September 1st, 2015

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tuesDAY • september 01 • 2015

DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 238 • 12 PAGes • 4

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ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

Leaders make things possible. Exceptional leaders make them inevitable MTLT questions power dept on power outage

Was Union Home Secretary replaced as he wanted info on Naga peace deal: Congress pAGe 8

reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

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— Lance Morrow

India need seven wickets to clinch series

pAGe 2

pAGe 12

Pangsha Ambush: A survivor’s account

Sheds crucial details over the firing incident where 9 people including 4 civilians were shot dead Morung Express news

Death toll rises to nine

Mokokchung | August 31

Your spouse is demanding an suV? lucky you! Mine is demanding a helicopter.

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The Morung Express Poll QuEsTion

Vote on www.morungexpress.com sMs your answer to 9862574165 Does the Government of Nagaland State have the political will and preparedness to solve the issue of backdoor appointment?

Yes

no

others

Petrol cut by Rs.2 a litre & diesel by 50p Protest rally in Kohima today C M Y K

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our Correspondent Kohima | August 31

In protest against the August 22 assault on an elderly woman, the Kohima Village Council (KVC) and Kohima Village Youth Organisation (KVYO) will stage a rally on September 1. The rally will begin from the Government High School junction at 9:30am and will proceed to the Chief Minister’s official residence to submit a memorandum, followed by a public assemble at Kohima Local Ground. Superintendent of Police Kohima, Joseph Hesso, while issuing a travel advisory, has asked the public, unless under unavoidable circumstances, to avoid plying within Kohima main town from 9:30am till the procession is over. “This advisory is issued to facilitate peaceful conduct of the procession as well as to avoid any untoward incidents/ inconveniences to the general public,” the SP informed.

“Out of nowhere bullets came through the wind shield. I shouted to the security forces, ‘Public, Public! Please don’t shoot us’.

But they paid no heed to my shouts and fired with no mercy,” recounts Kakheni.

As details of the August 28 ambush carried out by the Assam Rifles at ITC Dan, Pangsha area continue to remain fuzzy, Kakheni, one of the survivors of the ambush on Monday shed crucial details over the firing incident from her hospital bed in Mokokchung.

“I still can’t remember what happened to the little girl that was sitting between me and the driver. I don’t know if she was shot too or was taken away by somebody. The driver was gone too,” she said of the incident which is still fresh on her mind.

Terrified, Kakheni said she hid underneath the dashboard as bullets riddled the vehicle.

It is three days since the incident, yet there are still no reports over the whereabouts of the ‘little girl’ mentioned by Kakheni.

However, another body, reportedly the driver of the bolero pick-up, was recovered by Hemphu villagers

Tuensang SP requests press and social media to publish reports only after properly ascertaining facts

The injury sustained by Kakheni, one of the survivors of the August 28 Pangsha ambush.

Monday morning half a kilometer away from the firing site. With this, the death toll has now risen to nine (9)-five NSCN (K) members and four civilians.

Kakheni sustained bullet injury on the leg, while another girl, a nurse, identified as Thamneyu from Hemphu (also called Ponyu) village was shot in the abdomen.

Kakheni narrated to The Morung Express that the firing occurred when she was on her way to Ponyu village, a Khiamuingan village un-

der Myanmar on the bolero pick-up truck with refreshment and first-aid from Zunheboto in connection to the scheduled meeting of Naga Mothers Association (NMA) with NSCN (K) leaders at Ponyu village.

The vehicle reached Noklak on August 27 evening and halted there for the night. According to Kakheni, one ‘secretary’ whom she contacted had assured her through phone that situation was normal and she need not worry. The ‘secretary’ was to escort the bole-

ro to Ponyu village.

“The secretary told me over phone that he had even contacted the security forces as well as the administration and were assured that movements won’t be hindered if they were not armed and uniformed,” she said while referring to her telephonic conversation She further revealed that the ‘secretary’ who was one among those killed on the spot at the firing, informed her that the security forces had even invited them to attend the medical

TUENSANG, AUGUST 31 (MExN): Another dead body has been recovered a few kilometres from the site of the August 28 ambush by Assam Rifles on the NSCN (K), taking the death toll to nine. This also takes the civilian death toll to four. A press note from the Tuensang SP informed that the body is “suspected” to be of one Akihoto Sumi, who was the driver of the Bolero pickup. Sources informed that the body was recovered at around 10:20am by people of Hemphu village, located on the Myanmar side of the border.

The Tuensang SP meanwhile said that situation in Noklak area is “tense and the public are apprehensive.”

He further refuted reports that there was exchange on gunfire near Panso town below Shamator on August 29. “Such unconfirmed reports create panic and confusion among the public. Therefore, the press and social media are requested to publish such reports only after properly ascertaining facts,” the SP appealed. camp, which was ongoing at Pangsha.

It was decided that they would meet at a point in Pangsha where there was cellular network facility and proceed onward to Ponyu where the meeting between the NMA and the NSCN (K) was scheduled.

On the way, the bolero pick-up stopped at many points giving lifts to villagers from Ponyu who had come to attend a medical camp at Pangsha.

“Old folks with heavy baskets on their head, a

by our commitments and will not betray the trust which our people have placed in us.”

The FGN reminded that the Covenant of Reconciliation was signed by Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman, NSCN (IM); Brig.

(Retd) S. Singnya, Kedahge, NNC/ FGN and SS Khaplang, Chairman, NSCN (K), “agreeing to reconcile based on the historical and political rights of the Nagas on 13th June, 2009.”

“Further responding to the Naga peoples call for the High Level meeting, top Naga leaders comprising of Isak Swu, Th. Muivah, Gen. (Retd) Khole Konyak, Kitovi Zhimomi, Brig.

(Retd) S. Singnya and Zhopra Vero met on 20th and from 22nd

to 26th August, 2011 in Dimapur to ‘Strengthen and Broaden the Peace Process based on the Uniqueness of Naga History’ and reconciled for a Shared Naga Future,” it added.

The Naga leaders affirmed to reconcile on the basis of the historical and political rights of the Nagas and acknowledge that “we have hurt one another and that in the spirit of love we have forgiven each other; and are prepared to understand each other towards a shared future.”

They also reaffirmed the resolve “not to harbour any nonNaga organizations adverse to the Naga political cause,” and took serious note on the “harbouring of non- Naga organiza-

tions opposed to the Naga political cause.”

The FGN stated that the Naga leaders further agreed to “disengage in and from all forms of actions and association detrimental to the Historical and Political cause of the Nagas; work for the territorial integrity of all Nagas;” and affirmed that “any interim arrangement of the political rights of the Nagas shall be outside of the purview of the Indian Constitution per se.”

The signatories also resolved in principle to work towards the formation of one Naga National Government, the FGN reminded.

Full text on page 10

Planning and coordination Dept Business community urged to contribute towards peace clarifies on Rani Gaidinliu museum Morung Express news

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KohIMA, AUGUST 31 (MExN): The Planning and Coordination Department of the Government of Nagaland has clarified today regarding “the history and idea” behind the Rani Gaidinliu Library-cum-Memorial Museum at Kohima.

The said project is being implemented by the Arts & Culture Department of Nagaland, stated Addl. Development Commissioner, Aolemla Jamir, in a press release today. The project for the construction of the Museum at Kohima was also proposed by the Arts & Culture Department and it was included in the State’s priority list of projects in 2010-11. It was submitted to the Ministry of DoNER dated May 25, 2010 (The project was listed at sl no. 3 of the State’s Priority List under Arts and Culture department), informed the press release.

“Kohima was selected as the site of the proposed Museum because, according to the concept note prepared by the department, Rani Gaidinliu breathed her last at Kohima,” stated the Planning & Development Department. The government expected through this clarification that it will clear “any

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Let us remain true to our words: FGN

DIMAPUR, AUGUST 31 (MExN): The Federal Government of Nagaland (FGN) today affirmed its commitment to the Covenant of Reconciliation (CoR) which was signed by leaders of various Naga political groups, under the initiative of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR) on June 13, 2009.

“Naga leaders having committed these agreements before God and men, let us remain true to our words lest we earn the wrath of God, lose the confidence of the world in the Nagas and bring shame and disgrace to the Naga people,” urged a press note from the FGN, issued through its MIP. The NNC/ FGN, it asserted, continues to “stand

young girl, a nurse and several others joined them on our journey to Ponyu,” she recalled.

Then, at a junction near ITC Dan, Pangsha, the Bolero and a Gypsy that was leading the way to Ponyu was ambushed, where Kakheni cried out to the bullet spraying security forces not to shot at them as they were public.

It was only later that Kakheni was informed by villagers from Pangsha that the driver was found dead in a nearby village. “The vil-

lagers said there were signs of mortar blasts along the path where the driver had fled. They made the assumption that he had probably died with the injuries he inflicted by the mortar shell,” she informed.

Right after the ambush, Kakheniandtheyoungnurse from Hemphu were taken in an ambulance by doctors who were attending to the medical camp at Pangsha.

“While they took us away in an ambulance, I saw my brother and the handy man tied to the ground,” she recalled.

On the way to Mokokchung, the vehicle carrying the injured Kakheni and Thamneyu were further hassled by security forces who refused to let them go.

“It was only after long explanations and pleading from the doctors and intervention from the area public leaders, we were allowed to go,” Kakheni said.

Doctors at Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital diagnosed Kakheni’s injuries as Compound Fracture Tibia and a medical procedure (debridement with external fixation) was carried out. It will take 5-6 months for Kakheni to recover from her injuries.

With Thamneyu’s bullet injuries critical, she has been referred to Kohima.

misgivings or misinformation in the minds of the general public.”

Further, it clarified that the concept note submitted by the Arts & Culture department stated that “Naga tribes have lived for ages in isolation from outsiders and to an extent, even from each other due to a combination of historical and geographical factors. Each tribe has its own traditions and languages which is distinctly different from others. Equally distinctive are their colourful costumes and ornaments, dance forms, music, handicrafts and architectural, resulting in a rich tapestry of art, craft and tradition, similar, but in which each tribe has its distinctive features, flavour or/ and talent… The unique Naga cultural traditions and heritage has also flourished with a policy of village republic that rival ancient Athenian city states which produced great patriots and heroes who sacrificed their lives for freedom and liberty of motherland. Among the people of the Northeast, Rani Gaidinliu, a daring woman freedom fighter from Nagaland had been honoured as one of the most renowned freedom fighters.”

With the construction of the Muse-

um on the verge of completion, the historical chronology of events, as per the government, that led to its construction went like this: • The Ministry of DoNER had communicated the retention of the project along with five others on July 23, 2010.

• DPRs were submitted to the Ministry of DoNER dated September 15, 2010.

• Ministry of DoNER conveyed Administrative and Financial Approval for the project dated September 19, 2011.

• Ministry of DoNER released the first instalment of Rs 353.12 lakhs dated December 19, 2011.

• The department of Arts & Culture awarded the work to M/s Hexad Syndicate Contractors, Kohima for construction of the Museum on March 14, 2012.

• The second instalment was sanctioned by the Ministry dated 3.1.2014 amounting to Rs. 34.54 lakhs.

• Accordingly, the Government of Nagaland has been submitting Utilisation certificates, Quarterly Progress Reports, Work Plan, Photographs, Inspection Reports of the project to the Ministry of DoNER.

Dimapur | August 31

Nagaland Governor, PB Acharya has underlined the importance of “inclusiveness” towards restoring peace in Nagaland. “Everybody has to play a role to make the ‘framework agreement’ successful,” the Governor said at a meeting with the non-Naga business community of Dimapur on August 31.

According to the Governor, the intention of the meeting was to hear the views of the non-Naga business community, and how they could contribute towards the peace process. Stating that the BJP government at the Centre has the “political will” to solve the problem, the Governor added that it is paramount to include everyone – from the church, the civil society down, the business community to the individual and all other Naga political groups.

Figuring out ways to bring the other NPGs to become part of the process towards a solution should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, he added.

He further said that in a democracy like India, it is the mandate of everyone to play a role in peacekeeping.

The business community, while highlighting the crucial aspect of “security” and the constant spectre of apprehension that has become part and parcel of doing business in Nagaland, said that it would also their endeavour to contribute towards peace in Nagaland.

The meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s conference hall was also attended by the Dimapur district administration led by the DC, Kesonye Yhome.

A Moot court debate on AfsPA Morung Express news Dimapur | August 31

“The death sentence in India can only be pronounced by a court of law, but the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958—AFSPA—gives this power away to the armed forces of India, thereby making the powers under it extra judicial, and the Act unconstitutional,” said P. Leonard Aier, Principal of City Law College, Dimapur. He was the ‘judge’ at an interesting learning exercise today.

AFSPA, promulgated by the Government of India in 1958, became the subject of a ‘Moot Court’ organised by the City Law College Students’ Union, Dimapur at their college auditorium today. The Act is a “takeoff” from the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance, 1942, of British India.

A Moot Court is a simulated hearing or court proceeding. Participants need to prepare written submissions to a fictitious case and present the parties in oral pleadings in front of an expert Jury.

The participants from the law programme at the City Law College were given a problem related to the abuse of powers—rape— by the Indian armed forces in Nagaland. Two teams, consisted of eight students each, represented the petitioner (victim) and the respondent (State). The judges for the moot court were P. Leonard Aier, Limanochet Jamir and Longshithung Ezung.

The petitioner’s team argued, among other things, how Section 4 and 6 of the AFSPA are “unconstitutional” and “ultra vires” of the Constitution of India. The pillars of democracy, its fundamental rights, stand negated due to these sections. For instance, the armed forces are given powers to fire upon a person on mere suspicion even to the extent of causing death—all in the name of “maintenance of public order.” This negates Article 21 that postulates the fundamental right to life.

However, the respondent’s team argued that Article 21 reads that “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.” AFSPA was enacted through the parliament and lays down procedures to take life during the discharge of duty with immunity.

Does the Constitution of India not guarantee the basic right to life to the people where AFSPA operates? Can people be raped, tortured, maimed, killed in AFSPA regions through this “procedure established by law”?

Does “good faith” on the part of the armed forces justify any action taken by them? Has continued immunity through AFSPA emboldened the armed forces to commit repeated atrocities?

Have Naga aspirations been reduced to target of ‘counter terrorism’ strategies?

The event, which saw three hours of such pertinent matters being discussed, became a milestone in legal learning as students presented well researched memorials to the bench of judges, with intermittent questions and explanations from the judges to clarify on points being presented.

It may be noted that prosecuting a personnel of the Indian armed forces for a crime requires a sanction from the central government. In the past 57 years, despite repeated offence, the central government has never sanctioned the prosecution of armed personnel. The Supreme Court of India has upheld the constitutionality of the AFSPA and its regime allows no judicial review—the Constitution of India has the basis of such a regime ingrained in it through even the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Moot Courts like the one held today help young students understand the significance of the violence perpetrated through martial laws today that were used to colonise the Indian sub-continent by the British once upon a time.

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Akimbo Society conducts advocacy prog on HIV/AIDS

DiMAPuR, August 31 (MExn): Akimbo Society conducted one-day advocacy programme on HIV/AIDS with leaders at Bor-Lingri on August 29 with the theme ‘role of the church & local leaders.’

Resource persons for the awareness programme were State consultant LFA, Dr. Vinito L. Chishi, Dr. Hutoka Medical Officer ART Center Dimapur, Tozheli Clara Sumi Director Akimbo Society, Moa DNP+ and Hukatoli LFA. The resource persons covered topics on response to HIV/AIDS, role of the church, HIV/AIDS scenario in Dimapur and the root of transmission, stigma & discrimination and church response. Pointing out that church being the largest and strongest body in the state, the speakers emphasized that church has the potential to create widespread awareness on HIV and AIDS, to promote positive attitudes towards people living with HIV and AIDS and influenced people to change high risk behavior that make them vulnerable to the infection.

Stigma and discrimination attached to it has been one of the biggest problems to tackle at this present stage.

Further, it said that Nagaland is one among the highest prevalent rate of HIV/AIDS where 90% of people who are infected with HIV/AIDS is through sexual root. He encourages every individual to practice safe sex where right use of condoms could help a person protected from HIV/ AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a disease that has no cure therefore everyone should join hands in preventing it.

The various departments/institutions of village councils, village development board, NGOs, government officials, student leaders, women hoho, church leaders as well as the public gave their moral as well as physical support in making the programme a grand success. Altogether 120 members participated in the programme.

