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www.morungexpress.com
The Morung Express
Dimapur VOL. IX ISSUE 277
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www.morungexpress.com
Wednesday, October 8, 2014 12 pages Rs. 4
Small minds are concerned with the extraordinary, great minds with the ordinary Tensions rise as Indian, Pakistani armies clash
‘I feel in contact with her all the time’
[ PAGE 8]
[ PAGE 11]
Season’s first Amur Falcons are here! [ PAGE 2]
Hong Kong protests thin as two sides agree to talk
Morung Express News Dimapur | October 7
We must rise up and fight for our rights, our land, our people. We must overthrow our corrupt leaders...he he…just kidding!
‘Wildlife preservation needs active and planned management’ Morung Express News
Power shutdown on October 9 in Dimapur
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 7 (MExN): The Power Department has informed that parts of Dimapur will be affected by shut down of power supply on October 9 from 5:00am to 10:00am. A press note from the Executive Engineer, Electrical Division Dimapur informed that this is being necessitated by clearance of trees in the Padhumpukuri area. It informed that the 33KV line to referral station and the 11 KV feeder from Burma Camp will be under shut down during the mentioned time. The areas to be affected are 5th mile area, Sovima, Referral Hospital, Sugar Mill, Rongmai Colony, Agri Expo Colony, 4th Mile area, Lotha Colony, CRPF Camp, Airport, Chekiye, Model Colony, Purana Bazar, Mt View Colony, Jorapukhri, Padhumpukuri, Aoyimti, Eralibill, Hollohon Colony, Walford area and a part of Naharbari.
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Apropos to the photograph that was published alongside the news item ‘Nagaland and the ILP syndrome’ on October 7, 2014; it is hereby clarified that it was not the intent of the photographer and newspaper to suggest or imply that the persons in the photograph are migrants or illegal immigrants. The Morung Express expresses our sincere apology for any hurt it may have caused.
With ISL, cricketers bat for football [ PAGE 12]
Human trafficking ‘Exploitation of Vulnerability’
By Sandemo Ngullie
With the Wildlife Conservation Week being observed throughout Nagaland this week, the need to realize the intrinsic value of wildlife and its link to civilisation and survival is making its way into the consciousness of people. “Wildlife preservation needs active and planned management under which all forms of life can progress side by side with human interest,” said Sentichuba Aier, Director of Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP), Dimapur as the facility celebrated Wildlife Conservation Week on October 7. Aier called for educating people on conservation; correcting flaws in the government’s conservation effort and co operation to help frame policies and strategies that address conservation issues in today’s changing circumstances.” The NZP, Dimapur, despite facing several odds, has continued to survive with the number of visitors also increasing. The resilience of the park and the recent upsurge in people’s willingness to help support it are cause for optimism in conserving the state’s wildlife. Full story on page 5
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–Blaise Pascal
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reflections
Dimapur | October 7
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Vehicles move at a crawling place at Church Road, Dimapur on October 7, Tuesday. The dearth of effective planning and policies has enabled traffic woes to continue affecting commuters and pedestrians. (Morung Photo)
Ralan Area: Patton for lifting of 144 CrPC Morung Express News Ralan | October 7
Nagaland state Home minister, Y Patton, today requested the Wokha district administration to lift prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC imposed in Ralan area along the Assam-Nagaland border. The Home minister said there was no logic in imposing 144 CrPC in Naga-dominated Ralan area falling under the disturbed area belt (DAB) when the neighbouring Golaghat district of Assam had already lifted curfew on their side. Patton also asked the Nagaland state police to initiate steps to remove the CRPF check gate located at Yanpha village, which also falls under DAB. Patton informed that many complaints have been lodged by Naga villagers in the DAB questioning the neutrality of the CRPF manning the area. The Minister further said that Naga villagers have alleged that they were
continually harassed by CRPF personnel manning the Yanpha check gate and thoroughly frisked even if the Naga villagers were carrying only vegetables; whereas, people from the Assam side were never frisked at the gate. The Home minister was speaking at the inauguration programme of the Ralan Police station under DEF Wokha. Patton said the establishment of Ralan Police Station was a long felt need for the people of the area and with a fully functional police station, the police would now be able to discharge their duties more effectively. He said establishment of the police station would go a long way in checking anti-social activities in the “sensitive” area, boost the morale of villagers living in the DAB and also help police to maintain law and order. The Minister appealed to the public to extend their full co-operation to police personnel in order to maintain peace and
tranquility in the area. Officiating DGP Nagaland, Lungriading, informed that the new police station will cover 18 villages and urged the public to extend cooperation to the police personnel for them to discharge their duties satisfactorily. He also assured the public that police reinforcements would be sent to the area in a couple of days. IGP (Range), PF Zeliang; Deputy Commissioner, Wokha; A Robin Lotha and President of Ralan Area Lotha Hoho, Hayithung Kikon also addressed the gathering. Earlier, SP, Wokha; Limasunep Jamir delivered the welcome address and SDPO, Bhandari; Ilam Lungalang proposed the vote of thanks. Additional SP, Wokha, Tokavi Achumi chaired the programme. Later, the Home minister also held a public meeting with the public of Ralan area where the villagers voiced their grievances.
