, was almost brutally beheaded," she said.

Northeast Briefs Terror plot averted in Meghalaya Shillong, november 20 (iAnS): Seven insurgents were arrested in Meghalaya Thursday, as police averted a plot to carry out an explosion in the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma. The seven militants were arrested from South West Garo Hills district based on inputs about their bid to carry out explosions in the region. "We have foiled their plot to carry out explosions in Ampati and attacks on police personnel in South West Garo Hills," district police chief Ramachandran Muthu told IANS. Ampati, the assembly constituency of Mukul Sangma, is the district headquarters of South West Garo Hills, 375 km from here. A police spokesperson said a powerful remote-controlled explosive device with two detonators, a pistol and four rounds of ammunition were seized from them.

One killed in attack by suspected ULFA (I) militants

21 November 2014

"But the thing is we are tired of pressuring authorities and government. Because this year alone, more than 700 cases of complaints filed at 1093 Delhi helpline in which northeast people have said they have been abused, attacked, maligned, raped, murdered," she added.

Nepram also said the manner in which the people of north-east were stereotyped as being pro-China was completely incorrect.

"I have also found from my sources that there are people in political spheres who are equating the entire people of north-east as being pro-China. Hence, there has been a talk of cutting them into pieces and throwing them into (river) Ganga.

We are very very saddened by this because we also consider ourselves as citizens of this country. This is not the India that we belonged to.

This is not the India which is enshrined in the Constitution. We are not loyal to

China, we are loyal to this country, we are part of this country," she said.

Nepram highlighted that people from the north-east are as much patriot like their counterparts from mainland India. "And these attacks, those people who are spreading information in political leadership, may be from any political party must contain and stop spreading this misinformation that people of the north-east are anti-national," she said.

"So our appeal is those

who have unleashed these attacks on the people of north-east whether it is in Bangalore or in Delhi, this is wrong, this is anti-national, and must stop immediately," she added.

According to reports, a 33-year-old PhD scholar from Manipur was found murdered at his residence in South Delhi's Kotla area.

In a separate case in Bangalore, a 25-year-old Manipuri youth was allegedly attacked by three people in Bangalore.

Varsities should adopt strategy to perform better: President TezPur, november 20 (iAnS): President Pranab Mukherjee Thursday said Indian universities should adopt an effective strategy to achieve higher rankings in the list of best global institutions.

"Though in ancient India, there were globally-famed seats of learning like Nalanda, Takshashila and others, the scenario today is starkly different.

Our institutions lag in international rankings brought out by reputed agencies. Few of our leading institutions deserve a better position though. They need to adopt an effective strategy to project their achievements," Mukherjee said at the 12th convocation of Tezpur University in Assam.

Mukherjee said only change can

lead to progress. "Faculty shortage has to be mitigated through expeditious recruitment of talented scholars. Faculty development need to be promoted through regular conduct of faculty recharge programmes and teaching as a career needs to be made appealing.

"Also the industry engaged through institutional mechanisms needs to be incorporated to train students," he said. "Each central university ought to set up an Industry Interface Cell, comprising representatives of the local industry, industry associations, alumni and faculty.

"The cell would draw up a calendar towards various collaborative activities like joint research, faculty exchange, and sponsoring of chairs and

endowments. Success of initiatives like 'Make in India' hinges on manufacturing quality industrial products where academia-industry interface would play a very crucial role," he said.

Emphasising on research work, Mukherjee said that as a developing nation, Indian universities have to search for solutions to issues like renewable energy, climate changes, drinking water, sanitation and urbanisation.

"Our universities have to be the breeding ground for creative quests and cutting-edge technological developments. They have to encourage their students to satiate their curiosity and chase their creativity. They have to imbibe in these young minds a scientific temperament and a spirit of inquiry," he said.

guwAhATi, november 20 (PTi): A Muslim United Liberation Tigers of Assam (MULTA) linkman was apprehended today at Barbilla village in Assam's Barpeta district by a joint army and police team, defence sources said. (PRO). Based on information about the presence of MULTA linkman with war like stores in the area, troops under the aegis of Red Horn Division and Assam police launched a joint operation to apprehend him, the source said. The linkman identified as Mizanur Rahman (24) was found in illegal possession of one explosive, suspected to be an improvised explosive devise (IED) weighing about three Kg along with 20 meters of wire, the source added.

Another rhino killed in Kaziranga guwAhATi, november 20 (iAnS): In yet another embarrassment for the Assam forest department, poachers killed another one-horned rhino at the Kaziranga National Park, taking the toll across the state to 28 this year.

The poachers, however, could not take away the horn. Park director M.K. Yadav said the poachers shot at the rhino near the Teteliguri forest camp inside the park. "After hearing gunshots, forest guards launched an operation against the poachers and they located the injured rhino," he said.

The rhino died early Thursday. "The horn was intact. The poachers could not take it away due to the operation by the guards," he said. Last week, a rhino was killed at the Pobitora wildlife sanctuary in Morigaon district. The poachers fled after chopping off its horn. At least 28 rhinos have been killed in the protected areas of Assam this year -- 23 at the Kaziranga park, a Unesco world heritage site, two in Pobitora and three at the Manas National Park.

Swachh Bharat or clean India campaign. The village cherishes the title of "Asia's cleanest village" given to it

by India Discovery Magazine in 2003.

By 2007, the village had eradicated the practice of open defecation, with toilets built for each of its 91 households under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. "This village is clean from my childhood. We heard it was so even during our grandmother's days. Keeping it

demanding that the government institute a CBI or NIA inquiry to probe into the cases of politicians hobnobbing with militants.

Apart from the politicomilitants nexus, Lyngdoh said the opposition parties are geared up to raise the issue of the education scam after the CBI implicated Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh in the illegal appointment of school teachers by tampering with mark sheets of eligible candidates.

Meanwhile, members of the ruling Congress party, which met Wednesday night at Chief Minister Mukul Sangma's residence, is ready to face the issues to be raise by the opposition parties. "We are well prepared to answer the issues to be raised and discussed during the winter session," Congress Legislature Party secretary Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem said.

In the 60-member legislature, the Congress is the single largest party with 29 seats - two short of majority. 11 Independent and 2 Nationalist Congress Party legislators are extending support to the Congress.

No.A-31011/03/2014-CLS-I Government of India/Bharat Sarkar Ministry of Labour & Employment/Shram Aur Rozgar Mantralaya Subject: Filling up the post of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, New Delhi on deputation basis.

A girl plays with a lamb on the banks of the River Brahmaputra in Guwahati on Wednesday, November 19. The 2,906 kilometer (1800 mile) long Brahmaputra is one of Asia's largest rivers which passes through China's Tibet region, India and Bangladesh before converging into the Bay of Bengal. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

12-hour strike hits life in Tripura AgArTAlA, november 20 (iAnS): A 12-hour strike called by the Congress to protest alleged police atrocities on the party workers affected normal life in Tripura Thursday.

Most shops, markets and banks remained shut, while rail and vehicular traffic were disrupted by the strike.

Tripura Congress working president Ashish Saha said Congress worker Kameswar Sinha, 59, was killed and seven other partymen were injured when the cadres of the ruling Communist Party of IndiaMarxist attacked picketers at Damchara, 225 km from here. Police, however, said Sinha died following a cardiac arrest after participating in the picketing in support of the strike.

The main opposition party called the dawn-todusk strike to protest charge by police with batons on party workers during a civil disobedience movement Nov 17. The civil disobedience stir was organised to demand a Central Bureau

of Investigation probe into alleged corruption in many blocks in Tripura.

"Around 200 picketers were arrested in different parts of Tripura when they obstructed office-goers, vehicular movement and other normal works," a police officer said. He said heavy security arrangements have been made across the state to foil any untoward incident. "The striking Congress men did not allow officials to enter the civil secretariat, headquarters of the state administration," another police official told reporters.

Most markets, shops and business establishments, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions remained shut in the state. Roads were deserted and rail services in Tripura were also affected.

Presence in government and semi-government offices was very thin.

However, air services on the Agartala-Kolkata and Agartala-Guwahati routes were normal, an Agartala

airport official told IANS. "The 12-hour shutdown largely remained peaceful. Except some stray incidents, no major untoward incident was reported from anywhere so far," Inspector General of Police (police control) Nepal Das told IANS. According to the police officer, about 15 activists of the Congress and the CPIM were injured at separate places. Bus services between Tripura and Bangladesh and other northeastern states were also hit.

"The India-Bangladesh trade was also badly hit as hundreds of trucks were stranded on the other sides of the Akhaurah checkpost near here due to the shutdown," a customs official here said.

Ruling CPI-M opposed the strike, saying the "illogical bandh was called only to show the strength of a section of Congress men led by opposition leader Sudip Roy Barman".

"Congress activists Nov 17 attacked police without any provocation. They are

Asia's Cleanest Village is in Meghalaya Shillong, november 20 (nDTv): Mawlynnong, a tiny village in Meghalaya, has a toilet in every house. There are bamboo waste baskets on each road to ensure that there is no littering. Children as young as four learn at school to keep their surroundings clean.

Cleanliness as a way of life came to Mawlynnong, a village of 503, long before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced his

Shillong, november 20 (iAnS): The winter session of the Meghalaya assembly, starting Friday, is set to be stormy with the combined opposition Meghalaya People's Front (MPF) planning to put the ruling Congress-led government on the mat. "We will be raising a number of issues to nail the government on criminalisation of politics, and total collapse of governance which led to deaths of civilians and security forces besides infiltration of militants into Meghalaya," an MPF spokesman told IANS Thursday.

The opposition parties have decided to raise the issue of criminalisation of politics after Congress minister Deborah Marak was charge sheeted by police for hatching a criminal conspiracy with the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), a terrorist outfit, in order to win the February 2013 assembly elections.

In fact, the opposition Meghalaya People's Front -- comprising eight United Democratic Party legislators, two from the National People's Party and two Independents -- has been

I, Mr. Yangchomong Mongzar do hereby declare through this affidavit Regd.No.2285, dated 14/11/14 that the name K.Y. Mongzar and Yangchomong Mongzar are one and the same person signed and declared before Judicial Magistrate, First Class Notary Public ,Dimapur on this day 15th Nov 2014.

Mizoram Liquor Prohibition & Control Rules tabled in Assembly

MULTA linkman held

session set to be stormy

AFFIDAVIT

TinSukiA, november 20 (PTi): A small tea-grower was shot dead while another one was critically injured in an attack by suspected ULFA (I) terrorists at Duarmara Reserve Forest in Tinsukia district, police said. "Four small tea growers were coming from Pengeree to Digboi last night in a vehicle. While they were crossing the Duarmara Reserve Forest, six suspected ULFA (I) militants stopped their vehicle and tried to kidnap them," Tinsukia Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Kumar Singh told PTI. When the four persons resisted and attempted to flee, the extremists fired at them, he added. "Akan Tanti (30) died on spot. Another person, identified as Sankar Roy (32), was critically injured and now being treated at Tinsukia Civil Hospital," Singh said. The other two persons are Deepak Tanti and Bheemkant Moran, he said. After the incident, the six militants fled from the scene and police has launched an operation to nab them, Singh said.

"We have got information that some ULFA (I) cadre have recently intruded into the district. This incident may be the handiwork of them," he added.

AizAwl, november 20 (PTi): Mizoram Excise and Narcotics minister R Lalzirliana today tabled the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Rules, 2014 in the Assembly, paving the way for lifting the 17-yearold prohibitory orders. According to the rules, which was drafted in line with the Mizoram Liquor (Prohibition and Control) Act, 2014, people not below the age of 21 years of age could have a permit to purchase and drink alcohol not more than six bottles (750 ml) in a month. Drinking in public, drunken driving and creating nuisance in an inebriated condition would invite severe punishment in accordance with the newly-legislated law.

Dimapur

clean is the responsibility of each and every one," says Remdor Khongphosrem, a resident.

Littering even by the very young is frowned upon and if any among the 200-odd tourists who visit the village every day are found to throw things on the streets, they are issued stern warnings. The number of tourists that visit Mawlynnong has gone up after the India Discovery report.

A n o t h e r re s i d e nt Sumar says proudly, "All over the world people know us as the cleanest village so people come here."

One of them, Karlin from Germany, has been camping in the village for the last 11 weeks. She is here on a photography assignment after discovering Mawlynnong on the internet. "I have met lots of friends in Mawlynnong. I have seen so many Indian villages, but com-

pared to others, it is very clean and the gardens are unique. Everyone takes care of nature, that is the main thing about Mawlynnong. It is a paradise for me," Karlin says.

The villagers are confident that Mawlynnong will continue to live up to its pristine reputation. In the village's three schools, the next generation is already learning how to keep it in the record books for the right reasons.

trying to create an unruly situation in Tripura," CPIM spokesman Gautam Das told reporters.

Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India invites applications to fill up one post of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) in the Central Labour Service (an Organized Group 'A' Service) under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, New Delhi in HAG level in the pay scale of Rs.67000-79000/- on deputation basis (including short term contract) from amongst suitable and eligible Officers working under Central Government / State Governments etc. The period of deputation shall be three (03) years or till a regular incumbent Officer from the Central Labour Service become eligible and available to hold the post, whichever is earlier. The eligibility conditions, qualifications and experience required for the post and other details as well as the duties and responsibilities attached to the post are given in the Vacancy Circular of even number dated 17/09/2014 which is available in this Ministry's website www.labour.gov.in and also published in the 'Employment News' dated 15-21 November, 2014.

All eligible Officers who are desirous to apply for the post may forward their applications duly filled in alongwith attested copies of all the required certificates/documents etc. by post addressed to Shri S.K. Singh, Under Secretary (CLS-I), Ministry of Labour & Employment, Room No.111, Shram Shakti Bhavan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi — 110001 (in duplicate) within a period of 45 days from the date of publication of advertisement in the Employment News.

Babu Cherian Director Tele: 011-23753079

Davp 23101/11/0012/1415

DIMAPUR HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE Landmark Colony, near West Police Station Dimapur: 797112, Nagaland

DR.BIKASH BAWRI, MBBS, MS, Mch, FMAS, a consultant urologist from Guwahati will be available for consultation/ operations on 12th Dec 2014.

Patient with Kidney Stones, Urinary Bladder and Prostate (BPH) problems or any other Kidney related diseases may contact for appointment. *Lithotripsy (ESWL) for Kidney/ Ureter stones is also available at the affordable cost. *A dedicated PHYSIOTHERAPIST is available. Patients with Backache, Joint problems, sprain and strains, paralysis, cerebral palsy, speech problems etc may contact for physiotherapy/expert management.

Managing Director Ph-9774684865 03862-224041

EASTERN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE JORHAT, ASSAM

ADMISSION NOTICE Bachelor of Divinity (BD) Master of Theology (M.Th) Master of Arts (MA) in Holistic Child Development (HCD) Master of Arts (MA) in Peace Studies (PS) I.

Application for Admission to Bachelor of Divinity (BD) for 4 years course and 2/3 years course for upgrader are hereby invited. The basic qualification required for the BD programme is passed secular B.A., B. Sc., M.A. etc degrees. B.Th under Senate recognized College and M.Div under ATA with BD qualifying exam under Senate. Last date of submission of application forms: 15th March 2015. Entrance exam: 21-22 April 2015.

II. Application for Admission to 2 years course of Master of Theology in the areas of Christian Ministry (General/Counselling/Christian Education), New Testament, Theology and History of Christianity. Candidates with BD passed under Senate with B and above grade are eligible for the course. Entrance exam: 15-16 January 2015.

III. Application for Admission to the Master of Arts (MA) in Holistic Child Development and Master of Arts (MA) in Peace Studies are hereby invited. The basic qualification required for this programmes is a passed in B.D -or BCS of the Serampore programme and M.Div of the ATA stream. B.Th graduates with more than 5 years ministerial experience can also apply. General graduates (B.A. or B.Sc. etc) maybe considered for admission on recommendation of the Church. Such candidates have to undergo a year of Foundational Studies. The last date for the submission of the application for admission is 28th February 2015.

For further information and admission queries write to:

Principal Eastern Theological College P.O. Rajabari, Jorhat — 785 014 Assam (INDIA)

Contact Nos. Office No. (0376) 2361219 (Mobile) 08011117820 Email id: etcollege@yahoo.co.in

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Dimapur

public discoursE

Friday 21 November 2014

Border problem of Assam and Nagaland: Facts about what I had seen and heard

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s I had stated in my recent write-up on the subject “The story of Ancient Ahom and Lotha-Naga Friendship” published in Nagaland Post and Morung Express dated Oct 11, 2014, Koro Village being one of the oldest villages in Nagaland was established approximately 1000 years back. Koro village is situated about 4 miles from Doyang River.

Our ancestors were great in number and the vast plain and forest area which extended to the hills where tribal people whom they called “Rukhipfulong” inhabited, whom the British later on called them the Mikirs. Our great grandfathers during their head hunting expeditions often encountered the Mikirs. The Mikirs were clever enough to come out from the thorny cane bushes by using branches of trees to jack up the thorny canes and killed some of our ancestors and took away their heads. While retreating they removed the jacks so that our ancestors could not go after them.

During those days there were no Assamese people living nearby.

The present Sarupathar had been established only after the British constructed the railway line passing through that area, during the later part of the 19th century and early part of the 20th century.

The present Sarupathar area was covered with a very dense forest where our ancestors enjoyed all the forest products, fishes from the rivers and animals and birds from the forest, freely without any hindrances from the outside world except from those tribals, erstwhile, the Mikirs, who confronted them from time to time.

When the British constructed the railway line they recruited many of our grandfathers as laborers to clear the jungle etc.

Some of them lost their lives due to malaria and other diseases thereby sacrificing their lives while working for humanity.

Later on taking advantage of the uninhabited forest area, the Assamese people slowly started occupying both side of the railway tracks making their habitation permanently. But the Assamese people acknowledged the right of the Nagas saying that the land beyond the railway tracks towards the hills belonged to the Nagas.