CM to grace Teacher’s Day celebration

kohiMA, August 31 (DiPR): Chief Minister T.R. Zeliang will grace the State Level Teachers’ Day celebration at NBCC Convention Centre (KijuKharu) Kohima on September 5. The programme will be chaired

by Commissioner & Secretary School Education,F.P. Solo who will also delivered the welcome address.

Highlights of the celebration include invocation by Associate Pastor, Ao Baptist Church, Kohima, TemjenSempo, special item by G. Rio School Kohima, greetings by Minister for School Education &SCERT, Nagaland, Yitachu, Life sketch of Late Dr. Radhakrishnan by Mezhur Higher Secondary School, Kohima, honouring of teachers by Razhukhrie Government Higher Secondary School, Kohima, presentation of Awards and Special presentation by Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Kohima.

YouthNet ‘Impact 5000 by 18’ receives special mention award

YouthNet’s ‘Impact 5000 by 18’ members with the special mention award under the ‘social innovations in youth development’ of Northeast Social Impact Awards 2015.

guwAhAti, August 31 (MExn): The Northeast Social Impact Awards 2015, an event organized

by National Foundation of India in partnership with the North East Development Foundation was held at the NEDFi House in Guwahati on August 28.

YouthNet’s ‘Impact 5000 by 18’ received the special mention award under the ‘social innovations in youth development.’

The awards celebrate and recognize best practices and innovation in Social

and Community development in North-East India.

The ‘Impact 5000 by 18’ campaign, launched in 2013, is a partnership between YouthNet and the Government of Nagaland. It aims to reach and impact 5000 local youths by 2018 with the goal of building a healthier and stronger private sector in Nagaland by focusing on creating sustainable income opportunities through nurturing and promoting a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The campaign has over the last two years undertaken various projects including carpentry and steel fabrication workshops, handloom and bamboo basket weaving skill-building programs, local piggery shop, CAT scholarship, Dial Nagaland, The Entrepreneur, etc.

The programme is guided by the vision to create and build socioeconomic prosperity for the youth and an entrepreneurial culture in the State.

MTLT questions power dept on power outage

Mokokchung, August 31 (MExn): The Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT), today stated in a press note that it is constrained to question the Nagaland Power Department for the continued power outage in Mokokchung town for the past more than five days due to the damage of a 5000 MVA transformer at Mokokchung power station.

For the past five days, the different colonies of Mokokchung town have been receiving only four hours of power supply on rotation basis, which is causing untold hardships to the citizens. “The most affected are the business community who have to rely on electricity to run their businesses. The power outage is affecting the local economy and it has caused loses to the tune of lakhs of rupees,” said the MTLT media Cell in the note.

“The MTLT is baffled to note that the power department does not even have a transformer on standby to be used during emergencies such as this. It is also very frustrating to note that the Mokokchung division is said to be the best performing power division in Nagaland; besides, the Mokokchung division is said to be the highest revenue

Mon, August 31 (MExn): Longkei Students Union (LSU) organized one day ‘seminar on career guidance’ on August 29 at the DRDA Hall, Mon Town, sponsored by Mon Area Program, World Vision India under the theme “Towards a new perspective”.

A press note stated that Dr. Manwang Konyak, Vice Principal, Konjong Higher School, Mon and Dr. Esther Konyak, Assistant Professor, Wangkhao Government College, Mon were the resource persons.

Dr. Manwang said many students tend to be influenced by what others say and do without really knowing where they would really fit in. Hence, careful planning following it up with a workable plan is vital for success, he remarked. Traditional thinking limits your choices instead choose a career base on your skills and talents, he urged.

In the second session, Dr. Esther shared on personality

development, career development, entrepreneurial skills, and unconventional service sectors, which have good prospects. She further cited some examples of successful local Naga entrepreneurs. She urged them to have positive attitude to be successful.

Longkei Cluster Coordinator, World Vision India, Temjen Sangtam exhorted the students to stay focus, dream big and work hard, which would carry them forward. Program Manager, World Vision India, Mon, Dr. L. Khobung during his short speech encouraged the students to work sincerely so as to be self reliant and successful. Pangteih Konyak, President, LSU gave welcome address, Tingngam and Ajao presented special songs. Monyao Konyak, proposed vote of thanks.

T. Honli moderated the programme, which was attended by more than 100 students.

Our Correspondent Kohima | August 31

Former chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio today visited the landslide affected areas at Lower Naga Bazaar here. He interacted with the people of the colony to take stock of

the situation. He also enstructed Kohima deputy commissioner Rovilatuo Mor to compile the nature of the Phesama landslide, landslide below Naga Hospital including Naga Bazaar and hand over it to him for necessary measures and assistance. The landslide

‘Ao people must work for unity’

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Mokokchung, August 31 (DiPR): ADC and Administrator, Mokokchung Municipal Council has informed that a mass social work will be conducted on September 12 from 8 a.m. onwards within the jurisdiction of MMC. In this connection all Ward Chairmen have been requested to initiate the necessary exercise within their ward. ADC also directed Ward Chairmen to inform their respective residence to clean up their surroundings before the mass social work day to enable them to participate in the social work. The ADC further informed all respective Ward Chairmen to collect Rs. 3000/- (Rupees three thousand) each as financial assistance from the ADC & Administrator MMC during office hours on or before September 11.

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Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem officials during their visit to the Mokokchung Power Station held on August 31. (Photo by MTLT Media Cell)

generating division in Nagaland,” it added.

Under such circumstances, the MTLT strongly questions the Power Department why the citizens of Mokokchung are made to suffer, even while the citizens are regularly paying the ‘light bills’ on time, and the Urban Electricity Management Boards (UEMBs) are collecting the bills every month, while keeping check on power thefts in the colonies.

Therefore, the MTLT has demanded the power department to look into

the plight of the citizens of Mokokchung and immediately restore the power supply in the town. The MTLT also demands the power department to keep at least one or two transformers on standby should emergencies like the present case in Mokokchung town take place anywhere in Nagaland.

Further, it stated that the MTLT has learnt that at 5000 MVA power transformer costs a little more than Rs 60 lakhs only; and the MTLT has learnt that Mokokchung contributes about

Rs 600,00,000 annually as revenue to the government. Therefore, the MTLT wonders, “Why the government cannot think ahead and keep a transformer for emergency cases.”

“The MTLT understands that the personnel of Mokokchung power department are doing their best to assuage the plight of the citizens. Nonetheless, the MTLT strongly demands the Power Department to restore Mokokchung’s regular power supply at the earliest,” concluded the Media Cell.

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Longkei Students Union conduct Rio visits Naga Bazaar landslide area IPV & Pentavalent Vaccine career guidance seminar introduced in Dimapur

Mass social work in Mkg on Sept 12

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washed away a portion of the approach road which is connecting Mao community hall, Nagabazaar colony cemetery and under construction Government Lower Primary School.

Several buildings suffered damage in the landslide and dismantled.

DiMAPuR, August 31 (MExn): District workshop for Inactived Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) & Pentavalent Vaccine Introduction-cum-Training of Trainers was held at CMO’s Conference Hall, Dimapur on August 28. The workshop was conducted to introduce new vaccines i.e.

Inactived Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) and Pentavalent Vaccine in the Routine Immunization Schedule.

Dr. Sheela Longkumer, Surveillance Medical Officer, WHO oriented the participants on the Global and rationale polio update, overview of polio end game strategy, FAQs related to Pentavalent vaccine &IPV, management of vaccines, logistics and cold-chain management, understanding Full Immunization and Complete Immunization, update on revised data entry tools, and Communication & media interaction for IPV &pentavalent launch.

Dr. Lanuakum, DPO, UIP & RCH highlighted the objectives of the workshop and basic facts about IPV vaccine. He further oriented on Epidemology of Hib disease and key facts about Pentavalent vaccine. He further informed the participants on the Revised MCP card, counterfoil and use of tracking bag.

Dr. ManyuPhom, SMO Medziphema CHC also oriented the participants on the Revised National Immunization Schedule, Open vial Policy and Alternate Vaccine Delivery System and Phasing In-phasing out and repositioning of vaccines.

A press note stated that Dr. M.A. Wati, CMO delivered the welcome address and the closing remarks were delivered by Dr. Antoly, Dy. CMO. Sr. Medical Officers, Medical Officers Cold-Chain handlers, BPMs and ASHA Co-ordinators, attended the programme.

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Nukshiyim Village community hall inaugurated

YongYiMsEn, August 31 (DiPR): Minister for NH and Mechanical Engineering and Election, Nuklutoshi inaugurated Nukshiyim village community hall and Yongyimsen village gate on August 29.

The programme was held at the newly constructed community hall, Nukshiyim village which was constructed through the initiative of the chief guest. Nukshiyim village was approved by the Government of Nagaland on

6th December 2014.

In his speech, the Minister said that it’s a God blessing day for the Nukshiyim village and a landmark momentous occasion. He also urged upon the public to change the mindset regarding the development works of the government as its policy has changed where it provides financial help only after proper completion and approval of the work.

He assured the people of Nukshiyim village to have faith in him for the overall

development of the village which he himself is committed in doing it.

The programme was chaired by Limasenla Imsong, short speeches were delivered by L. YangerLemtur and Chairman Village Council Yongyimsen, Kosasanger, Tatar. A brief introduction on Nukshiyim village was given

by Putimeren, GB. A special song was presented by Nukshiyimwatsu unit while welcome speech was delivered

by T. Yashi, Chairman VC Nukshiyim village.

Minister Nuklutoshi with members of the Ao civil society during a discussion on Naga political issue on August 31at Circuit House, Mokokchung.

Mokokchung, August 31 (nEPs): Minister for National Highways and Mechanical Engineering Nuklutoshi had hectic meetings with the members of the apex Ao Church Body, ABAM and members of the Ao civil societies on the latest development of the Naga political issue for the last two days at Impur and Mokokchung. He called upon the Aos to rededicate their commitments to bringing and strengthening “unity” among the Naga people.

During the meeting, he addressed members of the Ao civil societies and stu-

Minister Nuklutoshi meets Ao Church Body and members of Ao civil societies dent bodies including the Ao Senden, Watsu, AKM, Mokokchung senior citizens, Mokokchung Town Ward Union, Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjang at the Circuit House on Monday. The Minister highlighted of the present Naga political issue, which has been passing through a critical phase and reminded as to how their past Ao leaders pioneered in many fields including the Naga

political issue. He urged the present Ao generation to play an important role by becoming the architects in the “framework of Naga political issue.” The Ao people must work for the unity of the Nagaland people, he said.

While meeting with members of ABAM at Impur on Sunday, Nuklutoshi also reminded the Ao church leaders as to how the Ao church leaders, in

olden days, sent missionaries to the ENPO areas to spread the message of Christianity to the people and provided education to them. These missionary works provided by the Ao missionaries in olden days in ENPO areas had not only brought massive changes among the ENPO people but also closeness between the Aos and them, he recalled and further requested the present Ao church leaders that they should also follow the suit of their past leaders by reinvigorating their efforts so as to bring unity among the Naga people.

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Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya with the staff of Eastern Mirror during his visit on August 30. The Governor also visited Nagaland Page. During his visit, he acknowledged the role played by the local newspapers and also encouraged the newsmen and said that newspapers in Nagaland have the responsibilities of educating the Naga people on numerous ways.

He interacted with all the staffs. (DIPR Photo)

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Manipur Assembly passes three Bills Our Correspondent Imphal | August 31

Manipur Assembly today passed three Bills aimed at regulating unchecked influx of non-locals into the state and to safeguard the indigenous people.

The Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, The Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 and The Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 were passed on the last day of the emergency assembly session.

Under the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, all non-locals are required to register themselves at registration centres, under the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, selling of land to others in the valley areas by owners must obtain prior consent of the Deputy Commissioner concerned and it is mandatory for

Protesters burn houses of 4 local MLAs in Churachandpur all shops owners to register their employees under the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Chief Minister Okram Ibobi moved the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015 in the House, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015 by Revenue Minister Th Debendra Singh and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 by Minister Labour and Employment, I Hemochandra Singh.

The three Bills were introduced on the first day of the emergency sitting of the state assembly on August 28.

The state assembly introduced and passed the three Bills after nearly two months of intense public agitation launched under

the banner of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) demanding enforcement of Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) or a similar legislation to protect the indigenous people.

The House also adopted a key resolution to safeguard the territorial boundary of Manipur after the members led by Okram Ibobi Singh had a detailed discussion on the Naga Peace Accord signed between the Government of India and NSCN (IM) on August 3 last.

Ibobi told the House his Government welcomes the peace accord which meant to bring about peace in the region, but the agreement will not be allowed to impinge upon the territorial integrity and administration of the state of Manipur.

Assam flood situation worsens, four lakh hit Heavy rains trigger flood-like situation in Arunachal

guwAHAti, August 31 (iANs): The flood situation in Assam has deteriorated again, affecting 4.64 lakh people in some major towns and more than 1,000 villages and causing widespread destruction, officials said on Monday.

The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said the situation was serious in Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts in eastern Assam, where more than 700 villages remained submerged for the last two days.

Most areas in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh towns also remained submerged due to flash floods since Sunday, officials said.

The ASDMA could not confirm reports that five people, including a child, were washed away by the flood waters.

A total of 662 villages are submerged in Dhemaji district.

Around one lakh hectares of crop land are under water, ASDMA officials said, adding that relief and rescue operations had been stepped up in all the affected areas.

While the Brahmaputra is flowing above the danger level in Dibrugarh, Jorhat and Dhubri, the Ranganodi river has breached the danger mark in parts of Lakhimpur district.

Similarly, the Jia Bharali is

flowing above the danger level at Sonitpur.

Other rivers which have risen menacingly include Puthimari and Beki in lower Assam and the Kushiara in Karimganj district.

Authorities in Tinsukia, Dhemaji, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh have shut down educational institutions. With the Brahmaputra's rising level in Jorhat, the administration has closed the ferry service between Nematighat and the river island Majuli.

The ASDMA said that roads and bridges had also been damaged in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia and Cachar.

itANAgAr, August 31 (Pti): Incessant rain in the last couple of days has created a flood-like situation in several Arunachal Pradesh districts triggering landslides, disrupting surface communication and rendering people homeless.

Lohit, East Siang, Tawang and Lower Dibang are the most affected districts, an official report said.

A report from Tawang district bordering China said that the continuous downpour has triggered major landslides at 7 places in the district causing loss of property. Two persons sustained injuries in the landslides and were undergoing treatment at Lumla Primary Health Centre, the report said.

Four cars were also damaged in the landslides.

Two major points affected by the landslides at Kudung and Thongleng villages were being cleared, BRO sources said.

DC Duly Kamduk has instructed all the departments to assess and submit damage reports immediately with many places like Lumla, Zemithang and Dudunghar being cut-off from the rest of the state.

The flood-like situation in Lohit district has also worsened in the past three days as all the rivers in and around Tezu and Sunpura circles are flowing above the danger mark, the official report said . The district headquarters recorded 318.40 mm rainfall since yesterday completely snapping surface communication between Tezu-Tinsukia via Alubari Ghat and Parsuram Kund routes.

Local MLA Mohesh Chai, accompanied by SDO G Hazarika, departmental officials, police and search and rescue team, has rushed to the affected areas. 500 affected villagers have been evacuated from their houses and moved them to relief camps.

According to a report from East Siang district, flash floods caused by Silasuti River yesterday breached NH 52 at Dimow, snapping road communication between Silapthar and Pasighat. The level of Deopani River has risen alarmingly cutting off the Hunli-Desali block of Lower Dibang district.

Tourism to be focus of NE Fest Rail services to shut in Tripura for gauge conversion New DelHi, August 31 (iANs): To be held in October here, the third edition of the North East Festival -- with tourism as the main focus -- will have many attractions including football and music.

The fest attempts to showcase and create awareness about Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. It will be held from October 16 to 18. "The biggest cultural festival of Delhi is back. Tourism is the main focus," Shyamkanu Mahanta, the organiser-in-chief, told IANS. "We will also promote regional festivals like Sangai, Hornbill and Rongali so that tourists can plan their visit to the northeast accordingly. There will be sessions on tourism and connectivity too," he said.

A football competition will be held from October 10 to 15 before the main event begins. "We thought of making the fest slightly bigger...

There will be around 20 Delhi col-

leges competing against northeastern football clubs. The prize money is Rs.5.5 lakh," he said.

Mahanta said there will also be traditional sports of the northeast too. On display will be photographs to highlight the role played by freedom fighters from the region -- as well as tribes from the states. "Some traditional costumes will be showcased. One can look forward to handlooms and handicrafts," he said.