In tackling the issue, Rev. Betthel gave the example of Nordic Law that not only acknowledges that prostitution promotes violence against women by normalizing sexual exploitation, but also penalizes men who buy sex. Sweden, thus, is one of the only countries in the world, she informed, where human trafficking has declined in the past decade. She also spoke of ways to bring victims of such exploitation into the mainstream.
For a place that caters to both the demand and supply of human beings for exploitation, there is little discussion that happens in Nagaland about Human Trafficking. The Miqlat Ministry of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) sought to change that with a two-day seminar (October 7-8) on Human Trafficking at its premises in Purana Bazar, bringing together church workers, NGO activists, Naga- Nagaland The story is not too different land police and individuals to discuss, deliberate and initiate here—‘buying and selling’ of action plans to tackle the same. human beings, in Dimapur for instance, is real with the high demand for child domestic Global Perspective Rev. Dr. Lauran Betthel, a labour in the State. Informing human rights activist, and Di- this and more, K. Ela, Director rector of International Chris- of Prodigals Home, stated that tian Alliance on Prostitution, children from poor families are encapsulated the global per- trapped in cycles of perceived spective on human trafficking debt and exploitation in the in a session that highlighted homes of rich Christian peohow trafficking, and the often ple. She termed this ‘slavery’ resultant sexual exploitation, is and ‘bonded labour’. Forced prostitution is no “exploitation of vulnerability.” The word ‘choice’ does not, and less an occurrence, wherein should not, apply to victims young girls are brought into of the same, who are mostly Nagaland from across the borwomen and children. Rev. Bet- der with promises of lucrative thel has been working with jobs—“Naga people have lots victims of sexual exploitation of money”—or under promises since 1986, which has brought of marriage. Human trafficking takes another form in illegal her to Nagaland often. Though not all poor people adoptions. The demand for huare trafficked, she proposed man beings due to the “lack of the three main vulnerabilities work culture,” according to Ela, is that lead to trafficking are ‘pov- the beginning of human traffickerty +’ (the plus factors being, ing in Nagaland. And then there for instance, drugs, greed, lack is the supply of human beings of education, unemployment, from Nagaland to other States debts, or economic hardship under the guise of glamorous entwined with cultural issues), jobs outside, or parents of poor childhood sexual abuse, and rural families being enticed into ‘grooming, loverboys, pimping’ ‘free education’ where the State (as in Amsterdam, for instance, has failed to provide avenues of where more than 90% women work or education. Why are incidents so unin prostitution were victims of men who had developed a rela- der reported? Society’s level of tionship with them, leading to a tolerance towards victims of cycle of exploitation, violence, trafficking or sexual exploitafear, shame, dependency etc.). tion remains slim, and fear of
stigmatization as well as ostracization remains high, said Ela. Women and children, most often, are pitted against a systems “too against” them and law enforcement is slow, leading to a deficit in justice. Added to this is the Christian burden of ‘forgive and forget’ on the victim who then remains conflicted about justice, further blaming themselves. Also speaking on the local context was Additional SP of Dimapur, Wati Chuchang Jamir, also the nodal officer for the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, Nagaland. While reiterating K. Ela’s points, Jamir stated that the police is making efforts towards building capacity in terms of professionalism and executing legal provisions. The “crisis of under reporting,” he observed, was high with only 14 cases of trafficking reported between 2009 and 2014. The numbers of missing people, on the other hand, in the said period, has increased rapidly. He stressed on the need for a partnership between the police, NGOs and the society in general to tackle human trafficking as well as help in rescue and rehabilitation efforts of victims. Gracy Aye, State Coordinator, State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW), shared her experience working with victims of human trafficking, as well as the modus operandi of “smart traffickers.” She reminded how the trafficking of Eastern Nagas by other Nagas within Nagaland State is no better than how people from outside “fool” Naga women into exploitative work. In a strong message, she stressed on how the society (communities and churches) needs to take a lead in the ‘rehabilitation and repatriation’ of victims of human trafficking—to provide alternative modes of work that ‘mainstream’ victims not further marginalize them.