So, even in the middle part of the 20th century, when the Lotha– Nagas sold/bartered their produces/goods , the Assamese tax collector never imposed tax on them (Nagas). But when Nagas crossed the railway tracks and

sold their goods, they had to pay taxes to the tax collectors. Even the Assamese paid ghat taxes for using land belonging to the Nagas. Till recently (middle part of 20th century) when I went to the weekly market at Sarupathar, I saw by my own eyes that the signboard displayed on shops and Govt. offices were written as “Mikir and North Cachar Hills, Assam”. Later on changed to “Sibsagar, Assam” and then to “Jorhat, Assam” and now “Golaghat, Assam”. Thus, it tells us that Nagas bordered with the erstwhile Mikir and North Cachar hills on this front.

Those days, the nearest contact to the outside world of the Lotha-Nagas were the Ahom people in Golaghat area with whom the Lotha–Nagas made good friendship. Our forefathers were self-sufficient people and did not require anything to be brought from the outside world except salt. As salt was not available they had to bring down their forest and agriculture produces etc to their counterpart (Ahoms) and exchange with salt on barter system. We also heard about the story of Maans from where they had come and how they entered into the Brahmaputra Valley.

These maans came via Burma, entered the Naga territory and passed through our land without any resistances from the Nagas.

Rather the Nagas helped them and showed them the way to enter the Brahmaputra Valley. They fought a fierce battle with the aboriginal people, defeated them and then settled down in the valley. They came from the same route used by our forefathers.

Probably these people were called Ahoms later on. They were great friends to our forefathers.

There are many stories about love and friendship between Ahoms and Nagas and one of them was the friendship made between the Ahom raja and our forefather Thungbemo (the story had been published recently).

We still regard the Ahoms as our friends and never had any grudge with them. These Ahoms must also have the same feelings towards the Nagas. I have never heard of any Ahom family who tried to snatch away land belonging to the Nagas. These Ahom people had enough ancestral lands and did not require more beyond the boundary made between the Ahom raja and the Nagas. The present boundary problem was created by outsiders like the illegal immigrants from Ban-

Simple Rules - There is just one simple rule: “Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.”

SUDOKU Game Number # 3062

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of time the place has become a shopping centre for the Lotha– Nagas living nearby. The land where many shops have been set up till now belongs to Late Abraham Lotha. Even Assam Arms Police had a camp set up within the compound of Late Abraham Lotha but later vacated when they came to know that the land belonged to Late Abraham Lotha. They even paid him rent for the period of time that they had occupied his land. Late Abraham Lotha died there about 20 years back and was buried near his house since he was the pioneer and the first settler in that place.

He was honored and respected by one and all. After his death, his children and grandchildren’s are still residing in that place. But the building which was constructed during the lifetime of Late Abraham was vandalized by the Assamese people during the recent Ralan area conflict between the landowners and their tenants (Adivasis). The grand-children and family of Late Abraham Lotha miraculously escaped from being killed by some Assamese people. They were escorted to Liphanyan Village by the CRPF stationed at Uriamghat.

In the later part of 1960’s and early part of 1970’s, some villagers from middle range and lower range of Lotha–Nagas started establishing some new villages in the area now termed as Disputed Area Belt (D.A.B.). During those times, the nagas were enjoying all the forest produces freely without any disturbances from the outside world. The Assamese people were the ones who came to buy our produces and also to work in our fields on daily wage basis.

The word D.A.B. was unheard of and unknown during those time.

No Assam police or Assam forest personnel had ever crossed the river Yampha and disturbed the Naga villagers. In such peaceful situation, one village by the name Yanlum was established in the year 1968 under the leadership of Late Abraham Lotha and he was the first G.B. of the village. As mentioned above we were living peacefully and freely in the area till 1976. But when Shillong Accord was signed in the year 1975 between Naga Underground (NNC/Federal Govt.) and the Government of India, the Naga Underground surrendered with arms and ammunition. The Assam Govt. started disturbing us and also arrested some of the villagers. In 1976-77, they started forcing out villagers from their

own dwelling places 2 or 3 times, destroying their houses, uprooting and destroying the crops and arresting those who could not flee and they were taken to Golaghat jail. They were released after paying some good amount of money and after signing a bond.

Even some licensed guns were seized by the Assam police but were returned later. During one such force out, an elephant belonging to Assam forest deptt. got stuck in a muddy water pond just near my land. The Assam forest personnel tried their best to pull out the elephant by using 2-3 elephants that they had engaged on that day but could not do so. Unfortunately the elephant died and the Assamese people thereafter named that place as “Haathi duppi” meaning that an elephant had got stucked and drowned.

This incident is a proof as to how the Assam govt. had forced out the Lotha-Nagas from their villages violating the 1972 agreement. As all our dwelling places were destroyed by the Assam police and the Assam forest deptt., we had to run away from the place to avoid confrontation and arrest. After some time, Assam Govt. encouraged foreigners like illegal Bangladesh mians, Nepalis from Nepal, Adivasis and others to occupy our places. Even in my own land, 7(Seven) Nepalis viz. 1. Buddhi Shamsu Limbu 2.

Josh Bahadur Limbu 3. Bal Bahadur Limbu 4. Tana Hang Limbu 5. Mon Bahadur Limbu 6. Prosad Limbu 7. One Sharma and one Jorah Urang and four others are still residing. It is beyond our imagination how our ancestral lands were forcibly taken from us and given to the illegal immigrants. The nagas being Indians, therefore have every right to stay and make home anywhere in India which is our constitutional right. But how Nagas are shunted out from their home and their ancestral land being snatched away and given to illegal immigrants is a matter of concern to all the citizens as such things are unheard in the history of mankind. Until and unless the land which belong to the nagas and which are now under the occupation of the illegal immigrants are restored and returned to the rightful owners (Nagas), the problem will go on unsettled and the Nagas will never forget and forgive the wrong doers.

Y C G T L R I O T Y E K H X T

C V L J U I C E S D H F R T P

t has been appearing in the media recently that most of the public organisations are voicing their concern about the Inner-line Permit. The Naga Students’ Federation has been spearheading the issue for a long time.

The distinct nationality of the Nagas has been clearly written in the Naga Memorandum1929. On the basis of this declaration, the British Parliament had enacted the Naga Hills “Excluded Area” in 1935. The Inner-line Regulation Permit Notice Boards were placed at the Dulai Gate and the Border Gate on the Golaghat Road in the early days.

After some years, The ILP Notice Board was shifted to Dhansiri Bridge. After the enactment of Nagaland State, the Notice Board was again shifted to Chümukedima Check Post. Even then, it is mandatory for all Non-Nagas to obtain Inner line Permit to come to Nagaland. Mr. Trilokinath Pawar staged Satyagraha in protest against nonissuance of Inner line Permit to him in 1954. Later, it was granted to him and he came to Nagaland. However, gradually the rules and regulations were relaxed considerably.

The Home Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, R.H.M.D. Silva, in his letter Memo No. CON -94/66, Dated Kohima, the 30th September 1966 on the subject, “Circumvention of Inner Line Regulation” had clearly written about the Inner Line Permit.

An Indian writer, M.S. Prabhakara, in an article “A Journey Through Nagaland” in the Frontline magazine, May 18-31, 1985, stated as follows: “When I first visited Nagaland many years ago, my Inner Line Permit was checked within hours of my landing at Kohima. In contrast, during first visits in the last year and a half, I have never been asked to show my papers. Even a casual visitor cannot but be struck at the increase in the Non-Naga population of Kohima. The figures tell their own story though even without figures is no mistaking the popular grievance about the enormous increase in the population of the Non-Nagas”. The political stand of the Naga National Council from the beginning was “Nagas are not Indians, and Nagaland is not part and parcel of India”. It was therefore mandatory for all Bangladeshi or Indiandeshi to use ILP to come to Nagaland.

Once a senior Police Officer, Keyiekhrie Keditsu, said, “Many defaulters who do not possess ILP are always detected and detained, but the State politicians and Government Officers will always release them”. But the rule of law must prevail. And we shall always insist it.

Zapuvisie Lhousa Member, Central Executive Council NNC

Need for comprehensive ban on advertising Gutkha and Pan Masala

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DAILY CROSS WORD

Dr. Temjennungsang Longchari Post Graduate in Health Promotion and Tobacco Control (PHFI, Delhi) President Indian Dental Association (Nagaland State Branch)

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Inner-Line Permit

ith due respect, I wish to draw kind attention of the concerned authority and general public through your esteemed daily, towards increasing incidents of youth suffering with oral health diseases and cancers.

This epidemic is the result of rampant use of Tobacco, pan masala and Areca nut (supari) in different forms Tobacco industry has been instrumental in spreading the tobacco epidemic globally through aggressive marketing campaigns. It is the only industry that kills its 5.4 million loyal customers every year.

To protect the general populace from harmful effects of tobacco use, the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 was enacted in India. Section 5 of COTPA prohibits all forms of TAPS (Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship). Despite the existence of TAPS ban in India, exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion is still prevalent.

Even pan masala brands marketed as “tobacco-free” contain high levels of nicotine, as revealed by a study commissioned by the Ministry of Health & Family WelWozamo Odyuo fare, govt. of India. The laboratory analysis of randomly Duncan Basti, Dimapur. picked pan masala brand samples by the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI), Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh has revealed that Rajnigandha pan masala contains 2.26 gm of nicotine per 100 gm of pan masala. This was actually more than Goa 1000 Gutkha brand, which was found to have 2.04 gm of nicotine per 100 gm of the CROSSWORD # 3069 product. Manikchand’s Gutkha RMD contained 1.88 gm nicotine per 100 gm of the smokeless product.

Supari (betel nut or areca nut) is a confirmed cancer causing substances and leads to many other diseases.

The epidemic of mouth cancer cannot be curtailed without a comprehensive prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and selling these lethal products freely as packaged mouth fresheners.

I sincerely hope that you will use your good offices to prevent premature deaths in our state by strict implementation of section 2.3.4 of Food safety and standards (prohibition and restrictions on sales) regulation 2011 to ban all flavored and packaged smokeless tobacco product across country. Please prohibit the packaged and misleading areca nut preparation in the form of pan Masala, Supari Mix etc.

I hope civic authorities and civilized people will pay heed to my prayer.

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LEISURE

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gladesh, Nepal, Adivasis, etc., who didn’t have any part in the story of Ahoms and Nagas. In the story of ancient Ahom – Naga relationship, no name such as mians, Nepalis and Adivasis were heard. Had there been no mians of Bangladesh, Nepalis and Adivasis in the border area of Assam and Nagaland, the cordial friendship would have still existed between Assamese people and the Nagas and there would be no conflict as is going on from time to time.

Once a group of people from Pyangsa Village went down to the plains in quest of salt. After exchanging their goods for salt with their counterpart Ahoms and were retreating home, they arrived at a place where two rivers joined. They called one river as Tchunyiko meaning Black water (Doyang) and the other as Tchunyomo meaning Red water (Dhansiri). They were in confusion as to which river to follow.

In the course of discussion one party decided to follow Tchunyiko and another party decided to follow Tchunyomo. Those who followed Tchunyiko reached home safely but the others who followed Tchunyomo perished on the way. Many of them were killed by the enemy whom they called ‘Rukhipfulong’ probably the erstwhile Mikirs and Kacharis. Those who escaped from the hands of the enemy died of hunger in the wilderness. Those people were believed to be the Murry clan of Pyangsa Village and about 60 of the strong and abled men perished.

In the early part of the 20th century, Late Abraham Lotha from Pyangsa Village left his native village and settled down permanently on the river bank of Yampha River (Rengmapani River). From the time immemorial, the river was called Yampha River by our ancestors and the place was called Yampha after the name of the said river. The name ‘Uriamghat’ was given recently by the Assamese people as the Uriam trees are abundantly found in the area. When Late Abraham Lotha established his home by occupying a big portion of land which extended up to Yampha river, there were no Assamese people nearby. After some years a man called Bankara (a lame man) constructed a small hut within Abraham’s land and started running a shop. Then slowly all the vacant land outside Abraham’s land were filled up by the Assamese and in course

The Morung Express

ACROSS 1. Box 5. Nonpoetic writing 10. Iridescent gem 14. Welt 15. Aspirations 16. Brass instrument 17. Beekeeping 19. Bit of gossip 20. Long-haired wild ox 21. Hangman’s knot 22. Heart artery 23. Roomette 25. Medical professional 27. Vigor 28. Profligate 31. Captured 34. Walks through water 35. Fury 36. Wreckage 37. Affirmatives 38. Wreaths 39. And so forth 40. Kicks out 41. King with a golden touch 42. Comrade 44. Japanese apricot 45. Salt water 46. Prominent 50. In progress

52. Lift 54. Solemn promise 55. Its symbol is Pb 56. Habitual 58. Certain 59. Ecru 60. Bright thought 61. Probabilities 62. Law and _____ 63. Writing table

DOWN 1. Swings 2. Pontifical 3. Similar 4. Record (abbrev.)

5. Vascular tissue in plants 6. Turbine part 7. Creative work 8. Sings (to attract) 9. East southeast 10. Indolent 11. Decayed 12. Assist in crime 13. Tibetan monk 18. Remove the pins from 22. The products of human creativity 24. Not odd 26. Applications 28. Garbage 29. Murres

30. Not more 31. 3 32. Car 33. A flat type of float 34. Not an eastener 37. Basic unit of money in China 38. 53 in Roman numerals 40. Leave out 41. Donnybrook 43. Wears away 44. Dominate 46. Blockade 47. Avoid 48. Jottings 49. Fine-tune 50. As well 51. A bitter quarrel 53. Keen 56. Nigerian tribesman 57. Disencumber Ans to CrossWord 3068

The Honourable Nagaland MLA’s become childish

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ccording to media reports appearing in the news the honourable MLA’s of the state are behaving like children fighting over plum portfolio to fill their own coffers which is required not only to make up their loss during last election but also to prepare for the next election. The public have lost all their democratic rights because they have sold it to the highest bidder during last election. All they are entitled is to wait for greater wind fall in the next election. if there is a law against purchase of votes, by inference there is also an equal law against selling of votes. But who cares, Nagaland is a Christian State but most rely on the corrupted system both in and outside the church. The pastor/shepherd of most the churches in Nagaland has failed to explain the laws/ Commandment of God to their members and therefore all have gone astray. Both the members and the pastor will not escape punishment due to the sinner. The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evils; therefore, if leaders are produced by the love of money there can be no doubt that the public are also responsible for the present in fight for prime portfolio in the state today.

How shameless the so called Christian state of Nagaland has become. It is now high time for us to put on sack cloth and smeared our face with ashes before God to change our ways of election without further delay.

Jisu Masi Jai Halleluya Praise the Lord T L Angami

LOCAL

The Morung Express

BJP suspends one and issues ‘show cause notice’ DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Nagaland Unit has temporarily suspended Er. Vekho Swuro from both primary and active membership following an emergency meeting on November 19 that examined the charges of “Breach of Discipline” committed by him as reported in “black and white” and submitted by BJP Phek district unit to the State President According to a press note from the Office Secretary of BJP Nagaland State Unit, Lachit Kachari, the Nagaland State Unit, after thorough delibera-

tion, was “convinced and unanimously concluded that the charges levelled against Er. Vekho Swuro was “valid and proved beyond reasonable doubt” and Er. Vekho Swuro had actually breached the party discipline.

“The suspension order will remain in force till such time Er. Vekho Swuro gives satisfactory reply to the show cause notice.

Failure to reply or give satisfactory reply within 10 days will invite further necessary disciplinary action as deemed fit under relevant section(s) of BJP constitution,” stated the press note.

Friday 21 November 2014

“anüshi”- winner of naga chef season 2 group round Our Correspondent

Kohima | November 20

‘Anüshi’ team today emerged thewinnerofthegroupround of the ongoing 2nd edition of Naga Chef Season here.

Declaring ‘Anüshi’ team as winner and awarding prize thereof, Chief Minister T R Zeliang, who is also chief patron of the show, emphasised on preserving and promoting of our authentic cuisines and our local products.

He thanked the Naga Chef for organizing a platform for amateur cooks and added that Naga Chef opens a window for employment

Chief Minister TR Zeliang with winner of group round of the ongoing Naga Chef in Kohima on November 20.

opportunity in private sector.

The judges of the group round included; Rovi Chasie, Chef Joel Basumatari with guest judges Himato Zhimomi, Commissioner Secretary Tourism and Art & Culture and Kevi Zeliang, president Nagaland Wom-

en Volunteer Association.

Earlier, winner of Naga Chef Season One Aketoli Zhimomi who has started her own restaurant “Ethnic Table” shared her experience on how Naga Chef has given her a platform to achieve her dream.

Himato Zhimomi said that theNaga Chef Competition is a successful example of how the Private Public Partnership (PPP) works by giving the opportunity to private entrepreneurs to execute government programme.

The program was followed by lighted hearted interactions, soothing music and grand buffet prepared at the Naga Chef Kitchen with authentic Naga cuisine supplied by The Green Caravan.

The Naga chef is organized by Synergy Group Enterprise and supported by Government of Nagaland.

Bridge inaugurated at Yongmon River Excise Dept ‘catches’ richest haul in October DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): The inaugural programme of Yongmon RCC river bridge under PWD(R&B) division Longleng between Pongo village of Longleng and Angjangyang Village of Mon district was held on November 20, with the Minister for PWD(R&B), Kuzholuzo (Azo) Neinu as the chief guest.

Speaking on the occa-

sion, the chief guest said that the bridge will “link” the communication gap between the two communities (Phom and Konyak) and the State government, on priority basis will take up remaining portion of the road leading to Angjangyang when the “financial condition of the state improves.”

The programme was chaired by Deputy Com-

misioner of Longleng, Nikhashe Sema and short speeches was delivered

by EE Pangteang, Advisor Tourism and Pangnyu Phom MLA of Longleng AC. A Technical Report was presented by Chief Engineer PWD(R&B) Nagaland and the vote of thanks was given by Er. S N Meren Jamir, Addl. Chief Engineer PWD(R&B).

NSS Unit Patkai organises Swaach Bharat Abhiyan DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): The NSS-Unit of Patkai Christian College under the leadership of Bendangnungsang and Zuluchila, Programme Officers, NSS organised Swaach Bharat Abhiyan on November 18 in the college campus un-

der the theme ‘Clean India’.

Along with the rest of the country, NSS-Unit of Patkai also took part in the movement by cleaning the college campus. Altogether 123 volunteers participate in the cleanliness drive, along with H. Epao, Principal of the college, faculty and staff.