Northeast food will be one of the highlights. Along with 25 food stalls offering northeast delicacies, there will be option to buy vegetables from the region not easily available in Delhi. Two or three films from the northeast will be screened too. And there will be plays based on stories of the region. The fest has more to offer in terms of entertainment. "There will be around 45 musical acts. Popular musicians like Lou Majaw, Zubeen Garg and Girish and The Chronicles will perform," said Mahanta.

AgArtAlA/guwAHAti, August 31 (iANs): Tripura would remain out of the rail network for more than six months as the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) would undertake gauge conversion work from September 20, an official said here on Monday.

"Due to the 'Mega Block' for conversion of railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge, running of both passenger and goods trains in between Badarpur (southern Assam) and Agartala section would be stopped from September 20," NFR chief public relations officer P.J. Sharma said.

He said: "In order to facilitate faster conversion of the existing meter gauge track to broad gauge track, 'Mega Block' would be taken up in the

Badarpur - Kumarghat - Agartala section (excluding Badarpur railway station)."

"The 'Mega Block' has been granted untill March 31, 2016 to complete the entire conversion work of the BadarpurKumarghat-Agartala section."

The official, in a statement, said the preliminary work for undertaking the gauge conversion work has already been done in consultation with all stakeholders.

Sharma said: "After the 'Mega Block', Agartala would be connected by broad gauge track with the country's railway network." After country's independence, Agartala came up on the country's rail map in 2008. The 115-year-old railway lines necessitated to convert from meter gauge to broad gauge to bring them in

sync with those in the rest of the country.

In the first phase, the NFR had completed the 220 km Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion works earlier this year and in the second phase, 217 km long Badarpur-Agartala section would be done. But the railway is yet to start passenger train service on the Lumding-Silchar route.

The foundation of the much-delayed gauge conversion project -- Lumding to Silchar and Silchar to Agartala -- was laid by the then prime minister H.D. Deve Gowda at Silchar in 1996. The railways have faced severe criticism for the huge delay in completing the Rs.5,185-crore project that is considered to be a lifeline for southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur.

The House demanded the Centre must be transparent on the Naga peace process. The consent of the concerned states must be taken first by the Government of India before formation of new states or making any changes in the geographical boundaries thereof by making amendments of the Article 3 of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, reports said that not long after the passage of the three Bills in the assembly, bandh supporters in Churachandpur district torched the houses of four local MLAs, including that of Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing of Churachandpur constituency and MLA Vungzagin Valte of Thanlon constituency. The reports also said strike supporters burned a vehicle belonging to the district Deputy

Commissioner.

Life in Manipur’s hill districts was affected by the 12-hour total bandh call given by various tribal student bodies to protest the three Bills passed by the state assembly.

The strike imposed by Kuki Students’ Organization (GHQ), All Naga Students Association, Manipur (ANSAM) and All Tribal Students’ Union, Manipur (ATSUM) began at 6 am.

The student organizations have said that the contents of the three Bills have overlapped with Article 371C and Manipur Hill People Administration Regulation Act, 1947.

The Zomi Council extended support to the bandh. Churachandpur witnessed near-total shutdown. Protesters in Rengkhai area of the district burned effigies of Chief Minister Ibobi and Hill Area Committee Chairman Chaltolien Amo in Kangvai area.

EC undecided on Bru refugees' inclusion in Mizoram voter list AizAwl, August 31 (iANs): The Election Commission is yet to decide whether Mizoram's Reang tribals, who have been living in relief camps in Tripura for the past 18 years, should be included in Mizoram's electoral list or not, an official said here on Monday. Around 31,300 Reang tribals, who locally call themselves "Bru", have been living in seven makeshift camps in northern Tripura since October 1997 when they fled Mizoram after ethnic troubles following the killing of a Mizo officer. "Following the Election Commission's instructions, a special summary revision of electoral list of Mizoram is being undertaken by the state election department. The summary revision of electoral rolls would not cover those tribals living in relief camps in Tripura," Mizoram's Joint Chief Electoral Officer F.J. Liantluanga said.

After the poll panel's instructions to carry out special summary revision of the electoral list of Mizoram, Reang leaders took up the matter with the poll panel earlier this month urging inclusion of the tribals sheltered in Tripura camps in the revised electoral list. Refugee leader Bruno Msha said the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum, the lone organisation of the refugees, in separate letters to the Election Commission and Mizoram election department urged that a special summary revision be conducted in seven relief camps as was done earlier. "If the Reang refugees remained out of the revision process, it would be a blatant violation of the fundamental rights of genuine Indian citizens," Msha, general secretary of the MBDPF, said.

INFORMATION

This is to inform to all the educated unemployed B.Sc. Physical Education/B.P.E/B.P.Ed. and M.Sc. Physical Education/M.P.E/M.P.Ed. that they may please contact in these: 1. No. 9436071042 (Putiyanger) 2. No. 8014997517 (Neivotuo) 3. No. 9612520590 (R. James) 4. No. 9615889956 (Kuzole) 5. No. 9089423028 (Visapa)

THE PEOPLE CHANNEL HAS POSPONED THE KOHIMA INTERVIEW DATES FOR AIRLINES AND HOTEL, DUE TO THE RALLY IN KOHIMA, HOWEVER THE DIMAPUR INTERVIEW DATE REMAINS THE SAME (i.e 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015).

INTERVIEW DATES POSTPONED TO DATE: 3RD SEPTEMBER 2015 TIME: 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM VENUE: HOTEL JAPFU, PR HILL KOHIMA PLEASE CONTACT: 03862-237136 /03862237083/8132915330/08415930544 /08415938168

FELICITATION The Rotomi Village Council takes pride in congratulating our leader Lt. Col. Doshehe Y. Sema Former Minister, who was conferred the Governor’s Gold Medal in recognition of his outstanding services to the Government and society. A multifaceted person, Lt. Col. Doshehe is a geo-scientist, army officer, technocrat and an able statesman who has contributed his expertise in the establishment of various mini projects in the state. These projects have created employment opportunities for many young people in the state.

We also heartily congratulate Kuholi Chishi, Principal, Dimapur Government College for receiving the Governor’s Gold Medal.

Her contribution towards the field of education is praiseworthy and the award is well deserved. We thank the Governor, Chief Minister and the responsible Committee for selecting Lt. Col. Doshehe and Kuholi Chishi to be awarded the Governor’s Gold Medal. We wish them grand success in all their future endeavours.

Tokiho Shohe, Chairman, Rotomi Village Council

Lamas raise pitch against hydel projects in Tawang guwAHAti, August 31 (tNN): Lamas have raised the pitch for assessing the possible impact on sacred Buddhist sites of multiple hydro-electric projects proposed in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district bordering China.

The Save Mon Region Federation (SMRF), a pressure group formed by lamas against large power projects in the district, has recently highlighted that the wintering ground of the black-necked crane, which is revered by the Buddhist Monpa tribe as an embodiment of the sixth Dalai Lama, would be destroyed once the 870 MW Nyamjang Chhu project

comes up in the Zemithan area of Tawang.

The Monpa-majority Tawang is also the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama.

According to SMRF, the barrage of the Nyamjang Chhu project is right in the middle of the blacknecked crane's wintering site.

Saying that there are several Buddhist sacred sites along the rivers and mountains in Tawang, SMRF general secretary Lobsang Gyatso said a comprehensive study on the impact of revered places of Monpa has to be conducted before giving the go-ahead to any hydroelectric project. About 13 hydro-

electric projects are planned in Tawang.

Gyatso said that besides Nyamjang Chhu, other major projects too are set to impact the sacred sites.

"For example, the barrage site of Tawang-I project is going to impact a site called Tongsheng (right bank). Tawang-I also will impact a very important site associated with Guru Padmasambhava, his meditation chair carved in the rock. The barrage site of Tawang-II project also will impact a sacred site called Shangkya on the right bank of the river," Gyatso said.

SMRF has also demanded the

present study on the Tawang river basin should be placed for public hearing before the people of Tawang so that the "veracity" of the findings on sacred sites of Monpa tribe can be debated.

Since 2012, Buddhist monks from different monasteries, including from the 400-year-old Tawang monastery, have led several protests against the large hydroelectric projects in the district. Besides ecological threats, anti-dam activists have said that so many large hydro-electric projects in the strategically important Tawang were untenable from a security point of view.

VACANCY

The North East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA) is looking for Committed Professionals to fill the following posts to be a part of a dynamic team for a large-scale multistakeholder rural development project being implemented in a Nagaland.

1. One Project Associate (Community Institutions): Qualification: MSW/ MA (Sociology)/ Post Graduate Degree in Rural Development or Development Studies. Preference will be given to Applicants with work experience in the development sector.

2. One Project Associate (Livestock); Qualification: M.V.Sc & A.H / B.V.Sc & A.H 3. One Senior Finance, Audit and Accounts Officer: Qualification: Post Graduate degree in Accounting/Master's degree in Finance preferred. Application without work experience of at least 3-5 years will not be eligible for this position.

Job Postings will be in Kohima with frequent travel to project areas in Nagaland with extensive travel in rural areas for Job No 1 & 2.

Salary: Will be competitive and shall be commensurate with experience for positing 1 & 2.

Application Procedures: Your application and Curriculum Vitae (CV) should be sent to jobs.nagaland@neida.org.in by September 7, 2015 with subject line mentioning specifically the position you are applying for (as specified above) with your contact details.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted for next stage of the selection process.

4

TuesDAY 1•09•2015

BUSINESS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Indian economy offers hope as China struggles NEW DELHI, August 31 (REutERs): For investors worried about the health of emerging economies, India’s gross domestic product data for April-June should supply some cheer on Monday the country is expected to remain the fastest growing major economy for a second straight quarter.

The median estimate from a Reuters poll of economists put GDP annual growth at 7.4 percent in the quarter, just below 7.5 percent in January-March. If the number is that high, it will be a boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose image as the country’s economic saviour has taken a beating after his struggle to pass his legislative agenda. But doubts persist over India’s new way of calculating GDP, introduced early this year, even though the method gained an endorsement from the World Bank’s chief economist.

With the change method, India’s growth topped that of China in the first quarter this year. Still, India’s robust headline growth does

not square with the not-so-rosy ground reality. “Growth momentum has improved in the last two years,” said Kaushik Das, an economist with Deutsche Bank. “But the pace of recovery has been frustratingly slow.” Monday’s data is expected to fuel hopes in New Delhi of taking the baton of global growth as China’s economic slowdown deepens.

NEW INVESTMENT COMMITMENTS However, with an economy only one-fifth the size of China’s, India is in no position to support the global economy as its northern neighbour has. Blessed with a huge domestic market and a large cheap workforce, Asia’s thirdlargest economy has an opportunity to get more investment. Lured by its prospects, iPhone maker Foxconn this month announced a $5 billion investment in India. The announcement came days after Sony Corp. shipped its first madein-India television sets, and Gen-

eral Motors (GM.N) unveiled a plan to spend $1 billion to expand its main plant.

“It is India’s moment,” Junior Finance Minister Jayant Sinha said. But very few believe it can seize the moment without making land, labour, bank and tax reforms. Modi swept to power in last year’s general election on a promise of speedier growth creating millions of manufacturing jobs.

But just 15 months after that electoral triumph, disenchantment has set in. Businesses are getting restless with slow progress in removing the hurdles that have stymied growth.

PARLIAMENTARY PARALYSIS Political acrimony, meanwhile, has left parliament paralysed. The last session ended without passage of a single reform legislation. Shilan Shah, India economist at Capital Economics, described the washout session as a “missed opportunity”. Yet India is on mend. Robust growth in indi-

rect tax receipts points to a nascent revival in manufacturing sector.

Foreign direct investments are up 30 percent from a year earlier.

However, the improvement in the economy is in large measure due to a crash in global commodity prices, which has cooled inflation and helped narrow the fiscal and current account deficits. Sure, urban consumption demand is picking up, but rural consumers remain glum. With capacity utilisation rates showing no signs of improvement, firms are not in a hurry to invest in new plants and machinery. Festering problem of bad loans, meanwhile, has impeded credit flow and delayed full transmission of interest rate cuts.

The Reserve Bank of India has cut the policy repo rate by 75 basis points since January, but banks, in response, have lowered lending rates by just 30 basis points.

“Key structural reforms remain crucial for a sustained pickup in economic growth,” analysts at Yes Bank said in a note.

Financial Literacy Camp at Mangmetong

Resource person and others during the financial literacy camp supported under FIF managed by NABARD conducted at Mangmetong village on August 29.

MokokcHuNg, Au- DistrictOffice,Mokokchung. erated by resource persons C. Metong, Putu Chair- viz. Imsunaro, APM NAgust 31 (MExN): To promote the cause of literacy, man, A. Khel, Mangmetong BARD and W. Nahphoa, a one day financial literacy Village Council welcomed Branch Manager, Bank camp (FLC) supported un- the programme and appre- of Baroda Mokokchung. der FIF managed by NA- ciated NABARD for spon- During the interactive sesBARD was conducted at soring the camp in their vil- sion participants got their Mangmetong village on Au- lage and demanded more doubts cleared especially gust 29 organized by Bank of opportunities for the villag- on Insurance schemes, pension scheme etc. AltoBaroda, Mokokchung in col- ers in the days to come.

Financial awareness on gether 82 participants atlaboration with Care & SupNEW DELHI, August paid on funds deposited by ance window, while allow- entities whose names have ties in the HSBC Geneva port Society with NABARD various topics were delib- tended the programme.

31 (IANs): Swiss and oth- them in respective bank ac- ing those with undisclosed appeared in the HSBC Ge- branch, furnished to it in a sealed envelope by the income and assets abroad neva bank list. er European banks have counts.

The 121 cases were filed government of India, to Such undertakings time till December 31 to asked Indian customers before the March 31 dead- the Special Investigation to avail the ongoing one- have also been requested pay the levies.

Unlawful undisclosed line after which these cases Team (SIT) constituted in time compliance window from high net worth indigranted by the tax depart- viduals and corporate cli- income abroad is taxed at would have become time- May last year.

A DIPR Feature by Nongozo, APRO Admitting that there ment for disclosure of for- ents dealing in wealth and a rate of 30 percent with an barred and thus could not portfolio management, the additional 30 percent pen- be prosecuted by the de- was no official estimation The Atal Pension Yojana is applicable to all eign assets.

1. Existing Swavalamban scheme subpartment. Finance Minis- of black money within In- citizen of India with special emphasis to scribers between the age group of 18-40 alty.

The call has been made source added.

Failure to meet the dec- ter Arun Jaitley has said the dia or stashed abroad, Jait- those workers serving in the unorganized years should be migrated to APY automatThe Undisclosed Forin the wake of the final month’s deadline to declare eign Income and Assets laration compliance win- government has complet- ley told parliament during sector who do not have any formal pen- ically unless they opt out.

2. Government co-contribution is availand pay tax on assets abroad (Imposition of New Tax) dow will attract an addi- ed an assessment of 350 the budget session that the sion provision. The scheme encourages Act, 2015, or the black mon- tional penalty of 90 percent foreign accounts and tax government was examin- these workers to save voluntarily for their able for 5 years ie from 2015-16 to 2019-20 beginning on Tuesday.

A source here told IANS ey act, for the first time al- for a total tax liability of 120 evasion proceedings had ing the reports of three in- retirement. It is a scheme initiated by the for the subscribers who join the scheme beGovernment of India and administered by tween 1st June 2015 to 31st December, 2015. on Monday that Swiss and lows levy of tax in India on percent on the quantum of been initiated against 60 stitutes on the matter.

3. The existing Swavalamban subAn unofficial estimate PFRDA through NPS architecture. account holders. black money abroad.

Britain-based banks are assets kept abroad.

The eligible age for this scheme is from scriber, if eligible, may be automatically This move followed the puts the sum somewhere The Income Tax departThe ministry has notiasking Indian customers to provide fresh undertak- fied September 30 as the ment has filed 121 cases of Supreme Court last year between $466 billion and 18-40 years. The subscribers’ joining at 18 migrated to APY with an option to opt out. years of age have to contribute Rs 42/- and However the benefit of 5 years of Governings that all taxes have been expiry date of the compli- prosecution against those giving a list of 628 enti- $1.4 trillion.