Cancer grows and Churches ‘not so aware’ of human trafficking spreads at night Morung Express News Dimapur | October 7
LONDON, OCTOBER 7 (IANS): Cancer grows and spreads in the body at night, shows a study, suggesting that it could be more efficient to administer certain anti-cancer drugs at night. A hormone, generally referred to as stress hormone that keeps us alert, also suppresses the spread of cancer receptors, the findings showed. “Cancer treatments are often administered in the daytime, just when the patient’s body is suppressing the spread of the cancer on its own,” said co-researcher Yosef Yarden from Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. “What we propose is not a new treatment, but rather a new treatment schedule for some of the current drugs,” Yarden added. This finding arose out of an investigation into the relationships between different receptors in the cell. The receptors - protein molecules on the cell’s surface or within cells - take in biochemical messages secreted by other cells and pass them on into the cell’s interior. The scientists focused on two particular receptors. The first, the epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, promotes the growth and migration of cells, including cancer cells. The second binds to a steroid hormone called a glucocorticoid (GC). Glucocorticoids play a role in maintaining the body’s energy levels during the day, as well as the metabolic exchange of materials. Cell migration - the activity
promoted by the EGF receptor is much more active during sleep and quiescent during waking hours, the study conducted in mice showed. The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. Eating poultry, fish may lower liver cancer risk Eating lots of white meat such as poultry or fish may reduce the risk of developing liver cancer, says a promising analysis. “The findings indicate that a high level of white meat or fish consumption can reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) significantly, while intake of red meat, processed meat or total meat is not associated with HCC risk,” researchers explained. Nutritionally, fish and white meat are a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and have less cholesterol and saturated fat compared with red meat. The incidence of HCC remains on an increasing trend worldwide in past decades which has been supposed to be partially contributed by the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, authors noted. “Dietary interventions and lifestyle changes may be a promising approach for preventing liver cancer,” they concluded. The meta-analysis went through studies published between 1956 and 2013. The research appeared in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
The Baptist churches of the North East are “not so aware” of human trafficking, and individual members who are, continue to remain indifferent towards it. Rev. Kabi Gangmei, Executive Director, Asia Pacific Baptist Federation Aid, reflected on this phenomenon here today at the seminar on Human Trafficking organized by the Miqlat Ministry of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC). He was speaking on ‘Human Trafficking: A Concern and Chal-
lenge to the Church.’ “Human trafficking comes as a by-product of human society, and churches remain shocked to hear these stories, and stuck for what to do about it,” said Rev. Gangmei, while appreciating the NBCC for taking up this initiative. He explained several reasons why the church does not want to take up such issues. The dichotomy of the spiritual and the physical—the “misplaced notion of a church” that its work is only in the realm of the spiritual, downsizing itself to evangelism, and letting NGOs and the government
take up things understood to be in the “physical” realm; and a view that Christians are better off than the rest of the world— mainstream Christians do not like the disturbance and commotion that something like human trafficking brings along. There is indifferent, ignorance, the belief that it is “someone else’s problem” and that it is not a church’s ministry to do this sort of work, highlighted Rev. Gangmei. As one of the “strongest institutions” in the hill states of the North East, he called for sensitization of the church; to use its networks
DoTE assure fairness & transparency
KOHIMA, OCTOBER 7 (MExN): The Nagaland Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) today assured that, since its inception, the directorate has been “working tirelessly in a fair and transparent manner with the prime objective of promoting the welfare of the students’ community in the selection of candidates for various technical courses.” This was stated in a press note from the Director of the DoTE, A Kathipri, in response to the recent statement by the All Nagaland College Students Union (ANCSU), wherein the latter had censured “a series of lapses and loop holes in the functioning” of the said department. The DoTE clarified that the “conduct of NSPMT-2014 was necessitated since not a single candidate could qualify for admission to MBBS and BDS seats in the AIPMT 2014.” However, it added that there was “no restriction for admission to other courses and so some candidates were nominated
on the basis of AIPMT results.” It informed that the decision to conduct the NSPMT under various terms and conditions was decided by the Common Selection Board during its meeting on August 21 and subsequently notice was issued by the Government to Nagaland Board of School Education (NBSE) for conduct of the same. “Again, allowing “one candidate” (Watinaro A Imsong) to appear NSPMT-2014 was due to the fact that, at that point of time her Horticulture seat was unauthorisedly occupied by another candidate and she could not have known that that seat would subsequently be vacated for her,” stated the note. Assuring that the DoTE is “striving for a fair and transparent system of functioning keeping in view the welfare of students,” it however lamented that ANCSU “should make baseless allegations against the department.” It urged the ANCSU to “desist from such action in future or else they should be prepared to face defamation charges.”
against human trafficking. This could help the church help the police and NGOs tackle the problem. Also, “we need to produce good theology from time to time,” said Rev. Gangmei so that on some Sundays pastors can preach about human trafficking, the environment and ecology, development and poverty. “The message of Christ comes alive when it connects with the context,” he noted, stressing on how the abuse of human dignity and rights can be restored through various collaborated initiatives in society.
GPRN/NSCN condemns DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 7 (MEXN): The GPRN/NSCN today condemned the “abduction and murder of Captain Dikho of Shepoumaramth Region by NSCN (IM) Town Command, Senapati.” A press note issued by the Ministry of Information & Publicity (MIP), GPRN/NSCN alleged that that Captain Dikho was “abducted” on September 2 and that his “dead body was recovered about 7 KM away from Senapati Town in September 3.” The GPRN/NSCN noted that “it is very unfortunate that in one hand, the NSCN (IM) Chairman, Isak Swu is asking Nagas to pray for ongoing talks between GOI and NSCN (IM) while on the other hand their trigger happy cadres are involved in forceful abduction(s) and murder(s) most foul.” “It is for the Nagas to judge for themselves the sincerity of the IM when they continuously talks of Peace”, the GPRN/NSCN maintained. Acknowledging the “selfless services” rendered by the deceased, the GPRN/NSCN extended its “last revolutionary salute” to Late Captain Dikho. It also offered condolences to the bereaved family.
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