The NSS-Unit in a press release acknowledge the Principal, faculty and staff and volunteers in general for carrying out the campaign and appealed the citizens in and around the college campus to uphold healthy and clean environment.

DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): Continuing its ongoing campaign against illegal sale and smuggling of liquor or drugs in the district, the excise department conducted series of raids at different pockets of Dimapur Town as well as restaurant and lounges in the month of October.

According to a press release from the Deputy

Commissioner of Excise (HQ), Lanuwati Jamir informed that during the raids, all together 268 person were arrested in the operation and the a huge cache of liquors and banned drugs were seized from their possession.

The seized item includes 3147 bottles of Whiskey/ Rum; 4015 bottles of Beer; 65 kilos of Ganja; 670 bottles of banned cough syrup; and

Dimapur

5

Lost and Found Wallet containing ID Card, ICICI debit card, SBI Debit card, PAN card and Vehicle Regd. card etc in the name of one Ezekiel Aruji was recovered and is being kept in South Police Station, Kohima." The rightful owner may collect it from the Police Station during office hours.

Officer IN Charge, South Police Station, Kohima, Nagaland

MEx FILE ANTA on top light in taxis Kohima, November 20 (mexN): As per Deputy Commissioner and chairman RTA Kohima order for installation of top light in all local taxi operating in Kohima before Hornbill Festival 2014, the All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA) Kohima unit informed all the local taxi to install the same only from the competent authority from November 25 to 28 at High School Ground, Kohima from 8:00 AM onwards.

Aosenden Watsu Unit seizes IMFL moKoKchuNg, November 20 (DiPr): During its routine duty to check shipment of liquor from Assam into the district, Watsu Unit of Aosenden village under Tzurangkong Range of Mokokchung seized 31 cases of liquor which include Rum and Whisky on November 17. A delayed report from Aosenden Watsu unit President, Bendanglila and the Secretary, Yashila said that a gypsy No NL 2C 6398 carrying the illicit liquor was passing through the village. On suspicion they stopped the vehicle and during search they recovered the illicit liquor from the possession of two occupants including a woman, both belonging to Ao community. Bootleggers often take the road that passes through Aosenden village to avoid Tsutapela Police check gate on Mariani Mokokchung road.

20 litres of local liquor.

According to the press note, an amount of Rs. 4, 41,500 were realised as fine from the offenders and highest amount collected by the department so far.

“The excise department is keeping round the clock vigil to thwart any attempt Residents of Ward No. 16 to smuggle liquor or drugs in the state through con- Kohima informed stant surveillance,” added Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The residents the press release. of Ward 16 Kohima comprising of New Ministers Hill colony, Lerie colony, New Reserve colony and Lerie Chazou colony are informed to “compulsorily” participate at the Mass Social Work organised at Kohima on November 22. A press note from the Chairman of regarding the movement Ward No. 16, Neibo-O Kire and General Secretary, Lima of NPG cadres in Church Imsong warned that “non-compliance” with the direcWard, Changtongya on 14 tives will be “viewed and noted seriously" by the Ward 16 Panchayat and Youth organization”. “All Youth orgaNovember, a patrol was nization of the respective colonies are to monitor and launched by 31 Assam take necessary steps to ensure that residents participate Rifles. Subsequently, the in the cleanliness drive," the press note added.

AR arrested, Kikamongba Jamir, a “Rajapeyu” of Lang- BAP general meeting on Nov 22 pongkong range along with large number of incriminat- Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The Bayavu Area ing documents and extor- Panchayat (BAP) Kohima general meeting will be held tion slips were recovered. on November 22 at 10:00 am at the State Bharat Scouts& He was handed over to Guides conference hall, Bayavu Hill, Kohima. The elecChangtongya Police Station tion for office bearers of the Panchayat for the next 3 years will be conducted and some other important matters for further investigation. concerning the interest and welfare of the colony will be taken up for deliberation and discussion. Therefore, BAP chairman Povotso Lohe in a press release has requested all the office bearers, executive members of the Panchayat, office bearers of the three sectors. GBs, frontal organPRO, Dimapur informed isations and all the citizens concerned are requested to that an amount of extorted attend the meeting positively. cash Rs 15,000/- (fifteen LSKD general meeting on Nov 22 thousand) were recovered from his possession. On Kohima, November 20 (mexN): There will be a interrogation, the accused general meeting of Laghilato Sumi Kuqhakulu Dimadisclosed that he is a tax pur (LSKD) at 9:00 AM on November 22 (Saturday). collector of GPRN/NSCN All affiliated Sumi Village Council/ Sumi Community Chairman's & GBs under Laghilato (Highway) area are in the civilian setup.

In this connection, a requested to attend the meeting without fail. Meeting case has been registered venue will be at Western Sumi Hoho building (Chekiye). at Dimapur West Police Station for further inves- Gov calls press conference tigation.

Kohima, November 20 (DiPr): The Governor of Nagaland has convened a press conference with the press fraternity (both electronic & print media including those in local dialects) along with the official of Doordarshan Kendra and All India Radio at Raj Bhavan Kohima on November 22 at 11.00 hours. In this regard, spective venues.

Deputy Secretary to Governor of Nagaland, George All Angami ministers, Abraham has invited all the press fraternity and all the parliamentary secretaries, concerned officials for the proposed press conference.

MLAs, senior officers, all Angami frontal central or- Road repair in Kohima village ganizations & leaders have Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The approach been requested to be at the roads to Kohima village from North PS Junction to Mission venue by 6:30 AM. Compound will remain closed for traffic on November 22 Vehicle owners have from 5:30 AM onwards in view of Kohima Village Gazetted been requested not to Officer’s Association sponsored road repairing and drainpark their vehicles on the age clearance. Public have been requested to cooperate road side to enable proper and join hands for ‘Cleaner Kohima’ campaign. cleaning up of the roads.

All the concerned have NSNA Kohima Unit informs been informed to bring Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The Nagaland broom, spade, dustpan, Staff Nurse Association (NSNA) Kohima unit will be crowbar etc. observing the three days mass casual leave from November 24-26 along with the other district unit in accordance with the 1st phase agitation against the noncompliance by the State government to the demands made by the NSNA. The Kohima Unit requests all registered nurses/ midwives to support the decision made by the NSNA. The Unit regrets that the agitation will cause inconvenience to the public but hoped that the public will cooperate with the association so that our grievances and demands are fullfilled by the government. This was informed in a press release issued by Wekhropeü Ritse, Kohima Unit Representatives and Neikedup Semu, Kohima Unit Representatives.

Assam Rifles apprehends three cadres DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): The Assam Rifles has apprehend three cadres of Naga political Group (NPG) in two seperate occassions.

In the first occasion in November 12, the troops of 33 Assam Rifles (AR) arrested two cadres of Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) from Setap Village in Longleng District of Nagaland.

According to an AR press note, the two cadres

identified as SS Lt Yinthao Konyak and SS 2nd Lt Kepong Konyak were involved in “extortion and illegal tax” collection from the locals of Setap Village and incriminating documents, extortion notes, and letter pads of FGN were also recovered from their possession. They were handed over to Police Station, Longleng for further investigation.

In another operation, based on specific input

Built Public toilet along NH-29: BJYM One arrested with cash

DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Nagaland State Unit has urged Urban Development Department to urgently take up for construction of public toilet and urine sheet along National Highway-29 between Di-

mapur and Kohima.

A press note issued through its president, Kahoto Chishi and general secretary, Mathew K Janger, the BJYM stated that there were “acute shortages” of such facilities along the national highway causing unbearable “inconvenience” to the travelers.

“At least there should be not less than 6 six(s) public toilet along the stretch with proper facilities” maintained the press note adding that since the government has declared the State as the “Land Of Festival”, people from different places frequently come to visit Nagaland

State especially during Hornbill Festival.

However, it further stated that facilities like public toilet & urine sheet are lying in “pathetic condition” and requested to competent authority for speed up the process “neglected by the concern department for such a long gap”.

DGMO reviews security situations during Kohima visit Kohima, November 20 (mexN): The Director General Military Operations (DGMO), Lt Gen PR Kumar, AVSM, VSM, who visited Kohima on November 20, among other things reviewed the steps being taken to further consolidate the security situation and the development projects being undertaken by the Security Forces in the State. He was briefed on

by Maj Gen MM Naravane, SM, IGAR (North).

According to a press note, prior to his departure, the DGMO complimented all Ranks of IGAR (North) for their dedication and de-

DGMO Lt Gen PR Kumar laying down a floral wreath at the Kohima War Cemetry on Thursday, November 20.

votion to duty and further conveyed his appreciation and gratitude to the populace, civil administration,

NGOs, Church and media The DGMO also laid a for their continued coop- wreath at the famous World eration with the Security War-II War Cemetery at Forces in the State.

Kohima.

DimaPur, November 20 (mexN):A person identified as Athohito of Nitozhe village under Niuland Sub-Division and presently a resident of Burma Camp was arrested by Dimapur Police on November 20 extorting money from the lorries at Rilan village, near Dellai Check Gate.

A press note from Addl.

Superintendent of Police/

‘For a cleaner Kohima’ Kohima, November 20 (mexN): A mass social work under the aegis of APO, AGOK, AMK, AYO & ASU have been scheduled on November 22 under the theme “For a Cleaner Kohima” from 6:50 am onwards.

Minister for social welfare, Kiyanilie Peseyie will grace the inaugural function at Old MLA Hostel Junction and formally launch the social work.

The social work will start from 7: 00 AM in all the re-

AOF celebrates Children’s Day at KODH PubLic sPace CANSSEA clarification to news item

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he CANSSEA is constraint to issue this clarification once and for all pertaining to the news item that appeared on the 12th Nov.2014.

At the initiative of the CANSSEA, A JOINT CO-ORDINATION MEETING WITH NON-AFFILIATED Associations such as Nagaland Civil Services Association (NCSA), Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA), Nagaland Assembly Secretariat Service Association (NASSA), Nagaland Finance & Accounts Service Association (NF&ASA), Federation of Nagaland Engineering Services’ Association (FONSESA), Nagaland Civil Secretariat Grade IV Employees’ Association (NCSGEA), Directorate & District Stenographers Association (DDSAN) was held on the 19th Sept. 2014.

In the meeting, the agenda on the Nagaland Retirement from Public Employment Second Amendment Act 2009 was deliberated and the house discussed to support the Act in principle which is currently in force. Accordingly, the decision was minuted at resolution No.3 and the same was circulated to all the participating Associations to give feedback after thorough discussion with their respective executive bodies.

Accordingly, all the Associations who attended on 19th Sept. 2014 informed in support of the 4(four) points discussed and accordingly CANSSEA submitted representation to the Government and press release was made.

S. Takatuba Aier President CANSSEA

The Morung Express is introducing “Public Space” as part of our intention to provide deliberate space for the opinions of the people to be expressed and heard through this newspaper. Nonetheless, The Morung Express points out that the opinions expressed in the contents published in the “Public Space” do not reflect the views and position of the newspaper or the editor.

Kohima, November 20 (mexN): Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF), the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of Amway India, celebrated the ‘Universal Children’s Day’ with the children of Kohima Orphanage & Destitute Home (KODH) today in Kohima.

To make the day special for them, Amway Opportunity Foundation conducted a health checkup camp reinforcing its commitment to their wellbeing. All 70 students of School of Hope also enjoyed fun filled musical soiree and competition today. As part of Children’s Day celebration, AOF is organising nationwide fun filled events with the children of its partner NGOs under the Project Sunrise.

Speaking on the occasion, Diptarag Bhattacha-

rjee, Vice President- Eastern Region, Amway India commented, “We have been working for the welfare of children since 1998 with a vision to help them become self-reliant. Children’s Day gives us an opportunity to spread happiness to the lives of children and create some sweet memories for them to cherish. I hope all the children of School of Hope enjoyed the magic show on the special occasion of Children’s Day.” KODH President Neibano Angami, President, said, “Amway Opportunity Foun-

dation has been celebrating Children’s day with our students for the past three years."

AOF’s association with Kohima Orphanage & Destitute Home started way back in 2009. Amway Opportunity Foundation has been supporting annual educational expense for children of the school. Amway also set up a computer centre for the orphanage. Janbeni Awomi, Nagaland State Training Officer Amway India Limited and staff from Amway office also attended the day’s celebration.

Team Project Care & Hope visits children DimaPur, November 20 (mexN): Team Project Care & Hope under Youngs’ Club along with Child Line Dimapur visited children in various places within Dimapur, which is supporting and looking after by Youngs’ Club on Universal Children Day on November 20. Care & Hope is a home based care support Project through community mobilization under Youngs’ Club, which support education and nutrition to children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS and affected by drug abuse and alcoholic parents. The visiting Team handed over cash for school monthly fee, donated by well-wishers. Youngs' Club Secretary Samuel Walling in a press release stated that Founder of Youngs’ Club Jenpu Rongmei expressed gratitude to Renponi Kithan, Atso Koza, Ato Angami, Mese Kapfo, Kiyeka Chishi and Childline Dimapur for their contribution and support during the Home visiting programme.

6

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express FrIDAy 21 NovEmbEr 2014 volumE IX IssuE 321

Along Longkumer Consulting Editor

Civilized Culture

T

he term culture is of popular usage in our daily lexicon although it can also be vague at times. In our Naga context, culture is essentially used to denote the way of life as practiced by our forefathers. The most common reference is therefore to our traditional knowhow; whether it is the way we work, cultivate our land, govern our villages or in general, live our lives. The other interpretation of culture is related to what has been described as a process of cultivation or improvement. Later the term culture has further developed to refer to ‘betterment or refinement of the individual, especially through education’. It is perhaps this interpretation of culture that we will try and address in today’s column. There is no doubt that Nagas can be ‘more cultured, wiser and a better people’. We Nagas in particular lay great emphasis on our so called culture yet we have not been able to imbibe the qualities needed to become honest and peace loving citizens. This is despite the fact that more than 100 years have passed since Christianity and education came to us. We proclaim about transforming ourselves from darkness to light but there are many still groping in the dark. In many ways, we are far from being civilized.

Today our ‘Christian’ Naga society is afflicted by a culture of selfish interests, extortion, corruption and other offenses. There are many Nagas who are not willing to work and eat but would rather live off other’s hard earned money including the misuse of public funds meant for development. This is very discouraging for those who sweat it out daily and the socio-economic injustice that people suffer from because of corruption. The other concern is the destructive elements present i.e. those who do not care for peace, order, security and respect for the other.

We have instances of people resorting to violence and destruction of property, both public and private. Recently there were reports of domestic violence, people damaging water supply pipes, which is common public property.

There are also daily instances of unruly elements lighting fire to village forest land, private plantations or even physically destroying and even stealing the harvested produce.

Wherever you go, our people behave in a manner unbecoming of a civilized society. In short we are faced with a predicament where our value system has degraded to such a low while our institutions have also failed to perform. How do we build a culture of peace, human rights and good governance where justice, fair play, accountability become the order of the day? These are vital issues that will require a meaningful intervention by all concerned—from the tribal bodies to human rights group to mothers, church, youth, media, political parties and national workers. Let us pause for a moment and see where we have gone wrong. It is said that the quality of a civilization depends not on material equipment or the political machinery but on the character of its people. Perhaps it will be right to say that Nagas are in need of a revival and rebuilding some of the basic values of trust, honesty, civility, peace and non-violence. If we can do this, not only will it solve a lot of our problems, but we can become a better people and society.

(Feedback can be sent to consultingeditormex@gmail.com)

lEfT wiNg |

Ignacio Ortega IANS/EFE

Putin, the 'bad guy' in global diplomacy

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IN-FOCUS

t every summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin plays the role of the "bad guy", whether he offers a shawl to the Chinese first lady or decides to skip a working breakfast to sleep longer.

Although Putin seems comfortable in that role, his advisors spend the day clarifying misunderstandings after each shoot, formal ceremony or bilateral meeting, whether in the Beijing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit or in the Brisbane G20 meeting.

It seems that any slip or "bad" gesture by Putin is a gold mine for the media, now that there are fewer and fewer charismatic leaders such as the late Hugo Chavez and Muammar Gaddafi, or former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

The image of the Russian leader has not improved after American magazine Forbes declared him the most powerful man on Earth for the second year in a row, with US President Barack Obama as a runner-up.

On the contrary, the image of Putin's strength and the apparent weakness of Obama seem to encourage critics to be even harder on the Russian leader. In recent days, Putin was featured on magazine covers, but not for his statements on the conflict in Ukraine or his criticism of the West.

At the APEC summit in Beijing, the talk was about Putin's gesture to put a shawl on the shoulders of the Chinese First Lady, Peng Liyuan, during the gala dinner. Media were quick to accuse him of breaking protocol and the traditions of the host country, China, known for its conservatism.

They also stressed that Peng was supposedly uncomfortable and had rejected Putin's gesture.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov commented on the incident saying that regardless of tradition, cold is the same for everyone and offering a shawl is normal behaviour. In his view, the rest is prejudice, useless and absolutely absurd discussion. It is clear from the footage that Peng accepted the shawl at first for only seconds, and later took it off to get the jacket offered by one of her assistants. The controversy led to the video of the incident being removed in China.

After the incident, Putin traveled to Australia, where, in an attempt to defuse tension, he did not hesitate to cuddle a koala. Since the very beginning of the summit, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper stressed that Russia must leave Ukraine and Putin answered that it was impossible, since his troops were not even there, Peskov said. The Western press described the incident as a clear affront to Putin, while the Kremlin denied it.

The press also said Putin wished to leave the summit early, something discarded as nonsense by Peskov, who denied that any of the partners had pressured his president with new sanctions over Ukraine. Putin actually left Brisbane hours earlier than expected, but explained that he did it simply for reasons of agenda and to get some sleep before returning to work. In recent weeks, the Kremlin has also had to deny rumours that Putin suffered from a fatal cancer.

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Jahd Khalil Foreign Policy in Focus

Tunisia’s Unfinished Revolution Religious tensions, remnants of the police state, and a brokendown neoliberal economic model imperil Tunisia’s otherwise impressive democratic transition

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ast August, Ons and Ahlam Delhoumi were in a car on their way back from a party to the provincial Tunisian town of Kasserine. Suddenly, men in dark clothes and masks stepped out onto the road from reeds that lined both sides of the street.