Rs 210/- on monthly basis to get a fixed ment co-contribution under APY would monthly pension of Rs. 1000/- and Rs be available only to the extent availed by 5000/- respectively. The accounts can be the Swavalamban subscriber already. This opened through bank where savings bank would imply that if, as a Swavalamban account is maintained under this scheme, beneficiary, he has received the benefit there is an eligibility for receiving govern- of Government co-contribution of 1 year India, he said, offered an at- ment of India’s co-contribution which then the Government co-contribution unNEW DELHI, August 31 for monsoon. So production in ag- can have different views. But when (PtI): Pushing for interest rate riculture is going to be significantly an institution like Reserve Bank tractive investment avenue for is 50% of the contribution amount or Rs der APY would be available only for 4 years cut, finance minister Arun Jaitley better than the last year and there- with all its professionalism and investors pulling out their money 1000/- per annum whichever is lower for and so on. Existing Swavalamban benefia period of 5 years. Government co-con- ciaries opting out from the proposed APY on Monday said inflation is under fore I don’t think food prices will capacities is empowered, we must from other destinations. learn to trust them a bit.”

Stating that the reform process tribution is available for those who are not will be given Government co-contribution control while oil and commodity rise very much either,” he said.

In a scenario where inflation is The finance minister said oil has to continue, Jaitley said, “Sup- covered by any statutory social security till 2016-17 if eligible and the NPS Swavaprices are also low and expressed lamban continued till such people attain hope that RBI will consider all under control, the quantum of in- and commodity prices have seen posing we have the GST through, scheme and for non-income tax payers.

The Government co-contribution is the age of exit under that scheme. these factors in its monetary policy terest rate cut is “the prerogative of global slump and India is a net im- either by the Centre or by the state we can get our land law little liber- payable through in subscriber’s savings 4. The management of funds under review. “Inflation in India is broad- the RBI”, he said. “And therefore I do porter of these.

“Therefore we are buying prod- alised, we take the necessary mon- bank account on yearly basis. The benefits APY is as per the investment pattern specily under control and you have low see RBI as a very professional instioil prices, you have low commod- tution which will certainly take note ucts at cheaper price... We are the etary policy steps, our private sec- of Atal Pension Yojana is the guaranteed fied by GOI. of all these factors when it decides beneficiaries of slowdown in the tor investment picks up, of course monthly pension between Rs 1000-5000 5. Individual subscribers will not be ity prices. oil prices and the commodity pric- our ability to move into still higher to the subscriber and to the spouse after having any option for choice of investment “Though August and Septem- its next stand,” he told ET NOW. Asked if RBI has shown “little es. We are not part of China’s pro- range of economic growth is there. death of the subscriber or return of corpus or select pension funds. ber are not going to be very exciting Source- Finance department (General from the point of view of monsoon, stubbornness” on monetary policy duction chain. We have a huge do- And that is where the real opportu- after to the nominees after death of both. nity lies for India,” he said.

The other features of APY are: branch) at least July was a very good month stance so far, Jaitley said, “People mestic demand,” he said.

Black money: Swiss banks ask Indians to use compliance window

ATAL Pension Yojana (APY)

Hope RBI takes note of low inflation, oil prices: FM

_

LEISURE

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 # 3332

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63. Leave out 65. Extinct flightless bird 66. Historical periods 67. Fend off 68. Send forth 69. Dispatched 70. Care for 71. Permits

DOWN

1. Farm building 2. Double-reed woodwind 3. Devalue 4. Raise 5. Suffering 6. Air force heroes 7. Swagger 8. Coupled 9. Detective (slang) 10. Rectum 11. Doing nothing 12. Foot digits 15. Pariah 21. Not odd 23. At the peak of 25. Dines 27. Lake (Scottish) 28. Operatic solos 29. One time around 31. The same backward as forward

32. Display 34. Legislation 36. Jittery 39. Weep 40. Think (over) 43. Discharge 44. Sun 46. Childlike 47. A four-sided spinning top 49. Church officer 50. Commode 53. Sharpshoot 55. G G G G 56. Unit of land 57. Fiber source 58. Biblical garden 60. Modify 61. Specks 64. A late time of life Ans to CrossWord 3344

KOHIMA: 0370 2222952/ 101 (O) 9402003086 (OC) DIMAPUR: 03862 232201/ 101 (O) 9436017479 (OC)

CHUMUKEDIMA: 03862 282777/101 (O) 9856158740 (OC) WOKHA: 03860 242215/101 (O) 9862039399 (OC)

MOKOKCHUNG: 0369 2226225/ 101 (O) 9436012949 (OC)

Nagaland Multispe- 248302, cialty Health & 09856006026 Research Centre

PHEK: 8414853765 (O) 9862130954(OC)

KOHIMA

ZUNHEBOTO: 03867 280304/ 101 (O) 9856156876 (OC)

STD CODE: 0370 100/2244279 2222222 2222111 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202 08974997923

TUENSANG: 8414853766 (O) 8414853519 MON: 03869 251222/ 101 (O) 9436208480 (OC)

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE

ACROSS

FIRE STATIONS

Chumukedima Fire 282777 Brigade Nikos Hospital and 232032, 231031 Research Centre

Police Control Room: North Police Station: South Police Station: Fire Brigade: Naga Hospital: Oking Hospital: Bethel Nursing Home: Northeast Shuttles

H

F E H T U R Y B A B B D C Q X O L H A M

DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

Toll free No. 1098 childline

KipHire: 8414853767 (O) 8974304572 (OC)

WE4WOMEN HELPLINE 08822911011

MOKOKCHUNG: Police Station 1:

STD CODE: 0369

2226241

Police Station 2 :

2226214

Civil Hospital: Woodland Nursing Home:

2226216 2226263

Hotel Metsüpen (Tourist Lodge):

2226373/2229343

TAHAMZAM (formerly Senapati) STD CODE: 03871 Police Station: Fire Brigade

CURRENCY NOTES

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Euro

72.67

76.20

Thai Baht Korean Won New Zealand Dollar Chinese Yuan

1.75

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0.0529

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41.5

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10.83

TuesDAY 01•09•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

5

Nearly 100% increase in backdoor Give due importance to appointments since 2003: NYPC natural calamities: Therie Kohima, august 31 (mExN): Alleging that the backdoor appointment has reached its zenith during the NPF led DAN government, the NYPC today alleged that nearly 100% of the state’s employee has been appointed through backdoor without “giving fair chance” to the educated unemployed youth.”

Maintaining that till 2003, when the Congress was in power, the State has a regular employee of 76,000 and

within the limit of the ratio against the population, the Nagaland Pradesh Youth Congress claimed in a press note that, in 12 & half years of NPF led DAN government, “It is reported around 1,40,000 employee excluding work-charge employee”.

We have only problems of work charge employee then, it added. “Therefore nearly 100% of the employee has been appointed through back door which meant without giving fair chance

or through NPSC test or departmental service board to the educated unemployed youth” it alleged.

NYPC called these practices as a sign of manipulation, favoritism and political bias action and conduct for which NPF led DAN government should be ashamed.

It further opined that the NYPC has nothing “against any individual” but it is unfair for even those “who have availed

the benefit of the backdoor appointment" to enjoy the benefit of the service by depriving equal opportunity.

Government is people's Government and doesn't belong to any political party, NYPC said, therefore it shall continue to demand equal opportunity be given to all educated unemployed youth to compete to be fair adding “We shall continue to pressure and demand those that who have received backdoor ap-

pointment benefit should resign on moral ground.”

It further warned that if the government does not respond to the demand of NPYC against backdoor appointment within the given stipulated time, it would continue to with the agitation “till justice is delivered.”

The NPYC press note was appended by its General Secretary, Limayangba Lemtur and Vice President (Admn), Yanchamo Lima Ovung.

Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): Arguing that several natural calamities have claimed public properties as well as government infrastructures in many places across the state, K Therie today said the time is ripe for State government to give "due importance" to such issues.

“Takes up with the central government in the strongest terms to ensure that that the losses are well compensated and the roads are restored at the earliest

KU opposes recognition & glorification of Rani Gaidinliu moN, august 31 (mExN): The Konyak Union (KU) today conveyed its strong opposition to the proposed Rani Gaidinliu’s memorial Hall construction and recognition of Heraka faith religion in Nagaland.

In a press note, KU president, S Manlip Konyak and general secretary, Y Hosea Konyak stated that, since Late Gaidinliu was from “outside the State of Nagaland and had contributed nothing to the cause of Nagas” and any move either through construction of memorial and statues or recognition of particular faith (Heraka) “need not be

taken-up or enforced within the State of Nagaland.”

“But if she (Gaidinliu) had contributed something to India in National struggles movement it should be honoured and constructed in Delhi or in her native birth place (Lungkhao Village) under Tamenlong District of Manipur but not in Nagaland” it added.

The KU further disclosed that, as per the memorandum copy submitted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Letter No. RG/Centenary/2014-15/002), “the National Committee for Birth Centenary Celebration of Rani Ma Gaidinliu had

been formed headed by the Chief Patron, Patron, President, Secretary which are the member of RSS/VHP." “The Committee members is seeking for recognition of Gaidinliu as freedom fighter as it clearly stated in the memorandum but as far as our knowledge is concerned Late Gaidinliu was known as mere cult religious leader under Tamenlong district of Manipur but not as freedom fighter,” KU maintained.

The KU also questioned the manner in which the dignitaries of the State had proposed the particular faith or religion for recognition and development un-

der the project of Resource Centre. “As per the media publications on an August 22 under the caption, ‘Centre to honour Rani Gaidinliu’ the Governor of Nagaland who is the head of the constitutions had projected the particular Heraka faith religion for recognition and construction of Temple at Peren District” it alleged.

In this context, arguing the State of Nagaland as a purely is Christian dominated state is “well known to the world and to the Indians,” the KU cautioned against “any attempt which ever try to project or inject with particular faith or religion under the umbrella of Resource

Centre & Development activities shall not be tolerated and no such attempt should be made either by any dignitaries of the Officers.”

It also claimed that as per as per the “media revelations and the historical facts”, Late Gaidinliu was mere a leader of Cult or Heraka faith and wondered why she is honoured a Nation freedom fighter when she “only defended her cult.”

“It is well known facts to all concerned citizens that, the State/Central Government could not effort to provides and sustain just basic development like road communications in

the State, but how comes a huge amount of money had been sanctioned for such particular faith or religion recognition and infrastructures?” KU questioned.

Thus the apex body of Konyaks reiterated that any attempt to complicates the “Naga Christians State” by “inserting and projecting” other religion should be retracted immediately to avoid further escalation of misunderstanding.

It also called-upon all Naga Civil Societies, Citizens of Nagaland to oppose any moved which “ever intent to disrupt and provokes against the Naga Societies.”

‘Impart legal edu to village authorities’ NNC Lotha region disowns news report Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): The Nagaland Law Students’ Federation (NLSF) today called upon the Nagaland state government to impart legal education to village authorities. In a memorandum to the Nagaland CM, the NLSF said that this would ensure that the justice delivery system in the state is streamlined and that miscarriage of justice does not occur.

“The law of our State invests the Village authorities with judicial powers; the law also clearly lays down the extent and scope of the judicial powers exercisable by the village authorities, but owing to ignorance of the statutory provisions and concepts of modern judicial procedures, the village authorities more often than not assume powers beyond their jurisdiction and thereby cause injustice,” the NLSF said.

It further asserted that for “real justice to prevail

in the State,” the Government must conduct programmes and follow ups in all the villages to impart legal knowledge to the authorities. In this regard, emphasis must be placed on the Constitutional provisions, particularly, the Fundamental Rights, statutes such as the ‘Nagaland Village and Area Council Act’ and the ‘Administration of Justice and Police in Nagaland’, and general procedural laws, it added.

Such legal education, the NLSF said, can best be effectively imparted only by the State, “which alone can enforce compulsory attendance of the village rulers in the programmes initiated. “ The NLSF further termed it “painful and embarrassing” that there is no government law college in the State. It said that the Nagaland University also does not have a Department of Law. “This makes the prestige and reputation of our State unpopular

and also cause inconvenience to the law students.

It also puts in bold relief of the State’s scant regard for the subject of Law, but without which the state cannot run effectively,” the NLSF stated. It urged the state government to “sit up and take note of this inequity,” and take immediate remedial measures by setting up government law colleges in the State.

The NLSF also expressed concern that despite the passage of more than 50 years of statehood, Nagaland is yet to have an independent and separate High Court. Absence of a fully functioning independent High Court adversely affects the effective delivery of justice to the citizens apart from the fact that it also reflects badly on the State concerned, it said. As such, the NLSF termed it a matter of utmost importance that the state government not compromise on the matter of Nagaland having its own High Court.

AKM Memorial Complex in Changtongya chaNgtoNgya, august 31 (Dipr): The unveiling of the foundation stone of 2017 (AKM) Memorial Complex Changtongya was held on August 29 at Government High School Changtongya (B) compound with Minister for NH and Mechanical Engineering and Election, Nuklutoshi as the chief guest.

The Minister in his speech appreciated the organizing committee and said that he has high respect towards the people of

Changtongya for their labour and good work which is a good example to other villages.

He also said that for the benefit of all the people during his tenure, he has approved the additional highway from Changtongya-Longleng-Mon district which is a great achievement by itself. He assured that he would help in whatever possible for the success of the forthcoming 2017 (AKM).

He acknowledged and

MTLT extols Intermingle Club moKoKchuNg, august 31 (mExN): The Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT) has expressed its utmost appreciation to the Intermingle Club, Tongdentsuyong for repairing the road leading from Police Point to Imkongliba District Memorial Hospital (IMDH) in Mokokchung on August 29.

This stretch of road leading to the hospital is one of the most important roads in Mokokchung town but due to the pathetic condition of the road, the commuters, especially the patients going to the hospital were

undergoing lot of untold hardships, the MTLT stated in a press note.

“The yeomen service rendered by the members of Intermingle Club to the people of Mokokchung is highly commendable and should be appreciated by all the citizens of town,” it added.

MTLT further expressed its happiness to learn that the Intermingle Club, formed in 1990, wilould be celebrating its Silver Jubilee t and wished the clud blessed jubilee year and hopes that the it will continue to play a constructive role in the society.

appreciated the organizing committee that the construction will not be dismantled but used as a multipurpose complex after 2017 (AKM).

The programme was chaired by Akokla Opang while vote of thanks was delivered by T Imotemjen Jamir, Tatar. Short speech was also delivered by L. Jenti Longchar, President AKM and Tiasunep Longkumer Tatar. Special number was presented by Limanenla Longkumer.

Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): The NNC Lotha region has clarified and disowns a news report in local dailies that, the NNC Lotha Region extends support to Thepuseye Keyho, Vice-President NNC/FGN”. Acccording to a press note, the article was published without the "knowledge and consent" of

the legitimate NNC Lotha Region Office.

“Lotha Region President, Yilow Humtsoe, Midan Peyu Secretary Ekyimthung Patton and Major General Yibenthung Kikon vehemently condemns such selfproclaimed statements misguiding the general public,” it stated adding that the Lotha

region would like to “make it known of its allegiance to the leadership of Z Royim, Acting President NNC and V Nagi, General Secretary NNC”.

The press note was appended by Lotha Region President, Yilow Humtsoe, Midan Peyu Secretary Ekyimthung Patton and Major General Yibenthung Kikon.

USSC support CCSU Demand Our Correspondent Kiphire | August 31

The United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) has supported the demand of the Confederation of Chang Students Union (CCSU) for construction of DIET institution at Tuensang Town. Talkingtothiscorrespondentover phone, Yangdipi Sangtam Executive Secretary of the

United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) said that the DIET institution building which is supposed to be competed is yet to be started.

Stating that the institution as a common need of the people of the district, he appealed the concern department to meet the demand made by the CCSU. He also said that owing to the protest made by the Volunteers of CCSU, life

in Tuensang town has been paralyzed, for which the government have to answer immediately. It may be mentioned that the Tuensang town saw total ban on August 28 from 5 am to 7 pm in demand of the DIET institution construction at Tuensang town. The banned is likely to resume again by next week if the government fails to meet the demand of the CCSU.

possible time,” the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) president stated in a press note recieved here.

NH-29 is also completely affected and the State Capital itself has been affected in various places, he added. In this context, he opined that the NPF led BJP-DAN government should withdraw the support to BJP Government at the Centre the problem is about funding.

“We understand that by removing the Planning Commission of India, the au-

tonomous power of the state in self-determining has been removed and that the State Government being a salary government and not a development Government has no funds to make its own plans.”

The Union government must also understand that the State has to construct new roads because of heavy rainfall and unstable soil conditions he maintained adding that the BRO on its part must know that soil conditions which is crucial in building durable roads.

Brief Nsong area totally “cut off” Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): The lifeline of Nsong area under Tening Sub-Division is totally cut off from the rest of the country due to three major landslides in between Meguiki river and Nsong Town; four major landslide in between Ngam and Lalong; and two major landslide in between Lalong and Njauna village. In this context, the Nsong Kebai Public Organisation (NKPO) in a press note issued by its president Zekui Disuang, urged the concerned Authority PWD Department, to clear the landslide at the earliest as it is the lifeline of Nsong area and the adjoining Leikie border in Assam.

Further, NKPO urged the concerned department to repair the Meguiki bridge damaged by erosion.

Mongmong organiser appeals Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): The Mongmong Organizing Committee has appealed all ll the educational institutions and government departments within Dimapur District to grant “Restricted Holiday” to all the Sangtams on September 2&3 on account of the celebration of Mongmong Festival at DDSC Ground, Dimapur.

This was stead in a press note from the general secretary of Mongmong Organizing Committee, Athrise P.

Health Mela at Niuland PHC Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): The Dimapur District Health Society will organize a free Health Mela at Niuland PHC on September 4. Free Services such as free immunization for children, free Family Planning, free screening for TB, Malaria, Leprosy, ENT, Eyes, HIV/ AIDS and other general check-ups and Health talks will be available during the Health Mela. A press note from Chief Medical Officer Dimapur, Dr. M. A. Wati informed that free Medicines along with literatures on health topics will also be distributed to the patients during the training. The public are, therefore, invited and avail the free medical check-up during the Health Mela from 9:00 AM onwards, it added.

BSGA Dimapur overnight camp at Niuland concludes

New Pangsha students’ condemn Aug 28 firing Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): Wolam Nyuking (New Pangsha) Students’ Union has condemned the “barbaric and brutal act perpetrated upon citizens of the area killing and injuring innocent civilians” on August 28 at ITC Dan village.

The union, in a condemna-

tion note, said it failed to understand the “converse ideology between the ongoing peace-making policy by the GoI at the centre and the act of oblivious scene created by military force” which has taken many innocent lives.

Wondering how such act can be considered a “safeguard or

defending the cause of common peace for the public...” the union said it has only created discord and distrust.

“No such act can be tolerated or appreciated at this juncture of rhetoric solution and peace-making." It also extended their condolences to the bereaved families.

MITE holds advent Teacher’s Day Kohima, august 31 (mExN): The Modern Institute of Teacher Education, Kohima (MITE)’s celebration of Advent Teachers' Day programme today witnessed variety of performances from Student-Teachers paying rich

tribute their teachers.

Poto Peter a StudentTeacher was the leader of the programme while the invocation was initiated by N Wangba Konyak. It was followed by the speech by a Student-Teacher, Vehelseno Krose, gift presenta-

tion and special numbers

by Veluvolu.

H L Gangte, Vice Principal exhorted the gathering while word of gratitude was delivered by Thrimhokiu KSN. It ended with a closing prayer by Imkongyanla, informed a press note.

Dimapur, august 31 (mExN): Altogether 146 Guides, 123 Scouts, 18 Scout Masters and Guide Captains from nine schools had participated in a overnight camp conducted by the Dimapur District BSGA at Niuland from August 28 and 29. Agay Joseph, DOC(S) was the Camp Incharge.

In a press note, the District Organizing Commissioner (Guide), Kevileno Haikam expressed its appreciation to Kesonynü Yhome IAS, President cum DC, Dimapur; Liremo Tsopoe, IPS, Commissioner of

Police, Director Food and Civil Supply; 32 AR Personals; Head GB Nikhekhu Village Phutoi Zhimomi; Landlord of the Camp Site; Principals and Headmasters of the nine participating schools; and the Scout Masters and Guide Captains for their support in making camp a grand success.

The Association further condoled the demise of Kalu Biswas, Father of Neha Biswas, a guide who was also in the camp during the sudden demise and prayed for eternal peace and rest to the departed soul.

Don Bosco College Kohima begins its journey Our Correspondent Kohima | August 31

Nagaland’s minister for environment, forests & climate change Dr. Neikiesalie (Nicky) Kire today graced the inaugural function of Don Bosco College, Kohima.

He was hopeful that the college will impart quality education and also focus on job oriented courses.

He also requested the college authority to come up with its website and update the trend of the pupils engaged in different fields/ professions.

Kire also wishes the college to grow from strength to strength and at the same

A view of Don Bosco College, Kohima. (Inset) Dr. Kire addressing the function. (Morung Photos)

time called upon the students to do well in their academic career and bring laurels not only to self but the college as well.

Parliamentary secre-

tary for youth resources & sports, music task force and state lotteries Khriehu Liezietsu expressed happiness over the opening of Don Bosco College in Ko-

hima and called upon the people to make the best use of it.

Most Rt. Rev. James Thoppil DD, Bishop of Diocese Kohima stated that

the diocese is making all effort in augmenting “our educational apostolate by channelizing our effort to establish more skilled and science based educational institutions, including exploring the possibility of a Catholic University in Nagaland.”

He sought the support of each and every individual “so that the Catholic Church will create a positive and lasting impact in the lives of our young people, the future generation and be a transformative agent of the society.”

Prof. A. Lanunungsang Ao, pro- vice chancellor Nagaland University ex-

pressed happiness that Don Bosco College started with 160 students.

He said the Nagaland University has recently decided to de-affiliate those colleges who are running with below 150 students.

He also encouraged this college to start science stream.

Others who spoke on the occasion included; Rev. Fr. Nestor Guria SDB, Provincial, Salesian Province of Dimapur. Keneingu Albert, secretary Catholic Union, Christ King Church Catholic Youth Association, Christ King Church.

tuesDAY 01•09•2015

IN FOCUS

6

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express X issue 238X issue 185 Thursday 9volume July 2015 volume

Give Reconciliation A Chance!

If the process to finding peace is democratic, inclusive, participatory and reconciliatory in nature, then, there is a better possibility that the outcome itself will reflect these qualities

T

he challenge of peacebuilding is to ensure that any solution is principled and just in order to attain an enduring peace in which the root causes have been addressed and the armed confrontations have ended. It is responsible to further assure that the resolution or outcome agreed is not the source of future conflicts. In other words two components crucial towards achieving such a synthesis are: democratization and reconciliation. It is through the interplay of democratization and reconciliation that the process for resolving and systemically addressing conflicting issues is given meaning and relevance that makes it possible for a society to reconstruct and coexist with dignity.

In the history of Indo-Naga peace initiatives the breach of transparency and absence of democratic process has often undermined genuine intentions and subsequently resulted in the failure to find just and sustainable solutions. Lessons drawn from the Naga experience clearly show that the process of arriving at a resolution is equally as important as the final outcome. In other words, the outcome lies in the process itself which has the potential to engage the parties at a deep level.

If the process to finding peace is democratic, inclusive, participatory and reconciliatory in nature, then, there is a better possibility that the outcome itself will reflect these qualities.

Unfortunately, this is the road less travelled.

On the other hand, the road most travelled in the history of peace initiatives has been in the form of pragmatic political expediency that is usually focused on reaching an outcome quickly. By using the approach that primarily focuses on an outcome, the conflicting parties seem to take the easier and less messy route that by-passes the arduous task of engaging in complexities that are critical to building trust, getting to the root causes and establishing democratic peace. All too often this has proven to be counter-productive and unsustainable, and, in many cases, has been responsible for generating future conflicts. The end therefore cannot justify the means. The temptation of conveniently by-passing due democratic process and focusing on the outcome has been the weakest decision-point of many a peace process.

Against the backdrop of the present Naga political situation and the peace process, it is important to remind ourselves that the characters of democratization and reconciliation have continuously raised critical questions. The nature of sustainable political solutions require the active interplay of justice, transparency, accountability, democratic participation and reconciliatory politics which are part of having visionary statesmanship. And, therefore, those at the helm of the political process need to momentarily step back from the intense rush and engage in some sincere self-criticism.

An honest pathway to the future will inform us that an “enduring, inclusive and new relationship of peaceful co-existence” and sharing of sovereign powers has meaning and relevance only through people-centered democratization and reconciliatory politics.

It is therefore in the interest of both Nagas and India that reconciliation must be given a chance to bloom and become the means for us all to pursue a just future.

lEfT WING |

Nita Bhalla Thomson Reuters Foundation

Petition to stop rape of low-caste Indian sisters

A

n online petition seeking protection and justice for two low-caste Indian sisters allegedly threatened with rape by a village council has gathered over 175,000 signatures in a week, Amnesty International India said on Monday.

The human rights group began the petition last week after 23-year-old Meenakshi Kumari, her 15-year-old sister and their family were forced to flee their northern India village in May after their brother eloped with a higher caste, married woman.

An un-elected village council, dominated by upper caste "Jat" men, in Uttar Pradesh state on July 30 allegedly ordered the two "Dalit" sisters be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened as punishment for their brother's actions.

Himanshi Matta from Amnesty International India said the petition called on the government to take all steps to ensure the safety of the family so they can return home and for an investigation into the rape order and prosecution if necessary.

"The family is currently seeking shelter with their elder son who is a police constable in Delhi. They are too afraid to go back to their village home as they have received threats and their home has been ransacked," Matta told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

The petition to Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has so far attracted the attention of over 176,000 people, mostly on its British website since it was launched on Aug 24.

Only 17 people had signed Amnesty's India site, said Matta, attributing this to the family getting more international media attention than local media coverage.

Diktats issued by such kangaroo courts are not uncommon in rural regions and caste-discrimination remains widespread, despite being illegal.

In northern parts of India, these village councils known as "Khap Panchayats" act as de-facto courts settling rural disputes on everything from land and cattle to matrimony and murder. But they are coming under growing scrutiny as their punitive edicts grow more regressive, ranging from banning girls wearing jeans and using mobile phones to supporting child marriage and sanctioning the lynching of couples in "honour killings".

One of the village council leaders Chaudhary Surendra Singh told the local newspaper Mail Today no such diktat was issued. "Khap panchayats don't issue such orders. We are supposed to protect the honour of women. We don't know if some village rogues have taken such a decision," Singh was quoted as saying.

Police in Baghpat district also dismissed the case, saying there was no evidence of the order being passed. But family members claim they are being influenced by the council members, whose caste wields considerable political and economic power in the region.

Officials from Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's office were not immediately available for comment. The family has also petitioned India's Supreme Court seeking protection to return their village. The court has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to reply by Sept 15.

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

C O M M E N T A R Y

Jon Queally

HISTORY'S LESSON FOR CLIMATE ACTION: No Other Choice 'But Mass Mobilization'

Joint statement ahead of UN climate talks in Paris declares humanity is "at at crossroads" and demands concretely that only hope is to stop digging up and burning world's remaining fossil fuels reserves

W

ith less than 100 days until high-level UN climate talks take place in Paris, key leaders from the global climate justice movement have come together with a joint statement that affirms their belief that only mass popular mobilizations across the planet demanding a drastic reckoning with the world's fossil fuel paradigm will suffice when it comes to confronting the increasingly dire and intertwined threats of neoliberal capitalism and planetary climate change.

In a pair of "concretely" expressed demands aimed at world leaders, the signatories to the statement say governments must "end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry" and move swiftly to "freeze fossil fuel extraction by leaving untouched 80% of all existing fossil fuel reserves."

With the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) scheduled to hold its 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) meeting in France at the end of November, the list of notable activists, academics, and policy experts—including South African Archbisop Desmond Tutu, Canadian author and journalist Naomi Klein, Greenpeace International head Kumi Naidoo, Indian biophysicist Vandana Shiva, American linguist Noam Chomsky, Nigerian environmental campaigner Nnimmo Bassey, former climate negotiator for the Philippines Yeb Saño, and many others—acknowledges that twenty previous meetings over recent years have accomplished far too little while the planetary crisis of global warming has only worsened.

"For more than 20 years," the statement declares, "governments have been meeting, yet greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased and the climate keeps changing. The forces of inertia and obstruction prevail, even as scientific warnings become ever more dire."

Acknowledging their set of demands "implies a great historical shift," the signers of the statement say the globalized justice movement for will no longer "wait for states" to make the needed changes on schedules dictated by the powerful fossil fuel corporations, large agro-businesses, financial elites, or governments in the thrall of such interests.

"Slavery and apartheid did not end because states decided to abolish them," the statement reads. "Mass mobilisations left political leaders no other choice."

The statement will be officially published on Thursday as part of a book and media project, called Stop Climate Crimes, orchestrated by the climate action group 350.org and French campaigners at Attac, which focuses on creating a more sustainable and equitable global economy. Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350, told the Guardian the project is a solid first step ahead of COP21 and an indication of the messaging groups like his will be articulating ahead of, during, and after the talks.

"It’s important for everyone to know that the players at Paris aren’t just government officials and their industry sidekicks," McKibben said. "Civil society is going to have its say, and noisily if need be."

The Guardian's Emma Howard, who had an advanced look at the Stop Climate Crimes project, reports: The book is a collection of essays, many published for the first time. In the foreword, Desmond Tutu, the former archbishop of Cape Town who rose to fame for his stance against apartheid, writes: "Reducing our carbon footprint is not just a scientific necessity; it has also emerged as the human rights challenge of our time ... history proves that when human beings walk together in pursuit of a righteous cause, nothing can resist."

In an essay on how climate change is impacting Africa, the Nigerian environmental activist Nnimmo Bassey writes: "Temperature rises pose universal problems to the whole world, but more so for Africa. This is so because Africa has 50% higher temperatures than the global average ... burning Africa is what is at stake."

Last week, 350.org executive director May Boeve, released details of her group's action plan surrounding the Paris talks by informing supporters that the time for "feeling powerless" in the face of climate crisis and government inertia was over. With a set of actions scheduled prior to the talks across the world and a vo-

cal during COP21 itself, Boeve indicated that the most exciting activism would likely come in the new year when activists will mobilize "in a global wave of action unlike any" the world has seen before.

"Not one big march in one city, not a scattering of local actions," she continued, "but rather a wave of historic national and continent-wide mobilizations targeting the fossil fuel projects that must be kept in the ground, and backing the energy solutions that will take their place."

Meanwhile, international civil society groups in recent weeks have released documents articulating what, in their minds, a successful climate agreement in Paris would like and briefing statements about what the inherent limitations of the UNFCCC process continue to be. Scientists from around the world have also made it clear that immediate and meaningful climate action is essential in order to stave off the worst impacts of a rapidly warming world.

The joint statement, entitled "Freeze Fossil Fuel Extraction to Stop Climate Crimes" and published online here, follows in its entirety: We are at a crossroads. We do not want to be compelled to survive in a world that has been made barely livable for us. From South Pacific Islands to the shores of Louisiana, from the Maldives to the Sahel, from Greenland to the Alps, the daily lives of millions of us are already being disrupted by the consequences of climate change. Through ocean acidification, the submersion of South Pacific Islands, forced migration in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa, frequent storms and hurricanes, the current ecocide affects all species and ecosystems, threatening the rights of future generations. And we are not equally impacted by climate change: Indigenous and peasant communities, poor communities in the global South and in the global North are at the frontlines and most affected by these and other impacts of climate disruption.

We are not under any illusions. For more than 20 years, governments have been meeting, yet greenhouse gas emissions have not decreased and the climate keeps changing. The forces of inertia and obstruction prevail, even as scientific warnings become ever more dire.

This comes as no surprise. Decades of liberalization of trade and investments have undermined the capacity of states to confront the climate crisis. At every stage powerful forces – fossil fuel corporations, agro-business companies, financial institutions, dogmatic economists, skeptics and deniers, and governments in the thrall of these interests – stand in the way or promote false solutions. Ninety companies are responsible for two-thirds of recorded greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Genuine responses to climate change threatens their power and wealth, threatens free market ideology, and threatens the structures and subsidies that support and underwrite them.

We know that global corporations and governments will not give up the profits they reap through the extraction of coal, gas and oil reserves; and through global fossil fuel-based industrial agriculture.

Our continuing ability to act, think, love, care, work, create, produce, contemplate, struggle, however, demands that we force them to. To be able to continue to thrive as communities, individuals and citizens, we all must strive for change. Our common humanity and the Earth demand it.

We are confident in our capacity to stop climate crimes. In the past, determined women and men have resisted and overcome the crimes of slavery, totalitarianism, colonialism or apartheid. They decided to fight for justice and solidarity and knew no one would do it for them. Climate change is a similar challenge, and we are nurturing a similar uprising.

We are working to change everything. We can open the way to a more livable future, and our actions are much more powerful than we think. Around the world, our communities are fighting against the real drivers of the climate crisis, protecting territories, working to reduce their emissions, building their resilience, achieving food autonomy through small scale ecological farming, etc.