The two women may have thought that the shadowy figures were drug traffickers or jihadists that operate along the nearby Algerian border. The men who stepped into the street, however, were police. Taking the Delhoumis for criminals or extremists, they fired on the car.

Ahlam died immediately from a bullet to the head. Ons died after she arrived at a hospital with no doctors or nurses.

Kasserine is not unlike Sidi Bouzid, another interior town.

In late 2010, Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself there after suffering humiliation at the hands of the police, who had confiscated the scales and fruit he had bought on credit and consequently robbed him of his livelihood. Protests over his death spread to the capital and sent President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fleeing, triggering a wave of revolutions among the downtrodden all over the region. Today Tunisia is the only place where post-Arab Spring democracy seems doable. Its elections last October were a far cry from the show vote that installed Egyptian military leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as president last summer.

At the most recent polls, Tunisian voters awarded a plurality of seats to Nidaa Tounes, or “the Call of Tunisia”—a party that gathered secular forces under one umbrella—but didn’t give it a clear majority. Now Nidaa Tounes will have to form a majority government.

It’s a promising transition, but one that could fall apart.

Political Rifts Kasserine’s policemen were jumpy for good reason.

Jihadists have regularly killed police and soldiers here.

Firefights happen almost every other day and drones fly overhead, searching the scrub and prickly pear in what looks like the Colorado foothills for jihadis moving across the mountains. The Delhoumis are only two of the many innocent victims of this battle. The interior of Tunisia is poor, and the state is weaker than in the coastal cities. These conditions make the area a perfect recruiting ground for Tunisians who want to become jihadists either at home or abroad. Some 3,000 Tunisians are fighting in Syria, and the Interior Ministry says that it has prevented 8,000 more from traveling there.

In the leadup to the election, secularists tried to tie Ennahda—the moderate Islamist party that had previously run the government—to Salafi jihadists. At the polls, voters for Nidaa Tounes—a coalition of former regime figures, leftists, and former leftists that gathered together to challenge Ennahda—repeated these charges.

“From the beginning these people were let out of prison and Ennahda said that these organizations, that are now deemed as terrorists, were normal,” says Ahmed, a 24-year-old student. “From the beginning they knew they were suspicious but they did nothing.”

Violent Salafis have made themselves into an uncompromising bloc, while the peaceful ones have accused Ennahda of apostasy and are boycotting elections.

Inside Ennahda “Nidaa Tounes looks at us and the extremists and says that we are two sides of the same coin,” says Faycal Naceur, who is in charge of Ennahda’s media office.

“But we are the biggest victims of this phenomenon.

Most of the confrontation [between Salafists and the government] took place under our administration.”

Naceur spoke inside an overflowing office building that Ennahda occupies in downtown Tunis. Voters waiting to ask for favors from officials before the election sit in a makeshift waiting room. Like many other offices here, it is made up of temporary walls to accommodate an organization that has outgrown its lease.

The Troika government, so named because it combined Ennahda with two other liberal parties,

T

he State of Nagaland is comprised of tribes. Each tribe has its distinct language which cannot be understood by the other, and its customs and traditions are distinct too from each other. Each tribe has its series of festivals traditionally and culturally observed in a year. Although several of those festivals are not observed meticulously mainly due to advent of Christianity, each tribe continues to hold the most major festivals in the name of preserving the culture and its identity. When 16 tribes inhabit Nagaland, a Calendar year is filled with the celebrations of festivals as some tribes continue to observe more than a single major festival. A decade and half ago, a leader commented that tribal festivals in Nagaland are like the flowers that it bloom one after the other throughout the four seasons. What a comparison. This ground reality might have prompted a leader to declare Nagaland as ‘Land of Festivals’. When the festival culture is considered, it may be rightly called so.

Yet, when I consider the economic condition of the general public in Nagaland, ‘land of festivals’ is a misnomer. Reiterating that Nagaland has hardly 200 rich men in my conservative assessment, the rest are poor. The State has high percentage of BPL population, may be topping the whole of NE India now. I spoke briefly on the peril

allowed some Salafi parties to register. But Ennahda’s conciliatory attitude toward secularists drove the Salafists away, and the Troika government was replaced by an interim government that will remain until after the elections.

Naceur outlines Ennahda’s messaging, which this time around is focused on temporal rather than spiritual issues. Yet as Ennahda is somewhat of an umbrella party for the religious, it still contains a very pious element. More extreme preachers are off the ballot but still on the campaign trail. One, Habib al-Loz, addressed a crowd of tens of thousands of people the week before the polls opened. “Ennahda hasn’t left its principles,” says Mahfoudh Ban Deraa, an imam in Kasserine. “They will apply Sharia gradually, and this is the preferred way, even according to the Caliph Omar.” Despite the conception of political Islamist movements as more down to earth, there’s a disconnect between the Ennahda leadership that went into temporary exile during Ben Ali’s secularist rule and those that stayed at home with the base.

“Abroad the leadership learned the ability to listen. Some of those that were in Tunis are a bit suspicious of others,” says Hajer Azaeiz, an Ennahda member. Azaeiz was prohibited from wearing the hijab during Ben Ali’s reign, but later wore it as she helped write the country’s new constitution. Naceur had the same take. Arrested in his second year of college, he was imprisoned for 10 years and tortured for most of them. As he recounted the details of indignities, the young woman sharing his office looks up for a moment, then continues to flick at her smartphone. When he got out, Naceur refused offers by the security forces for permission to re-enroll in the school of psychology in exchange for informing on Ennahda. He eventually returned, where his former roommate now taught one of his classes.

Other members of the top leadership, like former interior minister and later prime minister Ali Laarayedh, were also imprisoned for years. In a role reversal that could’ve only happened in a revolution, he became the interior minister in Tunisia’s post-revolutionary government. But when Laarayedh attempted to reform the police, a video was leaked of him allegedly having sex with another male prisoner. For any politician it would be scandalous. For an Islamist, it was especially so, and serious security sector reform was tabled. The episode demonstrated the staying power of the police and the old regime. Impunity—like that enjoyed by the killers of the Delhoumis—remains rampant.

Pushing Ennahda Baji Caid Sebsy, an insider octogenarian ousted from the government in the 1970s for advocating freer political competition, leads the Nidaa Tounes movement. He also headed up the transition government immediately after Ben Ali’s ouster. The recent reappearance of other old-regime figures has been the source of sporadic controversy among youth in the movement.

This informal partnership between civil society activists and more old-line secularists pushed Ennahda’s Troika government to hand over power to

a technocratic interim government last January.

Tunisia’s ability to maintain a capable and civil opposition ensured that Ennahda didn’t take too much power, says Hamadi Radissi, a professor of political science at the University of Tunis and a member of Nidaa Tounes.

“Thanks to the balance brought by Nidaa Tounes, Islamists have come to the conclusion that we have to live together,” he says. “And they understood that they have no capacity to Islamize this country thanks to us.”

The divisions inside Nidaa Tunis are more pronounced than Ennahda’s. The party has achieved unity mostly because of its opposition to Islamists, and figures like Radissi don’t plan on staying much longer. “Believe me, I won’t let them do whatever they want,” he says. “I will leave if they go in a bad direction. And in any case, I’m leaving. I said I would leave when Nidaa Tunis defeats the Islamists.”

On the table are Tunisian sweets that Radissi brought back from Kaiouran, south of Tunis. He speaks with considerable emphasis, sometimes vocalizing his thoughts in French when he is at a loss for the English. When asked what happens when figures like him leave the movement to former regime figures, his answer is less definitive. “I have no idea,” he says. “This is a personal matter. Pfft! There are some that left before me because some of them said that we are not made for politics.”

Tunisia’s Future Development Whatever the composition of Tunisia’s new government, which may not be formed until after presidential elections on November 23, it will have to make hard decisions on the economy, which all parties agree is the biggest threat to the revolution’s success. “In the revolution, people asked for dignity, jobs, and freedom,” says Habib Bouazi, a police officer in Kasserine. “We have freedom now—was it ever conceivable in Ben Ali’s time that a police officer like me would sit with a foreign journalist? What we don’t have is infrastructure and jobs, and they have gotten worse since the revolution.”

Kasserine lags far behind the coastal regions in development, and a World Bank report recently took Tunisia to task for the structure of its economy. The Bank described the economy as predatory, benefiting a select few at the expense of most Tunisians.

Ennahda and Nidaa Tounes’ economic visions do not differ substantially, with both emphasizing the free market. Ennahda in particular has gone out of its way to insist that it won’t rock the boat on the economy, and party officials focus mostly on increased investment rather than structural change.

Across Tunisia, there’s a longing for a government that will stay around long enough to address the country’s social and political ailments, including those that arose from the revolution.

Saleh Delhoumi has been told that the investigation into the deaths of his daughter and niece won’t be investigated until after the elections. “I just want the elections to end so they can see these results and those who were responsible can be held accountable,” he says. “We need to move on.”

Naga festivals: A pride or Burden Z. Lohe

of Nagaland economy in the ‘Leaders Arise’ conference on 12.11.14 at Kohima. Hardly few people may be serious about the poverty and the possible consequential famine in Nagaland at this rate of mismanaging what little we have. The people of Nagaland are over eating collectively and always indulge in wasteful spending with no sense of saving. Aware or not the climatic change has immense impact on the rural economy coupled with manmade calamities such as illegal taxation, rampant misuse of State funds, festivals and weddings which are immensely draining our economy.

Despite of the generosity of Govt. of India during the last decade, granting huge funds through several CSS programs beside normal allocations, Nagaland, the second oldest in NE, could not become richer as other neighbour younger States are.

Knowing the unsustainable economic condition of Nagaland, the leaders piloted its gullible citizens to enjoy festivities as road shows, tribal festivals and its infamous Hornbill festival.

In the land of ‘Nagaland for Christ’, the festival of festivals should be no other than Christmas and not Horn-

bill. To Christians, Jesus Christ is the most important and His birthday celebration in December every year cannot be equated with any other festival be it in memory of a beautiful bird or tribal festival. The believers miserably failed to react on time as declaration of hornbill festival as the biggest festival. It has overshadowed the importance of Christmas beside the immense ramifications on the morality of the younger generation, to be brief.

The questions posed to all of us are: Are the people of Nagaland secured to go ahead with so much festivities?

Are the end results of festivities found to be beneficial to our people in matters of moral, spiritual, educational, etc.? Is the State Govt. paying adequate attention to work culture of its employees commensurately as much importance is always given to the kind of festivities of its own or of others? Is the State Govt. confident of its financial stability and of the wealth of its citizens to continue with spending spree without any austerity measure?

For the benefit of the general public, let me share the tip of what Rev. K. Paphino shared few stories

wRiTE-wiNg

from the Bible in the said conference at Kohima. Prior to every major catastrophe, feasting had taken place.

Before the great flood people had much disorder as of the situation in Nagaland today. Prior to destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, people had feastings as are in Nagaland today. This is what the prophet Ezekiel had described the reasons for which God was angered and I quote “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned, they did not help the poor and needy.” Unquote. Prior to wiping out the sons and daughters of Job, they had successive feastings as we are having today. I believe the end time is quite near seeing the kind of our Naga society being in total disarray.

Having said this, I do not hate any festival be it the State’s or the tribe’s or the Village’s. What factually disturbs and bothers one is Nagas’ way of overspending on feasts without having the economic capability and mostly depending on others. Before it is too late we better review all those extraneous activities. It is time to work harder and save what little one has. It is time to struggle to become self reliant and do away with parasitical culture. The State Govt. has to lead. The Church must no longer remain silent on those activities which are drifting its members astray.

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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.

7

Friday

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

21 November 2014

PERSPECTIVE NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

The Siege of Julian Assange is a Farce John Pilger

T

CommonDreams

he siege of Knightsbridge is a farce. For two years, an exaggerated, costly police presence around the Ecuadorean embassy in London has served no purpose other than to flaunt the power of the state. Their quarry is an Australian charged with no crime, a refugee from gross injustice whose only security is the room given him by a brave South American country. His true crime is to have initiated a wave of truth-telling in an era of lies, cynicism and war.

The persecution of Julian Assange must end. Even the British government clearly believes it must end. On 28 October, the deputy foreign minister, Hugo Swire, told Parliament he would "actively welcome" the Swedish prosecutor in London and "we would do absolutely everything to facilitate that". The tone was impatient.

The Swedish prosecutor, Marianne Ny, has refused to come to London to question Assange about allegations of sexual misconduct in Stockholm in 2010 - even though Swedish law allows for it and the procedure is routine for Sweden and the UK. The documentary evidence of a threat to Assange's life and freedom from the United States - should he leave the embassy - is overwhelming. On May 14 this year, US court files revealed that a "multi subject investigation" against Assange was "active and ongoing".

Ny has never properly explained why she will not come to London, just as the Swedish authorities have never explained why they refuse to give Assange a guarantee that they will not extradite him on to the US under a secret arrangement agreed between Stockholm and Washington. In December 2010, the Independent revealed that the two governments had discussed his onward extradition to the US before the European Arrest Warrant was issued.

Perhaps an explanation is that, contrary to its reputation as a liberal bastion, Sweden has drawn so close to Washington that it has allowed secret CIA "renditions" - including the illegal deportation of refugees.

The rendition and subsequent torture of two Egyptian political refugees in 2001 was condemned by the UN Committee against Torture, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; the complicity and duplicity of the Swedish state are documented in successful civil litigation and WikiLeaks cables. In the summer of 2010, Assange had been in Sweden to talk about WikiLeaks revelations of the war in Afghanistan - in which Sweden had forces under US command.

The Americans are pursuing Assange because WikiLeaks exposed their epic crimes in Afghanistan and Iraq: the wholesale killing of tens of thousands of civilians, which they covered up; and their contempt for sovereignty and international law, as demonstrated vividly in their leaked diplomatic cables.

For his part in disclosing how US soldiers murdered Afghan and Iraqi civilians, the heroic soldier Bradley (now Chelsea) Manning received a sentence of 35 years, having been held for more than a thousand days in conditions which, according to the UN Special Rapporteur, amounted to torture.

Few doubt that should the US get their hands on Assange, a similar fate awaits him. Threats of capture and assassination became the currency of the political extremes in the US following Vice-President Joe Biden's preposterous slur that Assange was a "cyber-terrorist".

Anyone doubting the kind of US ruthlessness he can expect should remember the forcing down of the Bolivian president's plane last year - wrongly believed to be carrying Edward Snowden.

According to documents released by Snowden, Assange is on a "Manhunt target list". Washington's bid to get him, say Australian diplomatic cables, is "unprecedented in scale and nature". In Alexandria, Virginia, a secret grand jury has spent four years attempting to contrive a crime for which Assange can be prosecuted.

This is not easy. The First Amendment to the US Constitution protects publishers, journalists and whistleblowers. As a presidential candidate in 2008, Barack Obama lauded whistleblowers as "part of a healthy democracy [and they] must be protected from reprisal". Under President Obama, more whistleblowers have been prosecuted than under all other US presidents combined. Even before the verdict was announced in the trial of Chelsea Manning, Obama had pronounced the whisletblower guilty.

"Documents released by WikiLeaks since Assange moved to England," wrote Al Burke, editor of the online Nordic News Network, an authority on the multiple twists and dangers facing Assange, "clearly indicate that Sweden has consistently submitted to pressure from the United States in matters relating to civil rights. There is every reason for concern that if Assange were to be taken into custody by Swedish authorities, he could be turned over to the United States without due consider-

T

he chutzpah, the audacity of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which Vishal Bhardwaj describes brilliantly in his latest film Haider in the context of Kashmir, finds resonance in the collective imagination of the people of Northeast India as well. It brings to the fore many layers of the social, political and emotional struggles against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which has been in operation for over five and a half decades now in Northeast India, starting with Nagaland, Manipur and Assam, and subsequently extended to all the seven states of Northeast India. It was in the year 1990, when the AFSPA was amended to include the state of Jammu and Kashmir, in continuance since.

The almost haunting imagery of people against the repressive law in Northeast India are the instances where women have come out in extraordinary forms of protests, the over fourteen years long fast by activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, who has become an icon of the protest against AFSPA. About 30 middle-aged women in Manipur came out naked in front of the Assam Rifles headquarters in Kangla Fort, Imphal, with banners of ‘Come Indian Army, Rape Us’ in 2004, following the killing of Thangjam Manorama. Historian AnanyaVajpeyi describes the act of the women as a strong resentment against AFSPA, differentiating it from popular protest forms, and

ation of his legal rights."

There are signs that the Swedish public and legal community do not support prosecutor's Marianne Ny's intransigence. Once implacably hostile to Assange, the Swedish press has published headlines such as: "Go to London, for God's sake."

Why won't she? More to the point, why won't she allow the Swedish court access to hundreds of SMS messages that the police extracted from the phone of one of the two women involved in the misconduct allegations?

Why won't she hand them over to Assange's Swedish lawyers? She says she is not legally required to do so until a formal charge is laid and she has questioned him.

Then, why doesn't she question him?

This week, the Swedish Court of Appeal will decide whether to order Ny to hand over the SMS messages; or the matter will go to the Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice. In high farce, Assange's Swedish lawyers have been allowed only to "review" the SMS messages, which they had to memorise.

One of the women's messages makes clear that she did not want any charges brought against Assange, "but the police were keen on getting a hold on him". She was "shocked" when they arrested him because she only "wanted him to take [an HIV] test". She "did not want to accuse JA of anything" and "it was the police who made up the charges". (In a witness statement, she is quoted as saying that she had been "railroaded by police and others around her".)

Neither woman claimed she had been raped. Indeed, both have denied they were raped and one of them has since tweeted, "I have not been raped." That they were manipulated by police and their wishes ignored is evident - whatever their lawyers might say now.

Certainly, they are victims of a saga worthy of Kafka.

For Assange, his only trial has been trial by media.

On 20 August 2010, the Swedish police opened a "rape investigation" and immediately - and unlawfully - told the Stockholm tabloids that there was a warrant for Assange's arrest for the "rape of two women". This was the news that went round the world.

In Washington, a smiling US Defence Secretary Robert Gates told reporters that the arrest "sounds like good news to me". Twitter accounts associated with the Pentagon described Assange as a "rapist" and a "fugitive".

Less than 24 hours later, the Stockholm Chief Prosecutor, Eva Finne, took over the investigation. She wasted no time in cancelling the arrest warrant, saying, "I don't believe there is any reason to suspect that he has committed rape." Four days later, she dismissed the rape investigation altogether, saying, "There is no suspicion of any crime whatsoever." The file was closed.