On the eve of the UN Climate Conference to be held in Paris-Le Bourget, we declare our determination to keep fossil fuels in the ground. This is the only way forward. Concretely, governments have to end subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, and to freeze fossil fuel extraction by leaving untouched 80% of all existing fossil fuel reserves.

We know that this implies a great historical shift.

We will not wait for states to make it happen. Slavery and apartheid did not end because states decided to abolish them. Mass mobilisations left political leaders no other choice.

The situation today is precarious. We have, however, a unique opportunity to reinvigorate democracy, to dismantle the dominance of corporate political power, to transform radically our modes of production and consumption. Ending the era of fossil fuels is one important step towards the fair and sustainable society we need.

We will not waste this opportunity, in Paris or elsewhere, today or tomorrow.

The statement and its call for action was officially supported by the following individuals: Agnès Sinaï (Institut Momentum), Alberto Acosta (économiste), Alex Randall (Climate Outreach), Amy Dahan (Historienne des Sciences), Bernard Guri (Centre for Indigenous Knowledge & Organisational Development), Bill McKibben (fondateur de 350.org), Boaventura de Sousa Santos (sociologue), Catherine Larrère (philosophe), Christophe Bonneuil (historien), Cindy Wiesner (Coordinator of Grassroots, Global Justice Alliance, USA), Claire Nouvian (Bloom), Claude Lorius (glaciologue), Clive Hamilton (philosophe), David Graeber (anthropologue), Desmond Tutu (archevêque émérite), Dominique Bourg (philosophe), Dominique Méda (sociologue), Edgardo Lander (sociologue), Eduardo Viveiros de Castro (anthropologue), Emilie Hache (philosophe), Erri de Luca (écrivain), Esperanza Martinez (ancienne ministre de la Santé publique du Paraguay), Esther Vivas (chercheure et militante altermondialiste), François Gemenne (politiste), Frank Murazumi (Amis de la Terre Ouganda), Gaël Giraud (économiste), Geneviève Azam (économiste), George Monbiot (journaliste), Gerry Arrances (militant anti-charbon), Gilles Boeuf (président du MNHN), Gilles Clément (paysagiste), Gilles-Éric Séralini Godwin Ojo (Amis de la Terre, Nigeria), Gus Massiah (Cedetim), Guy Aurenche (président du CCFD), Isabelle Frémeaux (Laboratoire des Imaginaires Insurrectionnels), Isabelle Stengers (philosophe), Jacques Testart (biologiste), Jean-Baptiste Fressoz (historien), Jean-Pierre Dupuy (philosophe), Jean Gadrey (économiste), Jeanne Planche (Attac France), John Holloway (sociologue et philosophe), Joan Martinez Alier (économiste), John Jordan (Laboratoire des Imaginaires Insurrectionnels), Jon Palais (Bizi !), Kaddour Hadadi (musicien et chanteur, HK et les Saltimbanks), Kevin Smith (Liberate Tate), Kumi Naidoo (Greenpeace International), Larry Lohmann (The Corner House), Lech Kowalski (réalisateur), Leonardo Boff (théologien), Lidy Nacpil (Jubilee South), Mamadou Goïta (Institut de recherche et de promotion des alternatives au développement, Mali), Louise Hazan (350.org), Marc Dufumier (agronome), Marc Luyckx Ghisi (écrivain), Marc Robert (chimiste), Marie-Monique Robin (journaliste), Maude Barlow (Food & Water Watch), Maxime Combes (économiste, membre d’Attac), Naomi Klein (essayiste), Michael Hardt (philosophe), Michael Löwy (sociologue), Mike Davis (historien et sociologue), Noam Chomsky (linguiste et philosophe), Nick Hildyard (The Corner House), Nicolas Haeringer (350.org), Nnimmo Bassey (Oil Watch International), Noble Wadzah (Oil Watch Afrique), Olivier Bétourné (éditeur), Olivier de Schutter (juriste), Pablo Servigne (collapsologue), Pablo Solon (ancien ambassadeur de la Bolivie), Pat Mooney (ETC Group), Patrick Chamoiseau (écrivain), Patrick Viveret (philosophe), Paul Lannoye (ancien député européen), Philippe Bihouix (ingénieur), Philippe Desbrosses (Intelligence Verte), Philippe Descola (anthropologue), Pierre Rabhi (agronome et penseur de l’écologie), Pierre-Henri Gouyon (écologue), Priscilla Achakpa (Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, Nigéria), Razmig Keucheyan (sociologue), Rebecca Foon (musicienne), Roger Cox (avocat), Saskia Sassen (sociologue), Serge Latouche (économiste), Soumya Dutta (Alliance nationale des mouvements anti-nucléaires, Inde), Stefan C. Aykut (politiste), Susan George (économiste), Swoon (artiste), Thomas Coutrot (économiste, porteparole d’Attac), Tom Kucharz (Ecologistas en Accion, Espagne), Tony Clarke (International Forum on Globalization), Txetx Etcheverry (Alternatiba), Valérie Cabannes (End Ecocide), Valérie Masson-Delmotte (climatologue), Vandana Shiva (physcienne et écologiste), Vincent Devictor (écologue), Vivienne Westwood (styliste), Yeb Saño (ancien ambassadeur des Philippines pour le climat), Yvonne Yanez (Oil Watch).

Want a more democratic uN? Give it a Parliament Every democracy in the world has an elected legislature. Why not the United Nations?

Jo leinen and andreas Bummel

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s we approach the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, we’re moving further into a new century with many of the old, deficient institutions of the last century left untouched.

After two devastating world wars and the horrors of the Holocaust, the United Nations was founded as a means to promote peace and security, human rights, and development. Since then, global challenges have multiplied and intensified. Climate change, social disparity, financial instability, food security, terrorism, and genocide are issues that affect all of the world’s citizens. There is no way back from growing global interdependence.

At the same time, most of the world’s nations have adopted governance structures that are at least nominally democratic. The spread of democracy since 1945 is a revolutionary achievement.

In addition, states have established important regional organizations to facilitate political and economic cooperation, to promote democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, and to deal with other transnational issues.

But the astounding progress of democracy at the national and regional levels has mostly been ignored at the level of international organizations.

The emergence of a global society and the diversity of political opinions present in democratic states are not reflected in the machinery of the United Nations.

It is no longer acceptable that UN decision-making primarily, if not exclusively, represents only the executive branch of national governments. The challenges confronting the world community today are challenges that nation-states acting alone cannot solve in an effective, democratic, and legitimate way.

All democracies have parliamentary bodies, and indeed almost all regional international organizations have parliamentary bodies. Now the United Nations must embark on this goal, giving legitimacy and meaning to the Charter’s opening invocation: “We, the Peoples of the United Nations.”

The United Nations and its General Assembly, the most universal body in the international legal order, must now seriously begin to add a more democratic, parliamentary dimension to its formal structure.

It is now widely accepted that representative parliaments are an indispensable element of good and democratic governance. This should apply at the international level as well. The

UN needs to practice what it preaches. If the UN is to continue effectively supporting peace, human rights, and democratic development, it needs to become more inclusive, accountable, transparent and democratic.

Efforts to add a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, UNPA, in the first years of the UN were not successful. The Cold War threatened human survival, while most of the world’s peoples were governed by autocratic regimes and struggled for liberty, independence, and an end to colonialism.

The world lacked experience with international parliamentary bodies.

Today, the conditions are very different. It may take years to devise a plan and procedures for a fair, democratic, effective, and independent UN Parliamentary Assembly. But it’s now long past time to begin. At first, a UNPA could be composed of representatives of national or regional parliaments. At a later stage, there should be a transition to direct elections.

Global support for the idea is growing. To date, an international appeal for the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Assembly has been signed by 1,400 sitting and former members of parliament from over 100 countries, as well as hundreds of other distin-

WRITE-WING

guished personalities from all walks of life, including former UN SecretaryGeneral Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Last month, the report of the Commission on Global Security, Justice, and Governance, which is co-chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Nigerian Foreign Minister Ibrahim Gambari, recommended the establishment of a UN Parliamentary Network as a step towards “the creation of a standing, formally constituted UN second chamber.”

Through a UN Parliamentary Assembly, elected representatives who are accountable to their constituents would be able to play a role in the world organization. They could provide oversight of international decision-making and serve as a link between the world’s citizens, civil society, and the UN. The assembly would allow for participation of parliamentarians who do not belong to governing parties. It could serve as a platform to give greater voice to minorities, indigenous peoples and nations, and youth and other international stakeholders. It could provide additional international accountability and oversight for government action on the new Sustainable Development Goals.

A UNPA is no panacea. But it would make the UN much more inclusive and strengthen its ability to cope with global challenges.

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

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

tuesDAY 01•09•2015

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Case for PragmaTism Since American neocons emerged in the 1980s, they have pushed an aggressive “regime change” strategy that has left bloody chaos in their wake. The cumulative impact, including Mideast refugees flooding Europe and overuse of sanctions, is now contributing to a global economic crisis

kets, erasing trillions of dollars in wealth and further reducing the savings of the Middle Class. As this vicious cycle starts spinning, that could mean even less consumer spending and further economic retrenchment.

The prospects for a global recession, if not a full-scale depression, can no longer be ignored. And such economic hardship would only contribute to more death, devastation and destabilization.

Robert Parry | Commondreams

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rashing global stock markets – punctuated by the bracing 1,000-plus point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the start of Monday’s trading before a partial bounce-back – are a reminder about the interdependence of today’s world economy and a wake-up call to those who think that the neocon-driven ideology of endless chaos doesn’t carry a prohibitively high price.

The hard truth is that there is a limit to the amount of neocon-induced trouble that the planet can absorb without major dislocations of the international economic system – and we may be testing that limit now. The problem is that America’s neocons and their liberal interventionist sidekicks continue to put their ideological priorities ahead of what’s good for the average person on earth.

In other words, it may make sense for some neocon think tank or a “human rights” NGO to demand interventions via “hard power” (military action) or “soft power” (economic sanctions, propaganda or other non-military means). After all, neocon think tanks raise money from selfinterested sectors, such as the Military-Industrial Complex, and non-governmental organizations always have their hands out for donations from the U.S. government or friendly billionaires.

But the chaos that these neocons and liberal interventionists inflict on the world – often justified by claims about “democracy promotion” and “human rights” – typically ends up creating conditions of far greater horror than the meddling was meant to stop.

For instance, the Islamic State butchers and their former parent organization, Al Qaeda, are transforming Iraq and Syria into blood-soaked killing fields. But the neocons and liberal hawks still think the higher priority was and is to eliminate the relatively stable and prosperous dictatorships of Iraq’s Saddam Hussein and Syria’s Bashar al-Assad.

There is always a fixation about getting rid of some designated “bad guy” even if the result is some “far-worse guys.” This has been a pattern repeated over and over again, from Libya to Sudan/South Sudan to Ukraine/Russia to Venezuela (just to name a few). In such cases, we see the neocons/liberal hawks release a flood of propaganda against some unpleasant target (Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi/Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir/Ukraine’s Viktor Yanukovych/ Russia’s Vladimir Putin/Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez or Nicolas Maduro) followed by demands for “regime change” or at least punishing economic sanctions.

Anyone who tries to provide some balance to offset the propaganda is denounced as a “(fill-in-the-blank) apologist” and pushed out of the room of acceptable debate. Then, with no one in Official Washington left to challenge the “group think,” the only question is how extreme should the punishment be – direct military assault (as in Iraq, Libya and Syria), a political coup d’etat (as in Ukraine and almost in Venezuela) or economic sanctions (as in Russia and Sudan).

For many Americans trying to do international business, it can be confusing as to where the legal lines are, who is or who isn’t on some black list, what kinds of transactions are allowed or forbidden. I know of one counselor who helps people overcome stuttering who had to reject Skype lessons

with a prospective patient in Iran because “Russian invasion,” justifying harsh ecoit wasn’t clear whether that might violate nomic sanctions against Moscow, with the Obama administration strong-arming the the draconian U.S. sanctions regime.

Europeans to forgo their profitable trade relations with Russia to punish the Russian Spreading the Chaos Arguably some narrowly focused sanc- economy. But that also added to the prestions against a particularly nefarious for- sure on the European economy.

As this madness has escalated, the neoeign leader might make sense. Even a limited military intervention might not upset cons and their liberal-hawk pals now enthe entire world’s economy. But the prolif- vision destabilizing the Putin government eration of these strategies has combined to in nuclear-armed Russia. They don’t seem destabilize not just the targeted regimes but to recognize that the guy who might follow nations far from the front lines and is now Putin may not be some obliging Boris Yeltsin but a hard-line ultranationalist ready to contributing to global economic chaos.

In tracing these patterns, you can go brandish the Kremlin’s nuclear arsenal in back in time to such misguided fiascos as defense of Mother Russia. the CIA’s huge covert operation in Afghanistan in the 1980s (which gave rise to the Misguided Interventions While these various U.S. “hard” and Taliban and Al Qaeda). However, for argument’s sake, let’s start with the neocon “soft” power interventions are justified success in promoting President George W. by the principles of “human rights,” they Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003. Not only did often end up working against that goal. A that war divert more than $1 trillion in U.S. discrete example is the case of Sudan and taxpayers’ money from productive uses South Sudan, a crisis that traces back to into destructive ones, but it began a mas- the demands for a “humanitarian intersive spread of chaos across the Middle East. vention” over Sudan’s alleged genocide in Add in President Barack Obama’s 2011 Darfur in 2003.

That horrible conflict was painted in “humanitarian” interventions in Libya (via Western bombing operations to topple stark black and white colors in the U.S. press, Muammar Gaddafi’s regime) and in Syria innocent good guys versus evil bad guys, (via covert support for rebels and sanctions but was actually much more nuanced than against President Assad’s government) – and what was shown to the American people. you have two more Mad Max scenarios in The war was touched off by Darfur rebels, but the Sudanese army struck back brutally. two once relatively prosperous Arab states.

These human catastrophes have sent The “human rights” community settled on waves of refugees crashing into other Mid- Sudan’s President Bashir as the designated east countries and into Europe where the villain, who now faces an indictment in the European Union was already stumbling International Criminal Court.

So, there was great sympathy for carveconomically, still trying to recover from Wall Street’s 2007-08 financial crisis. Af- ing South Sudan away from Sudan in 2011 ter tasting the bitter medicine of austerity and making it an independent country (alfor years, Europeans now find their fairly though oddly Darfur remained part of Sugenerous welfare systems stretched to the dan). But South Sudan, which possesses breaking point by refugees seeking asylum. significant oil reserves, could sustain itself Having just returned from a visit to Eu- only if it could get its oil to market and the rope, I was struck by the intensity of feel- pipelines went north through Sudan.

And, since the United States and other ings about the refugee crisis. Some EU nations are throwing up anti-migrant bar- countries were busy sanctioning Sudan for riers while everyone seems to be squab- not turning over Bashir to the ICC, oil combling over who should foot the bill at a time panies were unable to assist South Sudan when there are financial crises in Greece in exploiting its valuable resource, which in and other southern-tier countries, which turn caused hardship in South Sudan and coincidentally are bearing the brunt of the contributed to a bloody civil war pitting one tribe against another. That led to, you refugee problem.

Toss into this volatile mix of a Europe guessed it, calls to sanction South Sudan.

The ongoing tragedy of Sudan/South seemingly close to explosion the Obama administration’s “neocon/liberal inter- Sudan is horrific enough, but it is only emventionist” policies toward Ukraine, where blematic of the unintended consequences neocon holdover Assistant Secretary of of rigid neocon/liberal interventionist ideState for European Affairs Victoria Nuland ology, which rejects negotiations with “bad helped orchestrate a 2014 coup to remove guys,” insisting instead on “regime change” democratically elected President Yanu- or endless punishment of entire populakovych after he was demonized in the U.S. tions through sanctions even when those “solutions” inflict more hardship and death. mainstream media as corrupt.

But now these destructive strategies are Citing “democracy promotion” and “anti-corruption,” the Obama administra- going global. They are threatening the ecotion backed the creation of a coup regime nomic well-being of the entire planet – takthat has relied on neo-Nazi and Islamist ing their place along with other misguided militias to serve as its tip of the spear theories such as “free-market” absolutism against ethnic Russian Ukrainians who and “austerity” in the face of recessions. have resisted the ouster of Yanukovych. The cumulative impact from these various Thousands — mostly eastern Ukrainians follies has been to put the West’s Middle — have died. Of course, all this was ex- Class under severe pressure regarding inplained to the American people as a sim- come and purchasing power, which finally has slowed China’s growth and prompted a ple case of “Russian aggression.”

After the coup, when the ethnic Rus- crash of its financial markets.