Enter Claes Borgstrom, a high profile politician in the Social Democratic Party then standing as a candidate in Sweden's imminent general election. Within days of the chief prosecutor's dismissal of the case, Borgstrom, a lawyer, announced to the media that he was representing the two women and had sought a different prosecutor in the city of Gothenberg. This was Marianne Ny, whom Borgstrom knew well. She, too, was involved with the Social Democrats.

On 30 August, Assange attended a police station in Stockholm voluntarily and answered all the questions put to him. He understood that was the end of the matter. Two days later, Ny announced she was re-opening the case. Borgstrom was asked by a Swedish reporter why the case was proceeding when it had already been dismissed, citing one of the women as saying she had not been raped. He replied, "Ah, but she is not a lawyer." Assange's Australian barrister, James Catlin, re-

sponded, "This is a laughing stock... it's as if they make it up as they go along."

On the day Marianne Ny reactivated the case, the head of Sweden's military intelligence service ("MUST") publicly denounced WikiLeaks in an article entitled "WikiLeaks [is] a threat to our soldiers."

Assange was warned that the Swedish intelligence service, SAP, had been told by its US counterparts that US-Sweden intelligence-sharing arrangements would be "cut off" if Sweden sheltered him.

For five weeks, Assange waited in Sweden for the new investigation to take its course. The Guardian was then on the brink of publishing the Iraq "War Logs", based on WikiLeaks' disclosures, which Assange was to oversee. His lawyer in Stockholm asked Ny if she had any objection to his leaving the country.

She said he was free to leave.

Inexplicably, as soon as he left Sweden - at the height of media and public interest in the WikiLeaks disclosures - Ny issued a European Arrest Warrant and an Interpol "red alert" normally used for terrorists and dangerous criminals. Put out in five languages around the world, it ensured a media frenzy.

Assange attended a police station in London, was arrested and spent ten days in Wandsworth Prison, in solitary confinement. Released on £340,000 bail, he was electronically tagged, required to report to police daily and placed under virtual house arrest while his case began its long journey to the Supreme Court. He still had not been charged with any offence. His lawyers repeated his offer to be questioned by Ny in London, pointing out that she had given him permission to leave Sweden. They suggested a special facility at Scotland Yard used for that purpose. She refused.

Katrin Axelsson and Lisa Longstaff of Women Against Rape wrote: "The allegations against [Assange] are a smokescreen behind which a number of governments are trying to clamp down on WikiLeaks for having audaciously revealed to the public their secret planning of wars and occupations with their attendant rape, murder and destruction... The authorities care so little about violence against women that they manipulate rape allegations at will. [Assange] has made it clear he is available for questioning by the Swedish authorities, in Britain or via Skype. Why are they refusing this essential step in their investigation? What are they afraid of?"

This question remained unanswered as Ny deployed the European Arrest Warrant, a draconian product of the "war on terror" supposedly designed to catch terrorists and organised criminals. The EAW had abolished the obligation on a petitioning state to provide any evidence of a crime. More than a thousand EAWs are issued each month; only a few have anything to do with potential "terror" charges. Most are issued for trivial offences, such as overdue bank charges and fines. Many of those extradited face months in prison without charge. There have been a number of shocking miscarriages of justice, of which British judges have been highly critical.

The Assange case finally reached the UK Supreme Court in May 2012. In a judgement that upheld the EAW - whose rigid demands had left the courts almost no room for manoeuvre - the judges found that European prosecutors could issue extradition warrants in the UK without any judicial oversight, even though Parliament intended otherwise.

They made clear that Parliament had been "misled" by the Blair government. The court was split, 5-2, and consequently found against Assange.

However, the Chief Justice, Lord Phillips, made one

mistake. He applied the Vienna Convention on treaty interpretation, allowing for state practice to override the letter of the law. As Assange's barrister, Dinah Rose QC, pointed out, this did not apply to the EAW. The Supreme Court only recognised this crucial error when it dealt with another appeal against the EAW in November last year. The Assange decision had been wrong, but it was too late to go back.

Assange's choice was stark: extradition to a country that had refused to say whether or not it would send him on to the US, or to seek what seemed his last opportunity for refuge and safety. Supported by most of Latin America, the courageous government of Ecuador granted him refugee status on the basis of documented evidence and legal advice that he faced the prospect of cruel and unusual punishment in the US; that this threat violated his basic human rights; and that his own government in Australia had abandoned him and colluded with Washington. The Labor government of prime minister Julia Gillard had even threatened to take away his passport.

Gareth Peirce, the renowned human rights lawyer who represents Assange in London, wrote to the then Australian foreign minister, Kevin Rudd: "Given the extent of the public discussion, frequently on the basis of entirely false assumptions... it is very hard to attempt to preserve for him any presumption of innocence. Mr. Assange has now hanging over him not one but two Damocles swords, of potential extradition to two different jurisdictions in turn for two different alleged crimes, neither of which are crimes in his own country, and that his personal safety has become at risk in circumstances that are highly politically charged."

It was not until she contacted the Australian High Commission in London that Peirce received a response, which answered none of the pressing points she raised. In a meeting I attended with her, the Australian Consul-General, Ken Pascoe, made the astonishing claim that he knew "only what I read in the newspapers" about the details of the case.

Meanwhile, the prospect of a grotesque miscarriage of justice was drowned in a vituperative campaign against the WikiLeaks founder. Deeply personal, petty, vicious and inhuman attacks were aimed at a man not charged with any crime yet subjected to treatment not even meted out to a defendant facing extradition on a charge of murdering his wife. That the US threat to Assange was a threat to all journalists, to freedom of speech, was lost in the sordid and the ambitious.

Books were published, movie deals struck and media careers launched or kick-started on the back of WikiLeaks and an assumption that attacking Assange was fair game and he was too poor to sue. People have made money, often big money, while WikiLeaks has struggled to survive. The editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, called the WikiLeaks disclosures, which his newspaper published, "one of the greatest journalistic scoops of the last 30 years". It became part of his marketing plan to raise the newspaper's cover price.

With not a penny going to Assange or to WikiLeaks, a hyped Guardian book led to a lucrative Hollywood movie. The book's authors, Luke Harding and David Leigh, gratuitously described Assange as a "damaged personality" and "callous". They also revealed the secret password he had given the paper in confidence, which was designed to protect a digital file containing the US embassy cables. With Assange now trapped in the Ecuadorean embassy, Harding, standing among the police outside, gloated on his blog that "Scotland Yard may get the last laugh".

The injustice meted out to Assange is one of the reasons Parliament will eventually vote on a reformed EAW. The draconian catch-all used against him could not happen now; charges would have to be brought and "questioning" would be insufficient grounds for extradition. "His case has been won lock, stock and barrel," Gareth Peirce told me, "these changes in the law mean that the UK now recognises as correct everything that was argued in his case. Yet he does not benefit. And the genuineness of Ecuador's offer of sanctuary is not questioned by the UK or Sweden."

On 18 March 2008, a war on WikiLeaks and Julian Assange was foretold in a secret Pentagon document prepared by the "Cyber Counterintelligence Assessments Branch". It described a detailed plan to destroy the feeling of "trust" which is WikiLeaks' "centre of gravity". This would be achieved with threats of "exposure [and] criminal prosecution". Silencing and criminalising this rare source of independent journalism was the aim, smear the method. Hell hath no fury like great power scorned.

John Pilger was born and educated in Sydney, Australia.

He has been a war correspondent, film-maker and playwright.

Based in London, he has written from many countries and has twice won British journalism's highest award, that of "Journalist of the Year," for his work in Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Chutzpah of AFSPA in North East goes on to say,‘what AFSPA effectively does is to create an entirely separate space within India, a sort of second and shadow nation, that functions as a military state rather than electoral democracy’. This is reminiscent of the chutzpah of New Delhi to continue such an arrangement in Northeast India ever since 1958, and we call ourselves as a flexible democracy at the same time.

AFSPA has been the symbol of military and government presence for the people of Northeast India, and in many ways the domination it represents has fuelled many insurgencies. The security forces offer the rationale for AFSPA, saying that they are fighting an unequal battle, and extraordinary situations require special laws to handle them. Duncan McDuie-Ra points out in his analysis that in democratic India, the survival and operation of an exceptional law for over fifty years, without much debate in the national mainstream, reflects the construction of Northeast India, which is portrayed as endlessly and incurably violent.

McDuie-Ra further says that such a perception is ruled by a binary which depicts the ethnic tribes of Northeast India cannot be mainstreamed as other people in mainland India have been, further reinforcing the

Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman state of exceptionalism which dominates interaction between the military and the society in Northeast India.

One major issue has been of the lack of overall representative power of the Northeast Indian states in the national parliament and which is unlikely to ever increase substantially within the existing structure of democratic representation in India. The other issue is that the existing seats in the national parliament fail to achieve any satisfactory degree of representativeness especially when there are literally hundreds of ethnic communities in Northeast India.

One of the reasons behind the mushrooming of insurgent organizations and the demand of autonomous councils among various ethnic communities in Northeast India has been this systemic problem of representation. These factors act as triggers for deepening of the ethnic divide, sometimes leading to ethnic violence, showing the existing system of democratic representation to be inadequate to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of many small ethnic communities in Northeast India.

Thus, an entire community and its dem-

ocratic exercise of choice, and of voting, are dependent on what goes on in provincial capitals such as Guwahati or in New Delhi.

Whether this community is necessary to a political arrangement or coalition is actually not in their own hands at all but rather determined by national-level actors. In fact, in Northeast India, a kind of political cycle is evident whereby one community gets attention and benefits for a while and then another takes its place, to be replaced in its turn – but it is never the case that all the communities operate in the same ruling coalition at the same time. The only other way of any community getting attention for a sustained period despite electoral arithmetic is when it takes up arms. Ethnic groups in the Northeast find this a rewarding exercise because it is the case that New Delhi or Guwahati will immediately send an emissary to talk to them. The game however, soon changes with the government either trying to buy out such insurgent groups, to play them off against other groups or to suppress them militarily, where AFSPA,being an extraordinary law, comes in, proving to be another scar on the democratic aspirations, development and political life of communities in Northeast India.

The success or failure of the AFSPA in the past fifty-five years can be judged by the fact that insurgencies and violence has considerably increased in Northeast India even during the operation and continuance of this Act, and while other such extraordinary acts in the country have been reviewed and modified, this has continued to be in force. We have seen many calls for repeal of the AFSPA in Northeast India and Jammu and Kashmir in the recent past, and several committees submitting reports, without any repeal or amendment in sight yet.

To ensure peace and stability in Northeast India, there is a need for much more than a security mindset or the going through the motions of electoral democracy. The Indian Constitution is a living document and must be used more creatively to deal with specific problems of Northeast India, making democracy meaningful.

If the central government can demonstrate negative chutzpah to continue special laws such as AFSPA to combat insurgency in Northeast India for over 55 long years now, it could just as well demonstrate positive chutzpah to create alternative, inclusive democratic institutions with adequate powers that gives initiative to communities to address problems that have remained unresolved.

Mirza Zulfiqur Rahman is a PhD Candidate at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.

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

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Friday 21 November 2014

The Morung Express

Sect leader Rampal charged with murder

CHaNdIgarH, November 20 (IaNS): Controversial sect leader Rampal finally appeared before the law Thursday and was promptly sent to jail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Haryana Police have slapped two cases of murder on Rampal and his aides for the six deaths caused in the standoff and clashes with security forces this week.

Refusing to listen to Rampal’s plea that he could not appear earlier as he was “kept in captivity” by his followers at his ashram, the high court directed that he be kept in police custody till Nov 28, when the contempt hearing will be held.

A division bench of Justice M. Jeyapaul and Justice Darshan Singh directed the Haryana director general of police (DGP) to file a comprehensive affidavit on the operation conducted to arrest Rampal.

The court also sought a report on the nature of resistance offered by Rampal’s followers, casualties and injuries, and recovery of arms from his ashram, amicus curie Anupam Gupta told the media. The court directed police to provide details of the expenses incurred on arresting Rampal. The court also directed the Haryana chief secretary to give a report on the properties owned by Rampal in the state.

After a stand-off with his followers for nearly 10 days, the self-styled godman was finally arrested Wednesday night from his

Rampal lives in 12-Acre Ashram, owns BMWs, Mercs HISar, November 20 (ageNCIeS): In 2000, Rampal Dass, a junior engineer in the Haryana irrigation department was sacked. He now heads a dera or cult worth Rs. 100 crores and goes by the name of Sarguru Rampal Ji Maharaj.

The 63-year-old owns a fleet of luxury cars, including BMWs and Mercedes and lives in an ashram in Barwala, Haryana, spread over a sprawling 12 acres. Charged with sedition or waging war against the nation, the controversial guru was finally arrested by the police on Wednesday night. He will be produced in court today.

Five women and a baby have died at the ashram, where his followers, who call themselves ‘Baba’s

Controversial religious leader Sant Rampal stands by the door of a police van as he is brought to a court, surrounded by police personnel in Chandigarh on Thursday, November 20. Indian police arrested the 63-year-old self-styled Hindu guru at his sprawling ashram in the northern part of the country, ending a days-long standoff in which six people died and hundreds were injured. He is wanted for questioning in a 2006 murder case, but has repeatedly ignored orders to appear in court. (AP Photo)

Satlok Ashram near Barwala town in Haryana, about 210 km from Chandigarh.

He was brought to Panchkula under heavy police protection.

Rampal was presented before the high court in connection with a contempt of court case. Earlier, the high court cancelled his bail in a 2006 murder case.

Six people - five women and an infant - died during the stand-off and clashes while nearly 300 people were injured.

Rampal’s counsel, in a statement submitted to the court, claimed Rampal was “held in captivity” by his followers and could not appear before the court earlier due to this. DGP S.N. Vashisht said Rampal was sent to Hisar under police security to face fresh cases of murder, sedition,

Commandos’, clashed with the police on Tuesday, using acid, bombs and guns to prevent his arrest ordered by a High Court.

The police said earlier on Wednesday that they were not able to storm the ashram as Rampal has been using women and children as shields.The ashram’s walls are over 30 feet high and two feet wide.

Inside, it is said to have air-conditioned rooms for important followers of Rampal and even lecture halls equipped with LED screens for the self-styled Godman, who has a Facebook page and a YouTube channel where recordings of his sermons can be viewed.

The Facebook page has recorded over 2,000 new likes in the last

attempt to murder, rioting, illegal detention and charges under the Arms Act registered against him.

Baljit, the second-incommand to Rampal in the ashram, also has been arrested, he said. His daughter Babita was also arrested and police seized one laptop, 17 mobile phones and three diaries from her.

The seized items will be scanned, the DGP said.

After cancellation of his bail, Rampal was taken from the Sector 6 General Hospital, where he was admitted earlier Thursday, to the Sector 5 police station in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, and put behind bars. Rampal claimed he was innocent.

“I am innocent. All the charges against me are baseless. I don’t want to say anything. The deaths

one day. Rampal is said to have over 25 lakh followers in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.

He has been to jail on the charge of murder and had been on bail.

When his original ashram in Rohtak, also in Haryana, was attached, he relocated his headquarters to Barwala. Another ashram is under construction in Barwala not far away. He is said to own property in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and also in Delhi.

Born in a family of farmers in Haryana’s Sonepat, not far from Delhi, Rampal Dass got a diploma in engineering and was a junior engineer till the age of 48, when he was removed for “carelessness”.In the last four years, he has skipped court 43 times.

were unfortunate. I am not responsible for these,” he told journalists. Disappointment writ large on his face, Rampal stood in the lock-up holding the iron bars, occasionally looking down.

Haryana’s Advocate General B.R. Mahajan sought permission to advance Rampal’s hearing in the contempt case. The court had issued fresh non-bailable warrants against Rampal Nov 17 and directed that he be presented by Friday. Rampal was seen walking out of the ambulance at the Panchkula hospital.

“We have examined him and his condition, including his blood pressure, is stable,” B.K. Bansal, a doctor at the Panchkula hospital, told the media.

Security forces Thurs-

day evening launched a search operation inside the 12-acre ashram to recover weapons used by his supporters while resisting police action.

Hundreds of followers could be seen inside the huge Satsang hall. Many said they had complete faith in Rampal and that he will return soon. Others said they were forced to stay inside for the last 10-15 days. “Many followers have been coming out since last night (Wednesday) ever since Rampal was arrested. Nearly 15,000 followers, many of whom were forced to stay inside by Rampal’s aides, had left yesterday (Wednesday) and were taken to the railway station and bus stand,” a police officer told IANS near the ashram.

2G scam: SC removes CBI chief from case Modi among contenders NeW delHI, November 20 (ageNCIeS): In an unprecedented order, the Supreme Court on Thursday told CBI chief Ranjit Sinha not to interfere in the 2G spectrum case trial proceedings and asked him to recuse himself from the case. The court said three seniormost officials from the investigating agency will take over the probe.

The court also noted that the information submitted by the applicant against Sinha seems credible. “Prima facie it appears that there is credibility in the allegations levelled against Sinha,” the Court said.

The Court refused to pass elaborate order with reasons saying it will tarnish the reputation of CBI. The apex court allowed lawyer Prashant Bhushan

not to name the whistle-blower in the case. SC also exonerated DIG Santosh Rastogi from allegation of leaking sensitive information.

Earlier, special prosecutor Anand Grover alleged that CBI chief Ranjit Sinha attempted to scuttle investigation in one of the 2G cases by filing a separate affidavit which would have closed the case against one of the accused.

Sinha’s lawyer Vikas Singh, however, countered that no decision was taken by the CBI director and the action was based on file notings of junior officers which said “evidence is weak”. Singh argued that the Attorney general was consulted to examine the evidence. Finally, a chargesheet was filed after getting the advocate general and solicitor general’s opinion.

US has 450,000 illegal immigrants from India

WaSHINgtoN, November 20 (IaNS): As President Barack Obama mulls executive action to give relief from deportation to some of the 11.2 million illegal immigrants in the US, a new report said about 450,000 of them are from India.

In fact, India is the fourth top source country of unauthorised immigrants after top-ranked Mexico, according to the report based on the 2012 census, released Tuesday by the Pew Research Centre, a Washington think tank.

Ranking second, with considerably fewer unauthorised immigrants than Mexico, is El Salvador (675,000 in 2012).

It is followed by Guatemala (525,000), India (450,000), Honduras (350,000), China (300,000) and the Philippines (200,000).

Republican leaders, who will control both houses of Congress next year as a result of the November elections, have

warned Obama that any executive action would torpedo the chances for a bipartisan immigration reform bill.

Among the groups widely thought to be under consideration for relief from deportation are long-time US residents with US-born children, the report noted.

Mexicans are the largest national origin group in 36 of America’s 50 states. Mexicans are not the largest group in three New England states, the area around the nation’s capital as well as Alaska, Hawaii and Louisiana. India is the largest birth country of unauthorised immigrants in New Hampshire, the report said.

New Jersey had the biggest gain in between 2009 and 2012, jumping 75,000 to 525,000 as many immigrants from India and Ecuador crossed illegally into the state.

It was followed by Florida,

increasing 50,000 to 925,000.

Pennsylvania was third, rising 30,000 to 170,000. It saw increases from several regions including Honduras, India and the Dominican Republic.

The number of unauthorised immigrants in the US has remained unchanged around 11.2 million since 2009 after decades of rapid growth, the report noted.

But there have been shifts in the states where unauthorised immigrants live and the countries where they were born.

Unauthorised immigrants currently make up 3.5 percent of the nation’s population of 316 million, the report said. Preliminary estimates show the unauthorised population was 11.3 million in 2013.

The number of unauthorised immigrants peaked in 2007 at 12.2 million, when this group was four percent of the US population.

for Time’s Person of the Year

NeW york, November 20 (IaNS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in the list of 50 contenders for Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Time’s Person of the Year will be announced Dec 10.

Modi, “once a controversial regional leader”, became India’s prime minister after leading his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a “landslide electoral victory on a platform of economic development”,said the magazine.

Time has asked its readers to vote for the individual who they think should get the title of Person of the Year and the winner of the readers’ choice poll will be announced next month.

Voting closes at 11:59 p.m. Dec 6, and the winner of the readers poll will be announced on Dec 8. Time’s Person of the Year will be announced Dec. 10, the magazine said. As of now, Modi ranks second in the list of readers choice while Russian President Vladimir Putin tops the list.

Indian activists shout slogans against the Chhattisgarh government outside Chhattisgarh house, in New Delhi on Thursday, November 20. Dozens of women who underwent surgeries in the Chhattisgarh government-run sterilization campaign last week became ill, and more than a dozen died. Banner in Hindi reads Stop violence against women and How is this family planning where it takes women lives. (AP Photo)

Spotlight on Modi’s sanitation campaign at UN

UNIted N at I o N S, November 20 (IaNS): Wednesday could well have been called “Swachh Vishwa Abhiyan Din.” It was observed at the UN and around the world as World Toilet Day, an observance to further sanitation where leaders spoke of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan - Clean India Mission - campaign to provide toilets for all.

“Modi is really aiming to give a high priority to that issue” of sanitation, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said at an event marking the day here. “That could be a type of concrete (way to) im-

prove the life” of the people.

Calling Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Clean India Mission “a new mass movement on sanitation,” India’s Ambassador Asoke Kumar Mukerji described its scope and said it “envisages provision of toilets in every school in India within one year and focused effort for ending the practice of open defecation.”

The theme of this year’s World Toilet Day is “Open Defecation and the Challenges for Women and Girls,” drawing attention to the special problems they face. Singapore’s Ambassador Karen Tan, the prime mover behind initiative, said

the lack of toilets which forces women to go outdoors negatively impacts gender equality.

Women and girls are vulnerable to sexual violence when they have to defecate outside and girls’ education is disrupted when schools lack toilets for them, she said.

Speaking about Modi’s sanitation initiatives Tan, who was formerly Singapore’s High Commissioner in India, told IANS, “I am very supportive and very glad he has taken this on board.”

Eliason said more than 2.5 billion people around the world have no access to proper sanitation and this takes a huge toll on life, health and the econ-

omy. “Ending open defecation, would lead to a 36 per cent reduction in deaths due to diarrhea for children under five.” he said. “Poor sanitation costs some countries as much as 7% of their GDP.” Investing in toilets and sanitation contribute significantly to economies of nations because every $1 devoted to sanitation brings a $5.50 return by keeping people healthy and productive, he said.

According to a UN report released Wednesday, of the 1 billion people who resort to open defecation, 507 million live in India and comprise 47% of the population.

From Bhutan to Brazil, they come to learn English in India Hyderabad, November 20 (IaNS): From Indian bureaucrats to executives from as many as 87 countries around the world, when it comes to gaining proficiency in English, it is not England they go to but India.

Indian defence personnel to Indian Foreign Service (IFS) probationers, corporate executives and government officials from non-English speaking countries, they all look to English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) to learn or hone their language skills. The unique university caters to ministers, bureaucrats, doctors, engineers and others from different parts of the world not just graduate and post-graduate courses in English but also 11 foreign languages.

“Every year about 400 executives from the countries right

from Bhutan to Brazil come here for English proficiency under ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation) programme,” EFLU Vice-Chancellor Sunaina Singh told IANS in an interview.

“These are extension services apart from regular courses.

We are completely nationalistic in our approach. As Indian experts on English, we train foreign citizens who come to us.

They don’t just learn English but also learn culture and go back as ambassadors of India,” she said.

Under a new initiative, EFLU through the Ministry of External Affairs established Centres for English Language Training (CELTs) in Sri Lanka and ASEAN countries like Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.

“We are going to set up soon

more such centres in five African countries - Sudan, Djibouti, Central Asian Republic, Togo and Mauritania,” she told IANS. The university engaged in research, training and teaching English language, foreign languages and their literatures, linguistics, interdisciplinary and cultural studies is uniquely placed at national and international levels.

Only one of its kind in South Asia, it has its main campus here while two campuses are located at Lucknow and Shillong. Students from neighbouring countries come here through the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

EFLU offers a range of short-term, self-financed and need-based vocational courses in addition to MA, Ph.D. programmes for on-campus stu-

dents and also diploma and distance courses. The university today teaches about 11 foreign languages - German, French, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. It plans to add the Norwegian language.

Its foreign languages courses, both regular and diploma or certificate courses, are in great demand from engineers, executives and others seeking proficiency in these languages.

EFLU is the only university after Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) to teach maximum number of foreign languages.

The specialised university has an inter-disciplinary school, which teaches philosophy and culture and has a Hindi department and also Sanskrit.

“We do slightly other things than just teaching language. We

do languages and we do their cultures because languages are born out of cultures,” said the VC, who earlier headed the department of English at Osmania University.

Under EFLU’s cafeteria model, students enrolling for MA programmes in English can pick and choose the courses they want.

A brainchild of India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, it was born in 1958 as Central Institute of English (CIE) to train Indians in teaching of English. It became Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages (CIEFL) in 1972 when foreign languages were added.

Growing beyond just a training institute, CIEFL in 2000 began to offer M.A. programmes in English literature,

English language teaching, cultural studies, linguistics and phonetics, and media and communication.

“We are a young university with rich history. We became a deemed university in 1973 and we became a central university in 2007. Our graph has been going up all the time,” said Sunaina, who completed twoand-a-half years as the vicechancellor.

She believes EFLU has a bright future as the importance of humanities has multiplied over a period of time. “It is more relevant today, and tomorrow it is going to be further more relevant because languages and humanities are foundations of any knowledge period,” said Sunaina, a PhD in comparative literature.

EFLU has linkages with 22

universities, most of them European and some American.

They have student and faculty exchange programmes. “We are trying to do some joint courses and joint research programmes and work on new areas.”

The university today has 2,500 on-campus students while there are 1,500 more under distance and other programmes. As the number of students increased by four times after EFLU became a central university, the biggest challenge faced by the VC is to augment the infrastructure.

Taking over the reins when the university was beset with problems like corruption, politics and caste factor, she claims to have turned around the institution by enforcing discipline and ensuring accountability and transparency.

InternatIonal

the Morung express

Friday 21 November 2014

Dimapur

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Ebola transmission ‘intense’ in Sierra Leone

FREETOWN, NOvEmbER 20 (AP): The spread of Ebola remains “intense” in most of Sierra Leone even as things have improved somewhat in the two other countries hardest hit, the World Health Organization says.

Some 168 new confirmed cases emerged in a single week in Sierra Leone’s capital of Freetown recently, according to a WHO report.

“The numbers are still rising and the transmission is persistent and widespread,” said Amadu Kamara, the U.N.’s Ebola crisis manager in Sierra Leone.

“Rapid and coordinated response are needed to overcome the spread of the Ebola disease.”

The WHO report released late Wednesday indicated that Sierra Leone had the lowest percentage of Ebola patients who had been isolated — only 13 percent. By comparison, that figure was 72 percent in Guinea.

The disease is spread through direct physical contact with the bodily fluids of sick people and bodies, making it crucial that those who are contagious are placed into isolation. Health officials are aiming to isolate at least 70 percent of the sick, a target Kamara acknowledged was still far out of reach. “Progress is slow and we are falling short, and we need to accelerate our efforts,” he said.

WHO has said that at least 1,250 people, including seven of the country’s doctors, have died in Sierra Leone since the outbreak there began earlier this year. Ebola is blamed for more than 5,400 deaths in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.

By comparison, the report said cases appear “to have stabilized” over the last four weeks in Liberia. Still, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf warned people to keep up their vigilance even though she said the country now has “the upper hand.”

“Our government remains concerned that progress in this battle will lead to complacency on the part of the international community,” she said Wednesday. “It must be remembered that although in Monrovia we are witnessing improvements, we continue to see Ebola hotspots throughout rural Liberia. We must, therefore, remain steadfast in our commitment to fight this disease until the very last case.”

WHO promises transparency

ROmE, NOvEmbER 20 (AP): The head of the World Health Organization refused to respond to criticism about the U.N. agency’s performance in containing the Ebola outbreak, saying the focus now should be on helping countries contain it.

Dr. Margaret Chan said the agency would review how the whole world — and the WHO in particular — managed the outbreak “and there will be time for sharing information in a transparent and accountable manner.” “But at this point in time, it is important for us to focus our entire energy and attention to help countries who are being affected to get the job done,” she said.

Chan was asked on the sidelines of a U.N. nutrition conference about an internal WHO memo obtained by The Associated Press last month that found that the agency botched attempts to stop the spiraling outbreak because of incompetent staff, bureaucracy and lack of reliable information. The head of the WHO regional office for Africa is being replaced.

During her speech to the U.N. conference, Chan said medical epidemics like Ebola can have wide reverberations around the globe, including on nutrition. She criticized bans on bush meat that were imposed in some parts of Africa in a bid to contain the outbreak, after studies linked wild animals to the start of Ebola. She noted that bush meat is a principal source of food and income for people in the region. “You cannot solve the problem of hunger with a ban,” Chan said. “If banned from hunting, selling and consuming this food, they starve.”

In this photo taken Wednesday, November 19, a woman runs through a village near Faranah, in Guinea. A coalition of companies and aid groups announced plans Tuesday to test experimental drugs and collect blood plasma from Ebola survivors to treat new victims of the disease in West Africa. (AP Photo)

Study will test survivors’ blood Marilynn Marchione

A

AP Chief Medical Writer

coalition of companies and aid groups announced plans to test experimental drugs and collect blood plasma from Ebola survivors to treat new victims of the disease in West Africa.

Plasma from survivors contains antibodies, substances the immune system makes to fight the virus. Several Ebola patients have received survivor plasma and recovered, but doctors say there is no way to know whether it really helps without a study like the one they are about to start within a month.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is giving $5.7 million to scale up production of the treatments for the project in Guinea and other Ebola-affected countries in Africa. More than a dozen companies, universities and others are contributing sup-

plies, staff and cash, and are working with the countries and the World Health Organization on specific procedures and locations.

Besides helping Ebola patients now, plasma “could be a tool for a future epidemic as well” from different viruses, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You might not have drugs and vaccines for some new thing” and it would be good to have capabilities in place to collect and give plasma to fill the gap until those other tools can be developed, he said.

There are no drugs or vaccines approved now for Ebola, which has killed more than 5,000 people this year in West Africa, most of them in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Doctors Without Borders last week also said it would host studies of experimental treatments and plasma at three of its West Africa treatment centers.

The drugs to be tested by both

groups include brincidofovir, an antiviral medicine that has been tried in a few Ebola cases so far. Its maker, North Carolina-based Chimerix Inc., developed it to treat other types of viruses and lab tests suggest it might help fight Ebola. “We said to them, ‘well, if money was no constraint, how much could you make?’ and they gave us a number,” Gates said. “So we said, ‘OK, we’ll take the risk that maybe nobody will ever buy this from you. So we’ll help you scale up the manufacturing.’”

Making plasma available is a complex task. Plasma is the clear part of blood, and the part that contains antibodies. In Africa, donors’ blood will be filtered through a machine to remove small amounts of plasma and return the rest of the blood to the donor — a process that allows someone to donate as often as every two weeks.

One of the first patients success-

fully treated for Ebola in the U.S. — aid worker Dr. Kent Brantly — received plasma from a 14-year-old boy he treated in Africa, where he was infected. Brantly has donated plasma several times to Ebola patients in the U.S. A plasma recipient must have a compatible blood type with the donor. Survivors who give plasma also must be tested to make sure they are cured of Ebola and don’t have other diseases such as hepatitis, syphilis or HIV. The Africa study will take an added step — use of an experimental system by Cerus Corp. for inactivating viruses in blood.

Dr. Ada Igonoh, a doctor in Nigeria who got Ebola from a patient and recovered, expects to donate plasma and recruit others for the study. “Survivors will be willing if they understand the goal,” she said.

She and Brantly met with Gates to discuss the project earlier this

month at an American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene conference in New Orleans.

Dr. Luciana Borio, who is leading the Food and Drug Administration’s Ebola response, spoke at the conference about plasma. Even though it seemed to help in some cases, “The bottom line is that we don’t really know if it helps and to what degree it might help,” she said.

“We would love to not be in the same situation in the future,” and a study is the only way to know for sure, she said. Clinical Research Management Inc., a Northeast Ohio company that contracts with sponsors to run clinical trials, will lead the plasma study in Africa. Plasma will be collected through three bloodmobiles donated by another Microsoft co-founder, Paul G. Allen, and the Greenbaum Foundation. The bloodmobiles have been flown to Africa.

7 killed in knife attack Kachin rebels say 23 cadets Innovate to address at China military clinic killed by Myanmar army shell children’s problems: UNICEF

bEIJING, NOvEmbER 20 (AP): Six nurses and a janitor were killed Thursday in a knife attack blamed on another employee at a military hospital and resort in a northeastern coastal town favored by the country’s Communist Party elite, police said.

A 27-year-old employee was detained following the early morning attack at Beidaihe Sanatorium in the seaside town of Beidaihe, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of Beijing, police said. A preliminary investigation showed no conflict between the employee and colleagues, and the suspect told investigators he had a history of mental problems, police said in a statement.

The attacks took place in the dormitory for female staff at the facility, a hospital and resort for retired military officials. One person also was injured, police said.

The location of the attack was likely to draw particular scrutiny from the Chinese public because Beidaihe is home to numerous guesthouses used by China’s leaders during the summer to vacation and hold informal meetings on government work.

Terrorism can hamper fertility LONdON, NOvEmbER 20 (IANs): A significant study has revealed that on average, terrorism decreases fertility - reducing both the expected number of children a woman has over her lifetime and the number of live births occurring during each year.

“Besides illuminating another far-reaching effect of terrorism, the relationship between terrorism and fertility will be critical to understand when policymakers attempt to deal with other demographic transitions and security concerns,” said Claude Berrebi from Hebrew University, Jerusalem.

For the study, the researchers used a panel data set composed of data on terrorist attacks from 1970-2007 as well as a variety of demographic controls, to implement a robust panel analysis and measure the effects of terrorism on fertility as expressed by Total Fertility Rates (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR).

The data consisted of 170 countries and 5,842 individual country-year observations and after filtering, the set of individual incidents studied was approximately 66,000.

After rigorous analysis, it was found that terrorism is likely to act on fertility through job uncertainty, psychological stress, wealth uncertainty and poor health.

“This can cause significant short-term declines in fertility by affecting related factors such as age at first birth, age at marriage, frequency of sexual intercourse and labour migration,” said Jordan Ostwald of the US Air Force.

Measured by both the number of incidents and the number of deaths, terrorism was shown to exert a statistically significant, negative effect on fertility rates for both TFR and CBR. “Rather than demographic change being the root cause of terrorism, using sophisticated empirical analysis, we were able to identify causal effects of terrorism on larger-scale demographic transitions. Our findings explain some of the disparities between previous theories and results and put to rest some notions suggesting reverse directionality.”

The study appeared in the journal Oxford Economic Papers.

YANGON, NOvEmbER 20 (REuTERs): A Myanmar army shell killed 23 cadets of an ethnic insurgent group in the deadliest attack since a ceasefire agreement broke down in 2011, the group’s deputy commander said on Thursday.

The shell hit a cadet training centre on the outskirts of Laisa, the Kachin Independence Army capital on the border with China in Kachin state, on Wednesday, said General Gun Maw, the KIA’s second-in-command.

He said the attack brought the number of KIA soldiers killed since 2011 to more than 300 and that 15 cadets were wounded in the blast, one of several attacks in KIA-controlled areas throughout the day.

Myanmar’s military has no spokesperson and government spokesman Ye Htut did not respond to requests for comment.

A senior military official told Reuters the attack came after sev-

eral days of mounting tension between the military and the KIA, which he said had shelled government soldiers building a road near Laisa. “Two of the wounded soldiers are still in critical condition,” he said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a medical evacuation team station in Laisa, but said the KIA evacuated the wounded to the town hospital on its own. “As far as we are aware, there were no civilian casualties,” said Michael O’Brien, an ICRC spokesman in Myanmar. The attack comes as representative from various ethnic armed groups prepare to meet military officials for the next round of negotiations on a nationwide ceasefire, which the government has said it wants before next year’s election.