That, in turn, is reverberating back sians of Crimea voted to secede from Ukraine and rejoin Russia, that became a across the rest of the world’s stock mar-

Pragmatic Solutions So what can be done? As dark as the gathering economic storm may be, one silver lining could be that Americans and other Westerners will finally begin pushing back against the powerful neoconservatives and their liberal-interventionist fellow-travelers.

Perhaps, instead of President Obama’s Iranian nuclear deal being a one-off affair that may barely survive a determined neocon assault in the U.S. Congress, it could become a model for pragmatic approaches to other international crises. The core of this pragmatism would be that one doesn’t have to love or even like the leadership of another country to cooperate on global concerns, whether they are economic, geopolitical or environmental.

There also should be a recognition that no country has all the answers or a monopoly on morality. American self-righteousness is not only hypocritical – given the many flaws in the U.S. political system from the buying of our campaigns to our repeated violations of international law – but it is self-defeating, requiring the endless expenditure of blood and treasure to act as self-appointed global “policeman” whether the world wants it or not.

If pragmatism replaced exceptionalism as the focus of U.S. international relations, there would be some obvious moves that could reduce world tensions and alleviate some of the economic dislocations that are contributing to the deepening economic crisis.

For instance, instead of a potential nuclear confrontation with Russia over Ukraine, what’s wrong with the eastern Ukrainians receiving more autonomy and the right to keep their Russian language?

Why shouldn’t the people of Crimea have the right to break their political bonds with Kiev and renew them with Moscow?

Why has President Obama bent to the neocon prescriptions of Assistant Secretary Nuland when a little give-and-take could make life better for Ukrainians, Russians and Europeans?

Similarly, why can’t the United States accept a compromise in Syria that includes power-sharing for whatever moderate Sunnis remain and accepts at least the temporary continuation of President Assad’s rule as part of a secular state protecting the lives and interests of Christians, Shiites, Alawites and other minorities? Why not a joint U.S.Russian-Iranian effort to stabilize the wartorn country, block the expansion of the Islamic State and Al Qaeda, and ease the refugee crisis in the Mideast and Europe?

Yes, I realize that geopolitical pragmatism is anathema to many power centers of Official Washington, particularly the influential neocons, their benefactors in the Israel Lobby and the Military-Industrial Complex, and the many self-interested NGOs of the “human rights” community which favor “humanitarian wars” and seem to care little if their purity leads to even more suffering.

But – as the world’s economy teeters and global markets tumble – the American people no longer have the luxury of intervening willy-nilly around the globe.

International pragmatism, including working with adversaries, may be the only way to prevent the swelling geopolitical pressures from building into a devastating financial crash.

Jimmy Carter’s Unheralded Legacy

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Stuart E. Eizenstat | NYT

S Jimmy Carter moves into the twilight of his life, it is enormously frustrating for those of us who worked closely with him in the White House to witness his presidency caricatured as a failure, and to see how he has been marginalized, even by his fellow Democrats, since he left office in 1981.

His defining characteristic was confronting intractable problems regardless of their political cost. His closest aide and confidant, Hamilton Jordan, ruefully joked that the worst argument to make to President Carter to dissuade him from action was that it would hurt him politically.

A former one-term governor of Georgia, Mr. Carter won with a colorblind campaign, and in office he stayed faithful to his message of uplifting the poor of all races at the risk of losing his white Southern base.

Mr. Carter understood that, after Watergate, trust in government needed to be restored. He imposed gift limits and financial disclosure rules on his appointees; slowed the revolving door of officials departing to lobby their former departments; and appointed inspectors general to root out fraud and mismanagement.

Mr. Carter established the Department of Education and increased college tuition grants for needy students.

He ended federal price regulation of trucking, interstate buses, railroads and airlines.

America’s energy outlook would not be as bright as it is today were it not for his dogged determination to awaken the American public and Congress to the dangers of our growing dependence on foreign oil. He broke a quarter-century impasse and began to phase out federal price controls for natural gas, and then crude oil; created the Department of Energy; and began tax incentives for home insulation and for solar energy.

He created the modern vice presidency, making Walter F. Mondale a full partner, and giving him an office close to his own, access to classified documents and involvement in every major decision.

Mr. Carter’s greatest achievements lay in foreign policy, in the humbling aftermath of Vietnam. In an extraordinary act of diplomatic negotiation that he personally conducted at Camp David, Md., Mr. Carter produced the first Middle East peace treaty between Israel and Egypt.

It remains a touchstone of United States security policy

in the region.

In Asia, he took on the Taiwan lobby to establish full diplomatic relations with China, completing the opening begun by Richard M. Nixon. In Latin America, he began a new era of mutual respect by turning over the Panama Canal to local control, and limiting arms sales to military dictatorships. His administration began the unraveling of the Soviet Union by embracing human rights and introducing intermediate-range missiles in Europe.

Given these lasting achievements, why is the Carter presidency viewed with such disdain by so many? The answers lie in two areas, one in his style of governing and his unbending character, and the other in external events. Losing a fight for a second term in a landslide automatically casts a cloud. President Ronald Reagan’s positive, hopeful approach also contrasted with Mr. Carter’s penchant to be the bearer of unpleasant truths, to ask for sacrifice in a way that shaded into the image of a public scold. Trained as an engineer, he sought comprehensive solutions to fundamental challenges through a political system designed for incremental change; his significant successes never quite seemed to match the ambition of his proposals.

Early in his presidency, when he was trying to manage the White House on his own, without a chief of staff, Mr. Carter sent Congress a blizzard of controversial legislative proposals. By his own admission, this overloaded the congressional circuits with too many competing ini-

tiatives. What came back paled in contrast to his excessively broad goals and confused the public. Some presidents have an indefinable quality of making half a loaf seem like a victory, but Mr. Carter did not really recognize politics as the art of the possible. When he won, he looked as if accepting compromise was a loss. Mr. Carter did what he considered “the right thing” for his country, and let the political chips fall where they may.

The fruit of some of Mr. Carter’s greatest achievements came only after he left office. The most painful example was his reining in the ruinous inflation that had bedeviled his predecessors even before the first oil shock of 1973.

Over the objection of almost all his advisers, Mr. Carter appointed Paul A. Volcker chairman of the Federal Reserve, knowing he would raise interest rates to squeeze inflation out of the system. He told us that he had tried two anti-inflation czars, jawboning, voluntary wage and price guidelines, and an austere budget policy; that nothing had worked, and that he would rather lose the 1980 election than leave ingrained inflation to the next generation.

To this day, there is a myth — which Mr. Carter himself has not tried to dispute — that if only he had dispatched more helicopters, our attempt to rescue the American hostages held at our embassy in Iran would have succeeded. (Military commanders, in fact, argued that additional helicopters would have compromised the secrecy of the mission.)

For many it became a metaphor for a failed presidency. The withdrawal of Iranian oil from the world market meanwhile sent oil prices soaring, produced doubledigit inflation, and left millions angrily waiting in lines at the gas pump, just as Mr. Carter sought re-election. The American public saw the entire country held hostage by a second-rate power in the agonizing 444 days that our diplomats and employees were held captive.

After almost 40 years, these failures — and all presidents suffer from them — should be weighed against this good man’s major accomplishments. Another Democratic president who left office widely unpopular, but who in the cold light of history is seen as a paragon of honesty, decisiveness and achievement is Harry S. Truman. He was an idol of Mr. Carter, who put a plaque with Truman’s slogan on his Oval Office desk: “The Buck Stops Here.” Their plain-spoken decency, integrity and courage are too often lacking among political leaders today.

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“Arena of Mind” portrays a space for idea germination, a field where ideas from multi-disciplinary viewpoints fertilize the world of intelligence. The writers aspire to envision a new future by exploring the mind, discovering new seeds of insights and unleashing them to enlightenment.

Micro Finance in India

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icrofinance refers to small scale financial services for both credits and depositsthat are provided to people who farm or fish or herd; operate small or micro enterprise where goods are produced, recycled, repaired, or traded; provide services; work for wages or commissions; gain income from renting out small amounts of land, vehicles, draft animals, or machinery and tools; and to other individuals and local groups in developing countries in both rural and urban areas” Microfinance in India started in the early 1980s with small efforts at forming informal self groups ( SHGS) to provide access to much –needed savings and credit services. From this small beginning, the microfinance sector has grown significantly in the past decades. National bodies like the Small Industries Development Bank of India( SIDBI) and the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development( NABARD) are devoting significant time and financial resources to microfinance.

The strength of the microfinance organisations (MFOs) in India is in the diversity of approaches and forms that have evolved over time. In addition to the home-grown models of SHGs and mutually aided cooperative societies experiments across the world, particularly those in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Bolivia, etc in terms of delivery of micro financial services. Indian organisations could also learn from the transformation experiences of these microfinance initiatives.

In India, microfinance is generally understood but not clearly defined. For instance, if SHGs give a loan for an economic activity, it is seen as microfinance. But if a commercial bank gives a similar loan, it is unlikely that it would be treated as microfinance. In the Indian context there are some value attributes of microfinance.

Microfinance is an activity undertaken by the alternate sector (NGOs).Therefore, a loan given by a market intermediary to small borrower is not seen as microfinance. However when an NGO gives a similar loan it is treated as microfinance. It is assumed that microfinance is given with a laudable intention and has institutional and nonexploitative connotations.

Second, microfinance is something done predominantly with the poor. Banks usually do not qualify to be MFOs because they do not predominantly cater to the poor. However, there is ambivalence about the regional rural banks (RRBs) and the new local area banks (LABs).

Third, microfinance grows out of developmental roots. This can be termed the “alternative commercial sector”. MFOs classified under this head are promoted by the alternative sector and target the poor. However, these MFOs need not necessarily be developmental and incorporation. There are MFOs that are off shoots of NGOs and are run commercially. There are commercial MFOs promoted by people who have developmental credentials.

Last, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has defined microfinance by specifying criteria for exempting MFOs from its registration guidelines.

This definition is limited to not-to-profit companies and only two MFOs in India qualify to be classified as microfinance companies.

Delivery of credit at the doorstep of those who are not covered by the formal banking business, coupled with capacity building, is one of the ways for achieving financial inclusion. Such as financial inclusion of the poor can be fruitful if the credit disbursed can help them become entrepreneurs than meeting only their consumption needs. The process can also be accentuated if the disbursing microfinance institutions (MFIs) inculcate a habit of savings by attracting deposits and come out with insurance products covering various risks.

The Noble Laureate from Bangladesh and the founder of the Grameen Bank movement, Muhammad Yunus, has termed the microfinance disbursement as “a social business” in contrast to the commercial business of banks and financial institutions. There should be a separate regulatory authority for MFIs as distinguished in character from the commercial banks. The regulatory authority for MFIs should evolved guidelines keeping in view the objectives of socio-economic development of the poor.

Microfinance aims to provide protection and inculcate the savings habit for the customers at the bottom of the pyramid. Some time in their lives, most people experience financial difficulties with potentially long lasting results. This is especially true for the poor in developing countries.

Any natural calamities and disasters to the poor are considered to be severely shocking hazards, which is hard for them to recover from. There is therefore a growing realisation of the need for microfinance products in our country. It represents an untapped market of nearly $ 2 billion in India alone, according to a study released by United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Demand for microfinance in India has remained low in a large part because of a severe mismatch between services offered by insurers and the the needs of the insured. The present out reach of microfinance is around 5 million people, covering only 2% of the poor in the country.

Basically, the MFIs in India are of three categories: ( i) Not for profit MFIs ,which include the NGOs (ii) Mutual Benefit MFIs ,which include mutually aided co-operative credit and (iii) for profit MFIs, which include the Non – banking Financial Companies( NBFC).

Despite the numerous challenges, microfinance has in recent past made significant inroads to the need of credit to the masses at the bottom of the pyramid.

Rajani Das, Asst. Professor, Dept. of Economics.

St. Joseph’s College, Jakhama.

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.

8

TuesDAY 1•09•2015

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Sword-wielding activist threatens Modi's model

AhMeDAB AD, Au gust 31 (ReuteRs): Hardik Patel, a swordwielding 22-year-old activist has emerged overnight as the most pressing political threat to Narendra Modi, accusing the Indian prime minister of breaking a promise to provide jobs that helped him win last year's general election.

Patel, by his own admission, scraped through college and failed to land a steady job. But he has proven to be a talented organiser and rabble-rousing orator, creating a mass movement in a matter of weeks.

The explosive issue he has locked on to is caste: He says India's policies of affirmative action have shut his community the Patels, also known as Patidars, out of university places and government jobs.

Patel has stirred upheaval in Gujarat, the state Modi ran for 13 years before he became prime minister - an era of rapid industrial

nomic and social model," Patel said in an interview on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. "But he shouldn't forget that we supported him."

Gujarat still bears the scars of sectarian bloodletting in 2002 when more than 1,000 people were killed, mostly Muslims.

Modi has long faced accusations of failing to quell those riots.

Modi's calls for calm now cut no ice with Patel: "I am ready for a fight to protect the Patels against the economic domination of the lower castes," Patel, a slight man with a broad face and thick hair, told Reuters late last week.

Patel came on Sunday to New Delhi to meet leadHardik Patel has breakfast during an interview with Reuters in Gandhinagar on August 28, ers of other castes that also harbour jobs grievances.

2015. (REUTERS Photo) Brandishing a sword before growth that his Bharatiya to sell platinum when all western state after police his supporters, he vowed to Janata Party (BJP) success- he had was steel". Protests detained Patel briefly, lead- launch protests across India. fully pitched to voters as a culminated last Tuesday ing to at least seven deaths. "model" to bring prosperity in a rally by half a million "Brother Modi is very AFFIRMATIVE ACTION to India's 1.2 billion people. people in Ahmedabad, angry with me and my The Patels, who make Patel calls the model Gujarat's largest city. Vio- community - we have ex- up 14 percent of Gujarat's hyped, saying Modi "tried lence broke out across the posed the flaws in his eco- 60 million people, are not

Centre releases Rs.2,000 crore for pension scheme New Delhi, August 31 (iANs): The union government has released Rs.2,000 crore to the Employees' Pension Scheme as its contribution for the year 201516, Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya said on Monday.

This is in addition to the Rs.250 crore contributed by the central government as grant-in-aid for providing minimum pension of Rs.1,000 to the pensioners of Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995, the minister said in a statement.

The minimum pension for the EPS pensioners was increased to Rs.1,000 per month in September last year.

It is necessary to infuse additional amount by the central government to sustain the continuance of the minimum pension, the statement added.

The contribution of central government is calculated at the rate of 1.16 percent of the monthly wages of the members contributing to the scheme.

This is in addition to the funding by the employers covered under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952, contributing 8.33 percent of the monthly wages of the members of the scheme.

SC stays Rajasthan HC order on Jain practice Santhara New Delhi, August 31 (iANs): The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Rajasthan High Court order which held that the Jain custom of Santhara - a religious practice of fast unto death - amounted to suicide.

Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice Amitava Roy, while staying the high court order banning Santhara, issued notice to the central and Rajasthan governments on a bunch of petitions challenging the August 10 order.

As counsel Harish Salve appeared for a petitioner, the bench said: "Issue notice, leave granted."

The high court order holding that Santhara violated article 21 of the constitution guaranteeing protection of life and personal liberty had come on a public interest litigation filed by Nikhil Soni.

The high court had also made Santhara punishable under section 306 (abetment to suicide) and 309 (attempt to commit suicide) under the Indian Penal Code.

Petitions by religious organisations belonging to the Jain community contended that the high court had erroneously outlawed Santhara without appreciating the basic philosophy and tenets of Jain religion.

icy maker and have had an impact in the northern state of Bihar that will soon go to the polls. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, seeking to keep Modi's BJP out of power, has sympathised with the Patels.

BLINDSIDED Officials in Gujarat admit to being blindsided by the outburst of anger, even though they knew that the Patels' small businesses were struggling and the community was sidelined when profitable new dairy cooperatives were set up.

Some analysts speculate the protests were encouraged by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu organisation allied to the BJP that also opposes reservation.

RSS leaders told Reuters that they played no role, however.

What is clear is that Hardik Patel enjoys the patronage of influential Patel politicians who fell out of favour with Modi.

"There are several senior Patels standing behind him who were waiting for Modi to leave Gujarat," said one industrialist from the Patel clan. "Hardik Patel is a smart soldier and an able commander."

Protests against India's affirmative action programmes erupted 25 years ago, when caste-based quotas in jobs and colleges were sought to be expanded. The current movement appears to have snowballed because Modi has not been able to meet the expectations of some of his supporters while the economy remains stalled.