The latest round of peace talks between guerrilla groups

and the semi-civilian government that took over in 2011 after nearly 50 years of military rule ended on Sept. 27 without agreement. Most of the rebel groups have been battling for greater autonomy under a federal system but the military has long stressed the need for strong, centralised government, as set down in a 2008 militarydrafted constitution.

Gun Maw said Wednesday’s attacks were intended to pressure the KIA to sign an agreement with terms favourable to the military and to delay the elections. He said there were indications that the military was preparing for a wider offensive by moving troops and heavy weapons into northern Shan state, near KIA-controlled territory. The KIA took up arms in 1961 and is the second largest among the approximately 20 ethnic armed groups in Myanmar.

uNITEd NATIONs, NOvEmbER 20 (IANs): The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Thursday called for addressing the most pressing problems facing children and driving innovations for the most disadvantaged ones.

Marking 25 years of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UNICEF released a report on the State of the World’s Children, calling on governments, development professionals, businesses, activists and communities to work together on this matter of innovation, Xinhua reported.

Noting that innovations are already happening at local level to help children gain access to services and opportunities, the report, titled Re-imagine the Future: Innovation for Every Child, said that such innovations should be brought to benefit more people.

To maximise the benefits for the most disadvantaged children, the innovative solutions should involve participation of disadvantaged and vulnerable people, based on a better understanding of their realities and

needs, said the report. UN statistics illustrate the existence of inequity - 79% of the richest children under age 5 have their births registered but only 51% of the poorest have an official identity.

Compared to 20% of the world’s richest children, 20% of the poorest ones are twice likely to be stunted by poor nutrition and to die under age 5. “Inequity is as old as humanity, but so is innovation -- and it has always driven humanity’s progress,” said UNICEF executive director Anthony Lake.

The report illustrated several innovative cases to demonstrate the importance to listen to children. Viraj Puri, a 14-yr-old boy, created Bullyvention, a way to leverage the power of people and technology to track and advocate against cyber-bullying based on algorithms that analyse social media messages.

“Children and young people are natural innovators. They are also acutely aware and deeply concerned about the challenges facing their communities,” said the report.

Colombia rebels to free general, opens door to resume peace talks

This Aug. 15, 2014 photo released by Colombia’s Army press office shows Colombian Army Gen. Ruben Dario Alzate in Colombia. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos suspended peace talks with the South American nation’s largest rebel group after Alzate was taken captive on Sunday, November 16. The U.S.-education soldier and two others were intercepted while traveling by motor boat along a remote river in western Colombia. (AP File Photo)

HAvANA/bOGOTA, NOvEmbER 20 (REuTERs): Colombian Marxist rebels agreed to release an army general captured by their comrades over the weekend, a move that may lead to a resumption of peace talks and diffuse a crisis that threatened to extend five decades of war.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) promised to free General Ruben Dario Alzate and four others captured in the past two weeks “as soon as possible” after reaching agreement on liberation terms with the government and guarantor nations Cuba and Norway.

President Juan Manuel Santos’s office responded immediately to the announcement, pledging to resume talks as soon as the hostages are free.

Alzate and two others were seized on Sunday by a FARC patrol as they left a boat in the poor and crime-ridden coastal region of Choco, prompting Santos to halt talks and throwing into doubt the two-year peace process under way in Cuba.

Just days earlier, the rebels had kidnapped two soldiers in eastern Arauca department. “The government will give its total collaboration to guarantee the safe return of these people to their homes, which we hope will be in the shortest time possible,” Santos’s office said in a brief statement. “Once they are all free, the government’s delegation will return to Havana.”

The FARC’s decision to release

the captives may counter critics of the peace process who say the rebels are not serious about ending Latin America’s longest-running war, which has killed more than 200,000 people since it began in 1964. The suspension of talks is the most serious setback to peace efforts after months of complicated discussions resulted in partial accords on three out of five agenda items.

The most recent peace process with the FARC collapsed in 2002 after the group used the breathing room of a demilitarized zone to build its fighting force, intensify its cocaine trafficking, and take hostages. The final straw came when the FARC boarded a commercial plane and seized a senator, who was held captive for six years.

Harshly Condemned Santos has staked his presidency on bringing peace to Colombia, winning re-election this year against a right-wing opponent who threatened to ditch the talks and finish the FARC on the battlefield.

Even while security has improved massively over the last decade or so, peace talks have been taking place amid continued conflict. The rebels have renewed their call for a bilateral ceasefire that they say would improve the climate for negotiations. Alzate is the highestranking military hostage ever taken by the FARC. A soldier and a civilian lawyer were captured along with him.

The FARC says it has stopped kid-

napping for ransom but maintains military personnel are fair targets in the absence of a ceasefire. Alzate was considered a prisoner of war. Certain undisclosed conditions must be met before the FARC will free the hostages, representatives from Cuba and Norway said in Havana.

Santos, after harshly condemning the FARC’s move in the last few days, set a more conciliatory tone during a speech in central Tolima on Wednesday, expressing hope that negotiations would resume.

“We need to abandon our weapons, the violence and end this armed conflict,” Santos said in the town of Ataco. “That is why I hope this impasse that has appeared in the Havana negotiations will be resolved soon.”

A massive rescue operation in Choco’s dense jungle terrain had been under way since Sunday, though there were fears a military effort to release Alzate could endanger the hostages. It is unclear whether orders still stand for FARC fighters to kill captives if a rescue is attempted.

The army offered a 100 mn peso reward for information leading to the hostages’ rescue, military sources confirmed to Reuters on Wednesday. The deal was announced in Havana by representatives of the Cuban and Norwegian governments, the guarantors of the peace talks: Rodolfo Benitez of host nation Cuba, and Rita Sandberg of Norway, which is acting as a facilitator.

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Dimapur

SPORTS

Friday 21 November 2014

The Morung Express

Spurs beat LeBron James Messi's father plays down son's 'Barca exit' comments again, down Cavs 92-90

CLeveLaND, November 20 (ap): Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw scored 19 points apiece and the San Antonio Spurs beat Cleveland for the 10th straight time with a 92-90 win over the Cavaliers on Wednesday. Manu Ginobili scored on a layup with 18 seconds left, made a free throw with 9.1 to go and harassed James into a turnover with 1.9 seconds remaining for the defending NBA champions. Anderson Varejao scored 23 points, Kyrie Irving added 20 and James 15 for the Cavs, who fell to 5-5.

In New York, Milwaukee overcame Brooklyn 122-118 in triple overtime in coach Jason Kidd's return to New York. The Bucks overcame Brandon Knight's shocking missed layup at the end of the first overtime to outlast the Nets. Knight made the tying 3-pointer in the second overtime and the clinching free throws with 5.6 seconds to go in the third, allowing the Bucks to escape with a victory. Rookie Jabari Parker scored a season-high 23 points for the Bucks, who won their third straight. Brook Lopez scored a season-best 26 points for the Nets, who have dropped five in a row.

Toronto's DeMar DeRozan scored 21 points and Terrence Ross had 14 of his 16 in the fourth quarter to pace the Eastern Conference-leading Raptors as Toronto topped Memphis 96-92. Marc Gasol had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Zach Randolph added 18 points and 18 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who came in with the NBA's best record at 10-1 but had just 10 active players after two starters and

barCeLoNa, November 20 (reuters): Lionel Messi's father Jorge has sought to play down comments his son made this week which suggested the four-times World Player of the Year could consider leaving Barcelona.

Lionel Messi said in an interview published in Ole newspaper on Tuesday if it was up to him he would stay at the club he joined as a 13-year-old for his entire career. However, he added

that "sometimes not everything happens in the way you would like" and said the situation was "complicated".

"The thought is to stay here (in Barcelona)," Jorge Messi was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia on Wednesday. "But as people read between the lines there is exaggeration," he added.

"It's clear that if tomorrow the club says to you 'we have this offer, we want to

sell you', it would have to be studied. Although right now it is not even on the agenda."

Lionel Messi has not been at his scintillating best over the past 18 months and, along with his father, has also had problems with the Spanish tax authorities.

Now 27, Messi probably has at least five years left at the top of the game and if the right offer was made, likely to be a world record fee in excess of 100 million euros

(125.5 million US dollars), it is not inconceivable Barca could cash in or he could himself decide to leave.

Barca have a new coach this season in former Spain midfielder Luis Enrique, who replaced the discarded Gerardo Martino, now Messi's coach for Argentina. They are second in La Liga, two points behind Real Madrid after 11 matches, and have qualified for the Champions League knockout round.

Indian Super League making a big splash 'Indian football has never been packaged so well before'

Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) loses the ball as he falls while driving to the basket as Los Angeles Lakers' Carlos Boozer (5) and Jordan Hill (27) defend during the fourth quarter of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, November 19 in Houston. (AP Photo)

three role players got ill and had to go to the hospital with dehydration.

In Houston, Los Angeles Lakers topped Houston 98-92 for their second straight win following a 1-9 start. Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and helping Los Angeles take advantage of Dwight Howard's absence to get a win. Los Angeles used a 7-1 run, highlighted

by Bryant's three-point play and capped by four free throws from Wesley Johnson, to take a 94-92 lead with less than a minute left.

In other games, Phoenix's Eric Bledsoe scored 18 points, including the winning basket with 28.7 seconds to play, as the Suns beat the Detroit Pistons 88-86. Brandon Jennings scored 19 points to lead Detroit, losers of three straight and six of seven. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki limped off to the locker room after a fourth-quarter fall, then returned to make a key 3-pointer to lead the Mavericks past the Washington Wizards 105-102.

It was the Mavericks' fifth

straight win.

Minnesota's Kevin Martin shook off an illness to score 37 points as the Timberwolves beat the New York Knicks 115-99. The Wolves were missing Ricky Rubio and Nikola Pekovic with injuries and Thaddeus Young due to the death of his mother. Also, Denver defeated slumping Oklahoma City 107-100, Boston topped winless Philadelphia 101-90, the Los Angeles Clippers beat Orlando 114-90 and Indiana overcame Charlotte 88-86.

NeW DeLhi, November 20 (ap): The spectators are streaming in, the foreign players are sparkling on the pitch and the organizers are striking the right notes.

The Indian Super League seems to have added the zing that football needed in this country of 1.2 billion people, which FIFA chief Sepp Blatter once called "a sleeping giant."

But while the new eight-team league featuring big names like Nicolas Anelka, Alessandro Del Piero, Robert Pires and Luis Garcia has lifted the game to a level not seen here before, some football observers wonder whether it will be enough to help grow the sport in the long run.

The league, which began in October and finishes in December, has big money and sponsors behind it — it was organized by IMG-Reliance in collaboration with Rupert Murdoch's Star India group and the All India Football Federation.

And interest among fans has been high through the first half of the tournament, with attendance averaging 22,639 per match, the highest for a football league in Asia and fifthhighest globally after the Bundesliga, English Premier League, La Liga and Serie A. "Indian football has never been packaged so well before," said Sukhvinder Singh, managing director of the football marketing consultancy Libero Sports. "It's reached even people who do not follow football and some 70 million watched it on the first day. I feel it's already the

second best sports property here after cricket's Indian Premier League."

Part of the reason for its success has been the use of cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as well as a handful of Indian film stars, to market the league across the country. But despite the added glamour, some critics believe Indian football will not benefit greatly if the country's top domestic league, the ILeague, is left to rot.

Brazilian great Zico, who helped lead the transformation of domestic football in Japan, said the existence of two separate leagues could be an impediment to the sport's growth. "In Japan, the difference was that everyone was playing in one league only and not two leagues like in India," said Zico, who is coaching the Goa club in the ISL. "Here, some of the very good players are not playing in ISL." Top football officials such as FIFA Secretary Jerome Valcke and AIFF President Praful Patel insist the ILeague remains India's only league and the ISL is merely a tournament.

Narinder K. Bhatiafears, vice president of the Delhi Soccer Association, however, fears that a clash of systems could negatively impact the game in the long run. "State associations are being sidelined. I fear the football culture will suffer rather than improve as even the present feeder system will collapse," he said.

"On the one hand, people are getting to watch the likes of players like Messi on television, and on the other these

semi-retired players. Do you think people will become fans of these players? They'll forget our own players and past stars."

Singh, too, is in favor of having just one league in the country. "We have resourceful companies backing teams in either league and I would love to see them combined and play a six-toeight month league," he said. "I would ideally like a situation where everyone is working toward improving the grassroots and instilling club culture."

Indian football journalist and author Mohammad Aminul Islam also doubts the new league will successfully raise the standard of football in India because it's dominated by foreign stars and in his opinion, the quality of the matches has so far been mediocre.

Brazilian midfielder Elano Blumer is the leading scorer so far with eight goals, while players like Anelka and Del Piero continually dribble past Indian players with ease, despite being past their prime. "The ISL should have only one or two active marquee players in each team instead of several over-the-hill stars," Islam said.

"The ISL should've encouraged locals more than foreigners."

As for the fans, many are happy to shell out 200 rupees (about $3) for the spectacle, even if the level of play isn't so great. "We're not really backing teams," said student Aryan Singh after watching a game in New Delhi.

"It's only a matter of getting a feel of watching a football match live rather than cricket."

LOCAL NEWS...

Demonstration on field pea conducted Health prog at Govt Middle School L Khel

Dimapur, November 20 (mexN): Demonstration on “Package of practices & Demonstration on Field Pea” under NFSM pulses during Rabi 2014-15 was organised by the Department of Agriculture, on November 19 at Burma Camp, Dimapur.

Toivi Swu, A.O-II spoke extensively on “Package of practices & Demonstration on Field Pea”. The resource person stressed on the importance and different uses of field pea. He later demonstrated and gave a brief explanation on proper selection of improved varieties, field preparation, time- Participants and resource person during the demonstration on field pea under NFSM during ly sowing and irrigation, Rabi 2014-15 at Burma Camp.

Elite Badminton Club meeting

Dimapur, November 20 (mexN): The Elite Badminton Club has convened general body meeting on November 23 at 3:00 p.m. at the residence of Dibashis, Khermahal Dimapur. All the members are requested to attend the meeting.

pest and management etc.

He also advised them to follow the recommended practices involved in the cultivation for better seeds and higher yield and appraised the farmers to be sincere in their activities for higher income generation.

Earlier the programme was chaired by Akokla Longchar, AFA, Dimapur followed by a key note address delivered by S.K.Khemprai, SDAO, Dimapur. The programme concluded successfully with positive feedback by the farmers.

Altogether 40 farmers including Agri Officials participated at the demonstration programme.

kohima, November 20 (mexN): A health programme was organised at Government Middle School L. Khel, Kohima village on November 18 with a perspective of creating awareness among the school students. It was conducted by office of the Chief Medical Officer, Kohima along with District Health Society, Department of Health & Family welfare, NHM, the School Health Team.

A press release informed that TT 10 and TT 16 injections were provided to 80 students. The team, the release said, has been conducting prompt activities in the district since the time of implementation of School Health Programme (SHP). The team has been monitoring and evaluating even the outreached areas, it added.

At schools, the team provide services like health talk on oral hygiene,

personal hygiene, health screening or hand washing demonstration. Services also include immunization on TT 10 injection, TT 16 injection and DPT injection to 5 years–6 years.

The SHP team has already visited various schools, AWCs from November 13 till date, while it is also pondering upon conducting health activities even at the church level targeting the Sunday schools, the release added.

Training on production of winter vegetables

Exchange prog between Kohima and Pune students kohima, November 20 (mexN): An exchange programme between students of Kohima (Nagaland) and Pune (Maharashtra) will be held in December 2014 and January 2015. About 25 students from Kohima, accompanied by few of their teachers will visit Pune from December 13 to 21, while similar number of students and teachers will visit Kohima in the next half of the tour, informed a press release received here.

The participating schools are Little Flower School and G. Rio School from Kohima and Jnana Prabodhini and Aksharnandan schools from Pune.

The aim of the tour, according to the release, is to give an exposure to the students of the diversity of India and to foster an understanding of each other’s traditions and culture. The Student Exchange Programme envisages students staying at each other’s homes to gain firsthand knowledge of local customs, cuisines and other facets of day-to-day life, it said. The students would also participate in wide range of activities including visits to educational and industrial institutions, adventure activities and would interact with important dignitaries from all walks of life. The Exchange Programme will culminate in a grand camp-fire cum cultural programme, it was informed. The Student Exchange Programme was conceptualized by the Inspectorate General Assam Rifles (North), Nagaland in partnership with Aseem Foundation, a Pune based Trust which has been involved in organizing such tours since 2005.

Participants with the resource person at the training on ‘Production of Winter Vegetables’ Sumi Aphunyemi Kiphimi Kuqhakulu (SAKK) officials led by its President Tohovi Swu along with resource person Abokali Jimomi, founder, Organic Nagaland and Y Vikheho Swu, Parheld at Wokha Town. liamentary Secretary, Irrigation and Flood Control and Election at Thuwu-Ni, Pughoboto Dr. Moaakum, Programme Coordina- on November 13 at a seminar organsied by SAKK under the topic, "Sustainable Farming".

Wokha, November 20 (mexN):

Megokhono Meyase, Assistant Chief Technical Officer (Horticulture) of KVK Wokha conducted three training programmes on the topic ‘Production of Winter Vegetables’ at Fishery Training Hall, Wokha Town. Meyase also demonstrated nursery raising, sowing of seeds and spacing maintenance for planting of pea, cabbage and knolkhol to the farmers.

tor (i/c), KVK, Wokha, who was also present during the training, highlighted the activities of KVK and gave an overall view on animal production scenario. Bendangla Imsong, SMS (Plant Breeding) chaired the programme. Altogether, 77 farmers benefited through the training programmes. Seeds were distributed to all the participants.

kohima, November 20 (mexN): Indian Army's Assam Regiment celebrated the tenth reunion from November 12 to 14 at its Regimental Centre at Happy Valley Shillong with much fanfare. From Nagaland, about two hundred ex-servicemen, families and their wards, who had served with the Assam Regiments attended the function, informed a press release from Lt Col E Musavi, PRO (Defence). The release noted that majority of the youth recruited from Nagaland join either the Naga Regiment or the Assam Regiment.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, who was the chief guest, paid rich tributes to the martyrs during the event.

He reminded all present of the valour of

the people of North East and asked them to keep the spirit of sacrifice alive. Eulogising the spirited performance of the Assam Regiment, Sangma complimented the Assam Regiment for its contribution and expressed his confidence in their ability to produce strong and virtuous soldiers. The Assam Regiment was raised at a critical juncture during the World War II to fight the Japanese. The chief minister also honoured several decorated soldiers present during the occasion for their heroic deeds.

Others present at the 'reunion' were Lt General Subrata Saha, the Colonel of Assam Regiment, Major General RN Singh, Lieutenant General SK Pillai and Lieutenant General (Retd) JR Mukherjee.

Nagaland veterans attend Assam Regiment reunion

360 canned beer was detected and seized by Excise personnel manning Chumukedima check gate on November 20 from a taxi bearing registration NL01T7434. The driver Mr. Prakash Chetri of Tin patti Kohima was arrested and charged under NLTP Act. The duty party was headed by Jungti Jamir AIE alongwith Thsathrichum H/C, Kenei, Junshi, Kavito, Athongo, Ranglise, and Amenla all constables.

Entertainment

The Morung Express C M Y K

21 November 2014

Dimapur

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Directing Brad Pitt is 'tricky' Sarina Jain is coming to Dimapur A

excited to meet her and experience this concept! She created Masala Bhangra to honor her father and everything he told her to be proud of. Many media outlets such as the NY Times, The DR. Oz Show, The View, and The Today Show etc have all featured Sarina Jain and we would love for India to support! She is

a dynamic woman and it would be an honor for us to have you interview her!

The organizers have invited all well wishers to the mega event which is being dedicated by Sarina Jain in the fond memory of her father who left for his heavenly abode 20 years back on 20th November at a young age of 47 years.

Telecast of nominations of 6th Music Awards of Nagaland 2014

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ocal cable telecasts of nominations of the 6th Music Awards of Nagaland are as scheduled: City Cable and Global Chapter, Dimapur: Fridays & Saturdays – 5:30 to 6:00 PM Vilo Cable Zunheboto: 5:00 PM onwards Crystal Cable and NM Cable, Kohima: Fridays & Saturdays – 6:00 PM onwards Mokokchung cable: Fridays & Saturdays – 6:00 PM onwards M&M Media, Dimapur, has done the animation, visual effects and editing of the compilation album. This talented team can be reached for any video related work at 9436825236 or through email at menangjamir@gmail.com.

The Native Trax Society informs all concerned that voting cards for the ‘Song of the Year’ award are available at

the following places: Dimapur 1) Pixelcraft Design Studio, Nuton Bosti Jn. 2) Café Destination, Bank Colony, Opp. Post Office 3) Live Sound, Near Christian HS School 4) Gravity, Near City Tower Kohima 1) Opt In, Jasokie Market 2) Dream Cafe, Below War Cemetery Mokokchung Cosmos Entertainment Hall Zunheboto Uniform House, Center Point The songs will also be available shortly on the Music Awards of Nagaland Facebook page and Youtube Channel.

ngelina Jolie discusses her acting career and directing ambitions in an interview in Du Jour magazine.

Angelina Jolie just may be the world's busiest movie star. The Oscar winner who graces the cover of the winter issue of Du Jour magazine along with Jack O'Connell - is currently balancing two movie projects: World War II drama "Unbroken," which stars O'Connell and premieres Christmas Day; and "By the Sea," co-starring her husband Brad Pitt.

Jolie is directing both films, and she's already receiving buzz to win her second Oscar for "Unbroken," but this time for directing. She won an Academy Award for best supporting actress for "Girl Interrupted' in 1999.

In fact, the 39-year-old said she was ready to give

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rocker Adam Levine, who picked up the People Magazine title in 2013.

The 'Thor' star, who is a father of three, joked that he is going to use the

honour to get out of diaper duty for the next couple of weeks. "I think you've bought me a couple of weeks of bragging rights around the house. I can

up acting completely, revealing that going forward, she planned on staying behind the camera. "I've never been comfortable as an actor," she said. "I've never loved being in front of the camera." "I didn't ever think I could direct, but I hope I'm able to have a career at it because I'm much happier," she added.

When asked point-blank if she plans to "give up acting entirely," Jolie responded, "Absolutely." If she really does plan to leave acting behind, fans can still catch her on the big screen in "By the Sea," set in 1970s-era France.

She and Pitt star as an American couple who have a "complicated" marriage.

"Compared to 'Unbroken,' this film is a walk in the park," Jolie said about her latest project, which she and Pitt are filming in Malta. "The tricky thing is directing myself and di-

recting Brad," she added.

"It's hard, dramatic material, and we're balancing."

The two last paired up onscreen in 2005's "Mr. and Mrs. Smith." Jolie said that co-starring with her nowspouse took some adjustments. "It's a heavy film, and it's not easy for us,"

the actress said. "But even as you struggle through it, you're in the trenches together and you don't expect it to be easy. We're challenging each other and that's a really good thing."

The couple tied the knot in an intimate French ceremony in August, with only a

handful of people in attendance, including their six children. When it comes to married life, the movie star said that not much is different for the pair, who have been together for nearly ten years. "I think when it's right, it feels the exact same (as before)," she said.

'Three metal plates and 18 screws'

U2 frontman Bono faces five-hour surgery on facial fractures, broken arm and shattered shoulder from 'high energy' bike accident

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2 were disappointed when they had to cancel this week's residency on NBC's The Tonight Show after Bono's shock cycling incident. But it seems like the frontman will be out of action for a lot longer than first thought as the full extent of his gruesome injuries has been revealed and it features a facial fracture, broken arm and shattered shoulder.

Bono, 54, underwent five hours of reconstructive surgery on Sunday - which included three metal plates and 18 screws needed to re-

Chris Hemsworth named 'Sexiest Man Alive' ollywood hunk Chris Hemsworth has been named the Sexiest Man Alive by a magazine. The 31-year-old Australian actor succeeded

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In the cover story for Du Jour magazine's winter issue, the Oscar winner reveals she's 'never been comfortable as an actor' and that she hopes to trade her acting career for one as a director. She also said that co-starring with Pitt for the first time in close to a decade was 'not easy for us.'

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oined as the “Indian Jane Fonda,” Sarina Jain, the creator of the original Masala Bhangra® DVD series will be doing a Masala Bhangra master class for the people here in Dimapur. Sarina Jain will be in SD Jain Hr Secondary School, Nagaland on Sunday (November 23) at 1:00 pm for the master class.

Sarina Jain is the founder of Masala Bhangra. The Masala Bhangra Workout® is the first and only Indianinspired dance workout program that is an AFAA, ACE and AFLCA approved program. Recognized as a global game changer, she successfully moves, touches and inspires many people around the world with her knowledge and passion for Bhangra and Bollywood. In 2015, she will be celebrating 15 years of the inception of Masala Bhangra® This will also mark the launching of Dance, Yoga and Music classes in SD Jain Hr Sec School from the academic session 2015. She has Dimapur connections as she has her maternal uncle Surendra Jain residing here, belonging to one of the earliest settling family of Dimapur.

Many participants are

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Friday

pair the damage - after he was involved in a 'high energy bicycle accident' in New York City's Central Park.

The singer was rushed to hospital where the worst of his injuries were found to

be a 'facial fracture involving the orbit of his eye' and bone 'tearing through his skin,' it was later disclosed to Rolling Stone.

The list also included a broken finger, multiple fractures to his shoulder blade and six fractures at the elbow on the same side of the body, following several Xrays and CAT scans.

Orthopaedic trauma surgeon Dean Lorich, revealed: 'He was taken emergently to the operating room where the elbow was washed out and debrided. 'A nerve trapped in the break was moved and the bone was repaired with three metal plates and 18 screws.'

A second trip to the emergency room at New York Presbyterian/Weill

Cornell Medical Center the following day saw Bono's little finger be reconstructed by surgeons.

It was initially thought that the Vertigo singer had taken only a minor tumble in a 'cycling spill', whereas doctors are now saying he will need intensive and progressive therapy to make a full recovery.

The avid cyclist is said to have tried to avoid another rider while travelling through the park and subsequently being thrown off his bike to the ground.

The accident came just one day after he recorded the Band Aid 30 single with high profile artists One Direction and Ed Sheeran at London's Notting Hill studios.

U2 was also set to perform

a week-long residency on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon starting on Monday night but have been forced to reschedule.

The injury to the group's frontman was revealed in a note from Bono's bandmates The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr on the group's website that day.

'It looks like we will have to do our Tonight Show residency another time - we're one man down. Bono has injured his arm in a cycling spill in Central Park and requires some surgery to repair it,' the band's message said.

'We're sure he'll make a full recovery soon, so we'll be back! Much thanks to Jimmy Fallon and everyone at the show for their understanding,' it added.

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just say to her (wife Elsa Pataky), 'Now remember, this is what the people think, so I don't need to do the dishes anymore, I don't need to change nappies.

I'm above that. I've made it now'," Hemsworth said.

Hemsworth said that he would rather be home in Australia, where he and Pataky recently bought a home in Byron Bay, than anywhere else in the world.

The couple has three kids daughter India, two, and eight-month-old twin sons, Sasha and Tristan.

Miss Honduras, sister slained in jealous fit

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odies believed to be 19-year-old Maria Jose Alvarado and her 23-year-old sister, Sofia, were discovered buried near the spa where they disappeared a week earlier while celebrating the boyfriend’s birthday.

The dark-haired beauty was to have flown to London Wednesday to compete in the Miss World pageant — the high point of her reign as Miss Honduras. But the beauty queen and her sister were found shot dead on a remote river bank, and police said the sister's boyfriend confessed to killing them in a jealous rage over his girlfriend dancing with another man.

At some point during the night of Nov. 13, a heated argument broke out and Plutarco Ruiz pulled a gun, firing first at his girlfriend and then at Alvarado as she tried to flee, said National Police director, Gen. Ramon Sabillon. Alvarado was hit twice in the back.

Their bodies were discovered early Wednesday after Ruiz led investigators to the remote

gravesite where he and an alleged accomplice buried them in a mountainous area of Santa Barbara, about 240 miles (400 kilometers) west of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa.

Honduras pageant organizer Eduardo Zablah said the country will not compete this year because of the tragic death of Alvarado, who according to her pageant profile played volleyball and soccer and wanted to be a diplomat after graduating university.

The shooting deaths of Alvarado and her sister highlight what experts call an alarming trend of violence against women in Central America, fueled by poverty, domestic violence, street gangs, drug trafficking and a culture of chauvinism.

According to a report by the United Nations, murders of women and girls in Honduras increased by 263 percent between 2005 and 2013. The country has the highest murder rate in the world for a country not at war, with an estimated 90 to 95 killings per 100,000 people.

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Vettel to replace Alonso at Ferrari Governor inaugurates Niathu Sports Festival

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso of Spain, right, smiles to Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany during a news conference at the Yas Marina racetrack in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, November 20. (AP Photo)

abu DHabi, November 20 (reuters): Sebastian Vettel looked forward to following in Michael Schumacher's Formula One footsteps after Ferrari confirmed on Thursday that the four times world champion would replace Fernando Alonso next season on a three-year deal.

The long-awaited news, an open secret since the German announced in October that he was leaving Red Bull, formally ended a five-year love affair with double world champion Alonso that frustrated both sides.

Vettel will partner Finland's 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen, who has a year remaining on his contract. "The next stage of my Formula One career will be spent with Scuderia Ferrari and for me that means the dream of a lifetime has come true," said Vettel. "When I was a kid, Michael Schumacher in the red car was my greatest idol and now it’s an incredible honour to finally get the chance to drive a Ferrari," added the 27-year-old, who took his first Formula One win in a Ferrari-powered

Toro Rosso at Monza in 2008.

"The Scuderia has a great tradition in this sport and I am extremely motivated to help the team get back to the top. I will put my heart and soul into making it happen," said Vettel. Alonso is expected to return to McLaren, the team he spent a torrid season with in 2007 before falling out with current overall head Ron Dennis.

Ferrari announced the news in two separate statements, the first declaring their relationship with Alonso to be over and the second welcoming the sport's youngest multiple champion.

The Spaniard leaves after a partnership that brought him 11 wins and 44 podiums. He came closest to the title in 2010, when he went into the final race as favourite only for a team strategy error to gift the title to Vettel. The German then began a run of four championships in a row. Alonso was runner-up in 2012 and 2013 but Ferrari have not won a race since the Spaniard was triumphant in Barcelona in May last year and are staring at their first season without a victory since 1993.

"Today is not an easy one for me, because even if I always look to the future with great enthusiasm and determination, at the end of this season my journey as a Ferrari driver will come to an end," the 33-year-old Spaniard said.

Injury-plagued ManU face tough trip to Arsenal

LoNDoN, November 20 (reuters): Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will delve into the depths of his squad for the visit to Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday, as an injury crisis engulfs Old Trafford.

So often it has been Arsene Wenger cursing his luck after key players have been crocked ahead of big matches but this time it is United who could be missing up to 12 squad players, including goalkeeper David De Gea, at the Emirates Stadium.

United are exposed

at the back, and with four first-team defenders possibly missing, Dutchman Van Gaal might have to call up teenagers Patrick McNair and Tyler Blackett to keep former team mate Danny Welbeck at bay. England striker Welbeck has been in fine form since his 16 million pounds ($25.06 million) move to Arsenal in September, scoring 10 goals for club and country.

Arsenal suffered two disappointing results before the international break, letting leads slip to draw 3-3 at home to An-

derlecht in the Champions League and going down 2-1 at Swansea City in the league. "We have two games against Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund at home and if we get the crowd with us from the start, and get the results, then it will be a very different story again," Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta said.

Leaders Chelsea host West Bromwich Albion earlier on Saturday looking to extend their four-point lead on second-placed Southampton, who visit Aston Villa on Monday.

Beleaguered Liverpool, in 11th after taking a paltry 14 points from their opening 11 games, visit struggling Crystal Palace on Sunday. Brendan Rodgers' team will have painful memories of relinquishing a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Selhurst Park last season as the title slipped away from them.

That draw proved costly for the evenutual runners-up.

Fifth-placed Swansea City visit stuttering champions Manchester City on Saturday, while fourth-placed West Ham United face a difficult trip to Everton.

Governor P.B. Acharya being presented a memento during the inaugural of the Niathu Sports Festival at Niathu Resort.

Dimapur, November 20 (Dipr): Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya graced the 4th edition of Niathu Sports Festival 2014 on the theme ‘Unity through sports’ as the chief guest at Niathu Resort, Chumukedima, Dimapur on November 20.

Addressing the gathering, the Governor lauded the efforts of the Niathu group for taking up such a sporting event and grooming youngsters for bigger responsibilities and greater participation in the field of sports. Such an effort can also be a step to

foster unity and better understanding amongst the people, he said. Acharya lamented that in spite of the state being very rich in natural resources, the people were poor. Saying that the cream of the youths from the state go outside for employment and take up other professional services, he reasoned that this trend has to be stopped if Nagas want to be at par with other states. He pointed the need to find ways and means to create more avenues for youths to take up in order to achieve this.

Further, as the state

gears up to celebrate Hornbill festival, the Governor made an appeal saying, “Let us be good hosts. As we welcome them, let us show our hospitality to the tourists both from within the country and abroad.”

Parliamentary Secretary for Youth Resources and Sports, Khriehu Liezietsu who was the Guest of Honour urged participants to compete in the true spirit of sportsmanship.

The programme was chaired by Abu Metha, Chairman of the Niathu Sports Festival organizing committee who also de-

livered the closing remark.

The welcome address was delivered by the ChairmanNiathu group, Chabou Rio while Rev. Moa Longchari invoked God’s blessings.

Other highlight of the programme included a special number by the Voices of Hope led by Nise Meruno which enthralled the gathering. Member of Parliament, Neiphiu Rio who is the chief host of the sports festival was also present in the opening ceremony, besides Minister for Industries & Commerce G. Kaito Aye and MLA Dr. Neiphriezo Keditsu.

Bianchi out of artificial coma and taken to France Schumacher 'communicating with wife by blinking'

Jules Bianchi (AP File Photo)

NiCe, November 20 (ap): Formula One driver Jules Bianchi is showing signs of recovery following a life-threatening crash, and is breathing unaided after being taken out of an artificial coma and repatriated from Japan to a French hospital.

Bianchi, who crashed during last month's Japanese Grand Prix, remains in a critical condition with severe head injuries, his parents said in a statement on Wednesday. The 25-yearold Bianchi lost control of his Marussia car and hit a mobile crane that was inside the trackside barriers.

"Following a challenging period of neurological intensive care, we are able to announce that Jules has made an important step," the statement from Philippe and Christine Bianchi said. "Jules is no longer in the artificial coma in which he was placed

shortly after the accident, however he is still unconscious. He is breathing unaided and his vital signs are stable." A three-person team at Nice's neurosurgery service will now take care of him.

"We are thankful that the next phase of Jules' treatment can continue close to home, where he can be surrounded and supported by his wider family and friends," his parents said. "We owe the medical staff (in Japan) an enormous debt of gratitude for everything they have done for Jules, and also for our family, during what is a very difficult time for us."

Bianchi, who was part of Ferrari's young drivers program, had been touted as one of the stars of the future. At the Monaco GP in May, he secured the Marussia team's best ever result with a ninth-place finish.

In rainy, gloomy conditions

GeNeva, November 20 (iaNs): Critically injured Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher is communicating with his wife only by blinking, former racing driver Philippe Streiff has said. "With his wife Corinna, he communicates with his eyes. He's starting to show signs of consciousness," Streiff himself wheelchair-bound after suffering a crash in 1989 in Brazil was quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror Wednesday. "This is of course not the same disease as locked-in syndrome but the result is the same: You cannot move, cannot talk, you cannot do anything, he is enclosed in his body, but communicates by blinking his eyes." The seven-time champion is paralysed and in a wheelchair following his skiing accident that has made him seriously disabled and unable to move or speak. Schumacher, 45, was transferred to Lausanne Hospital, Switzerland, in June and is now being cared for at his home here. in Suzuka on Oct. 5, Bianchi's car slid off the track and ploughed into a crane picking up the Sauber of German driver Adrian Sutil, who had crashed out at the same spot one lap earlier.

Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who survived a life-threatening accident in 2009, called it "the worst

race of my life." A 10-man working group was set up to review the accident and will present its findings on Dec. 3. Following the crash, FIA, the sport's ruling body, announced the composition of a newly established Accident Panel, which will also propose new measures to improve safety at circuits.

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