"Gujarat's much-celebrated growth rate has slowed down in the last two years. There are hardly any jobs to absorb the young and the restless," said Sebastian Morris, a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

"This problem is not just in Gujarat, but it is faced by youths across India."

Was Union Home Secretary replaced as he wanted info on Naga peace deal: Cong New Delhi, August 31 (Pti): Congress on Monday said that the sudden removal of LC Goyal as Union Home Secretary could be because of his seeking information on the Naga peace accord the Centre signed with NSCN (IM).

"Government may have got upset with him because of his seeking information on the Naga accord as the Home Ministry was not aware about the development. It could have

been thought as to how he could dare...", senior party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.

Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his style of working, he noted that in the last 15 months two Home Secretaries of the government of India were "insulted and removed" and a Foreign Secretary was also sacked unceremoniously.

Sharma alleged that the Prime Minister's "authoritatian style of func-

tioning and arbitrary decision-making undermines the cabinet form of governance. It is not a Presidential form of governance."

He charged that the Prime Minister, from day one, has started a policy which is "dangerous for modern India", in which his ministers don't know about the secretaries their departments are going to have.

"We can only take note of the unexpressed agony of the ministers who come

to know about their secretaries through TV and newspapers only", he said.

Congress, he said, also felt "sorry" for such an important post like Home Minister which Rajnath Singh is holding and who comes to know about things when the file comes from "top".

"We are commenting about governance, processes and about complete centralisation of power.

Many uncomfortable questions have arisen under Na-

rendra Modi government", he remarked.

He said that to run the administration smoothly, the earlier government had taken a conscious decision to have a fixed tenure for key bureaucrats like the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary but Modi government is "doing away with it".

Sharma's reaction came on a day when in a surprise development, senior IAS officer Rajiv Mehrishi, who was to re-

tire today, was appointed as Union Home Secretary, replacing L C Goyal whose tenure abruptly ended 17 months before the completion of his two-year tenure.

Goyal had taken over as Home Secretary nearly seven months back on February 5 in place of Anil Goswami who was sacked after he allegedly tried to prevent CBI from arresting former Union Minister Matang Sinh in connection with Saradha chit fund scam case.

Sheena murder: Custody of accused extended till Sept 5

Law panel recommends to abolish death penalty New Delhi, August 31 (iANs): The Law Commission, in a report released on Monday, recommended India abolish the death penalty, with the exception of terror-related offences, saying that sending a convict to the gallows has lost its relevance as a deterrent to curb heinous offences.

While not recommending the abolition of death sentence in terror-related cases, the commission has however, said that "there is no valid penological justification for treating terrorism differently from other crimes".

Making an exception for terrorism, it noted that "a concern is often raised that abolition of death penalty for terrorism related offences and waging war (against India), will affect the national security".

"However, given the concern raised by the law makers, the commission does not see any reason to wait any longer to take the first step towards abolition of death penalty for all the offences other than the terrorismrelated offences, said the report's recommendations.

"It (capital punishment is deterrent) is a myth. It is no deterrence. It has lost its relevance as deterrent," said Justice (retd.) A.P.Shah while releasing the report on his last day as the chairman of the Law Commission.

The "strong recommendation" for the abolition of death sentence for all the offences other than terrorism-related offences and waging war against the country found favour with six members of the commission while three members - two government representatives and Justice Usha Mehra - differed.

Saying the abolition of death sentence had to be a "gradual" process as was done in England, Justice Shah said that "it has to be a gradual process and to begin with ordinary law".

poor by Indian standards.

Originally landowners the name Patel means one who owns land - they have branched out into trades like diamond polishing in India. The community is also highly mobile and Patels own thousands of small businesses in the United States and Britain.

Yet, in a country where 700 million people subsist on $2 a day or less, many Patels still aspire to join a nascent middle class. With the economy growing too slowly to create jobs, they say they are being excluded from scarce government posts.

After independence, India protected lower castes and tribal communities by reserving college places and government positions for them. These quotas were later expanded to add "Other Backward Classes", including the one that Modi comes from.

The Patel protests have damaged Modi's reputation as an economic pol-

Workers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) remove algae from the surface of the waters in Baba-Dem in the morning in Srinagar on August 31. (REUTERS Photo)

Economic growth slows to 7% in April-June quarter New Delhi, August 31 (Pti): Reflecting a muted performance, the GDP growth slowed to 7 per cent in the April-June quarter, from 7.5 per cent in the previous quarter, amid deceleration in farm, services and manufacturing sectors.

A slower GDP growth, along with slower pace of industrial production expansion, however bolsters the case for a rate cut by the Reserve Bank.

The Gross Value Added (GVA), a new concept introduced by CSO to measure the economic activity, also slipped during the first quarter to 7.1 per cent, from 7.4 per cent a year ago.

The GDP grew at 7.5 per cent in the January-March quarter while it was 6.7 per cent in the April-June quarter last year, according to data from the

Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The nominal GDP and GVA at current market price showed a steep decline in the quarter under review.

The nominal GDP slipped to 8.8 per cent in Q1 from 13.4 per cent a year ago while the GVA growth rate nearly halved to 7.1 per cent from 14 per cent a year ago.

The government towards the beginning of the fiscal has projected a growth rate of 8.1-8.5 per cent in the current fiscal, which may be difficult to achieve. RBI, which has cut interest rate by 0.75 per cent in three tranches since January, is scheduled to announce the next bi-monthly policy on September 29.

The data showed that the manufacturing sector GVA at constant pric-

es (2011-12) rose 7.2 per cent in the April-June quarter as against 8.4 per cent in the year-ago period.

Similarly, the growth in the output of electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services decelerated sharply to 3.2 per cent as against 10.1 per cent a year earlier. The farm and allied sectors grew at 1.9 per cent, down from 2.6 per cent in the previous year.

The output of mining and quarrying sector too slipped marginally to 4 per cent, from 4.3 per cent a year ago.

Financial, real estate and professional services growth shrank to 8.9 per cent as against 9.3 per cent a year earlier. However, the construction activity registered an increase of 6.9 per cent, up from 6.5 per cent in the previous year.

MuMBAi, August 31 (iANs): A Mumbai magistrate on Monday extended the police custody of Indrani Mukherjea and two other prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case till September 5.

Indrani, the victim's mother and wife of former media baron Peter Mukherjea, briefly fainted in the Bandra court room as the public prosecutor argued that their custody be further extended.

Indrani as well as her former driver Shyam Rai and her ex-husband, Kolkata-based Sanjeev Khanna, were in the court room when the ruling came. All three were driven to the Khar police station.

The public prosecutor said that investigators suspect the involvement of some others outside Maharashtra in the 2012 murder, and so further custodial interrogation of Indrani, Rai and Khanna was required.

The police also wanted to probe the exact motive behind Sheena's murder and were trying to ascertain where the accused dumped the victim's clothes, mobile phone and other belongings after the killing, the court was told.

Khanna's lawyer argued that the police were only awaiting the reports of the forensic tests, and there was no need to extend his police custody. He could be sent to judicial custody instead.

Indrani's lawyers alleged that the police were using pressure tactics to force a confession from her and that she was allegedly slapped while in custody.

As an army of journalists mobbed the court, her lawyers also said that Indrani had been interrogated for around 90 hours since her arrest here on August 25 and there was no need to question her any more.

After the police submitted the status report, the court extended the police custody of the three accused till September 5.

The first to be arrested in the case was driver Rai, followed by Indrani and Khanna.

Indrani is accused of killing her daughter Sheena in a moving car with help from Khanna and the driver. Her body was later set on fire and buried in a forested region of Raigad district near here.

‘Indian democracy facing greatest dangers since Independence’ New Delhi, August 31 (iANs): Nayantara Sahgal, India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's niece, who is known for not holding back any punches, says India is facing the gravest danger to democracy under the current BJP dispensation.

"Our country is facing the destruction of the very idea of India as a great, multi-religious, multi-cultural civilization. We are facing the gravest danger we have faced since independence. Our freedom is not merely under threat, it is being 'openly attacked'," Sahgal, whose latest work, "Nehru's India: Essays On

The Maker Of A Nation", has just been released, told IANS in an e-mail interview.

Sahgal, outspoken and erudite author, held that India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rule has moved backwards from reason and science to superstition and ignorance. "What else can one call the absurd and dangerous nonsense we now hear? Ganesh's elephant nose was grafted by Vedic surgery; Hindu women must breed more Hindus and must have 10 children; the whole world will be Hindu in a few years."

The Sahitya Akademi Award winner says India's

modern outlook that has been cultivated since independence is under attack by the dismissal of qualified historians, scientists, and filmmakers from premier institutions.

"Obedient servants of the RSS have been put in crucial posts. Writers and artists are under attack.

The media is heavily controlled. Nearly 75 percent of it is owned by one corporate house," she rued.

Holding both the BJP and the opposition Congress responsible for the washout of the recently concluded monsoon session of parliament, Sahgal said it is time that rules

were made that business can proceed in both houses. "The BJP made a washout of parliament sessions during the previous regime. The Congress has done it this time. Obviously parliament must make rules that will keep it in session so that business can proceed," she said.

Parliament's threeweek-long monsoon session that concluded on August 13 was washed out over Congress demands for the resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and two BJP chief ministers, Vasundhara Raje Scindia and Shivraj Singh Chauhan, on graft charges.

Sahgal was equally harsh on the Congress.

Taking a swipe at the emergency clamped during prime minister Indira Gandhi's rule, she said: "The Indian people justified Nehru's faith in them when they defeated Indira at the next election. It is up to the Indian people to do likewise with Narendra Modi (at the next general election)."

In a similar vein, Sahgal attributed to Indira Gandhi, then the Congress president, the dismissal of Kerala's first democratically elected communist government in 1959.

"The decision was Indira Gandhi's, as Congress

president. I do not justify it," Sahgal said.

Sahgal also lamented the "systematic" move to "wipe Nehru out of history", attributing this to the "psychopathic fear" of Hindutva forces.

"Hindutva has been waiting in the wings since 1920 and can now, under its own government, promote its ideology. What you call Nehruvian ideology is in fact the fundamental beliefs on which modern India is based; it has led us to the modern nation we have become and to all the achievements which make us proud today," she maintained.

TuesDAY 1•09•2015

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

9

Refugee crisis is Merkel’s biggest challenge

German Chancellor Angela Merkel leaves after her visit to an asylum seekers accomodation facility in the eastern German town of Heidenau near Dresden on August 26, where last week more than 30 police were injured in clashes, when a mob of several hundred people pelted officers with bottles and fireworks. (REUTERS Photo)

BeRLiN, August 31 (ReuteRs): Returning from her summer break in mid-August, German Chancellor Angela Merkel raised some eyebrows by describing Europe’s refugee problem as a bigger challenge than the Greece crisis, which had overshadowed all else in the first half of 2015.

No one in Germany is questioning her assessment any longer.

In the past two weeks, the country has been shaken by a perfect storm

of headlines that have elevated the refugee issue, long seen in Germany as primarily a southern European problem, to the very top of the public and political agenda.

First, Merkel’s interior minister announced that he expected 800,000 people to seek asylum in Germany this year, nearly double the amount that had been forecast only a few months before and almost four times last year’s total.

Next came the far-right protests against refugees in

the eastern town of Heidenau that left over 30 police injured and revived the spectre of racist violence that Germany experienced in the early 1990s, the last time asylum numbers surged.

Then last Thursday, an abandoned truck with 71 dead migrants was found on a highway in Austria, just as Merkel arrived in Vienna for a conference on the western Balkans.

She had been jeered as a “traitor” by locals in Heidenau the day be-

fore for showing solidarity with refugees there and appeared visibly shaken in Vienna as she spoke to reporters about the gruesome new discovery.

All of a sudden it seems, the depth of the refugee crisis is beginning to register in Germany.

Merkel is no stranger to crises. Her ten years in power have been dominated by the global financial meltdown, turmoil in the euro zone and the conflict with Russia over Ukraine.

But those crises were distant for most Germans.

Now she must wrestle with a problem that is having a profound effect on communities across Germany.

“During the euro crisis people had the impression that it was other countries that had a problem and Germany was in good shape. Now the burden is very much at home,” German weekly Die Zeit wrote this week. “For the first time since Merkel came to power, Germany could begin to look like a problem country.”

POLITICAL FALLOUT Merkel remains hugely popular after a decade as chancellor that has coincided with Germany’s reemergence as an economic

power and influential player in foreign affairs.

During the Ukraine and euro zone crises, Europe has looked to her to lead and she has in her own cautious step-by-step way. But the refugee crisis is a challenge of an entirely different dimension and complexity.

It is a local, national and European problem. And it will likely require the kind of proactive rally-the-people leadership that Merkel has not always been comfortable with in the past.

She waited nearly three days to speak out against the violence in Heidenau, drawing sharp criticism and showing that she is still finding her feet in this crisis.

“A lot will be asked of the politicians,” Die Zeit said. “They must recognise that we are in a new world and find the appropriate words for it.”

In Germany, the problems start with towns and cities that have found themselves overwhelmed by a flood of asylum seekers who need to be housed, fed and treated for health problems.

Last week, Merkel’s cabinet agreed to raise the level of federal support for local communities to 1 billion euros. And there is

talk that this sum could be tripled at a “refugee summit” that the government will hold on Sept. 24. But experts say this would still fall far short of what is required.

Colouring the debate over resources are concerns that if Germany does too much -- one idea is to provide refugees with special cards so they can visit doctors without first obtaining health insurance -it will only encourage more to make the trek north to Germany.

Too much government support could also deepen resentment among average Germans who are struggling to make ends meet, boosting support for rightwing parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at the expense of the ruling parties.

Already, politicians in Berlin are worrying about how the crisis might affect important state elections next March and the federal vote in 2017, when Merkel is widely expected to run for a fourth term.

Senior Social Democrats (SPD) are thinking about ways to prevent the flood of refugees from showing up in the unemployment statistics ahead of those votes. People in Merkel’s entourage de-

scribe the crisis as having “explosive” potential for her party, which remains far ahead in opinion polls for now.

“OUT OF CONTROL” Then there are the concerns about how to handle the far-right backlash against refugees, which has been centred in the former communist east of the country, but also led to almost daily arson attacks in western states like Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemburg and North Rhine Westphalia.

Most of these attacks have been on empty buildings slated to become shelters but politicians admit that it is only a matter of time before refugees are injured or killed.

“Very quickly you could have a situation like we had in the early 1990s where shelters full of refugees are being attacked,” said one senior official in Berlin who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. “Something like this can quickly get out of the control of the politicians.”

For much of the postwar period, German politicians referred to immigrants as “Gastarbeiter”, or guest workers, as if they would return to their home countries once the work was done.

That illusion persisted until quite recently when the realisation began to set in that Germany desperately needed immigrants to cope with a looming demographic crisis caused by its low birth rate. Still, the main focus was on bringing in skilled labour to fill the needs of the German “Mittelstand”, or small business community.

Many of the Syrians, Kosovars, Eritreans and Iraqis that are coming to Germany now do not fit that bill. The biggest challenge of all for Merkel may be to lead Europe towards a common asylum policy.

German politicians express exasperation these days at the refusal of some EU partners to accept their “fair share” of refugees.

Unless this is resolved soon, they fear, then the openness of ordinary Germans could vanish quickly.

The optimists in Berlin point to the euro zone and Ukraine crises as examples of where Europe has defied the odds and remained united. It will fall primarily to Merkel to deliver the same consensus on refugees.

“The asylum issue could be the next big project where we show whether we’re capable of working together,” Merkel said in mid-August.

Myanmar president signs off on English union with Scotland in Poverty hampers children’s brain development law seen as ‘targeting’ Muslims ‘mortal danger’: ex-PM Brown NAYPYiDAW, August 31 (ReuteRs): Myanmar’s president on Monday signed into law the last of four controversial bills championed by radical Buddhists but decried by rights groups as aimed at discriminating against the country’s Muslim minority.

Myanmar, which will hold its first democratic national poll in more than two decades on Nov. 8, has seen a flowering of anti-Muslim hate speech since the military gave up full power and opened up politics and the economy in 2011.

President Thein Sein signed the Monogamy Bill after it was passed by parliament on August 21, Zaw Htay, a senior official at the president’s office, told Reuters.

The law was briefly sent back to parliament for review before being signed.

The bill sets punishments for people who have more than one spouse or live with an unmarried partner other than the spouse. The government denies it is aimed at Muslims, estimated to make up about 5 percent of the population, and some of whom practice polygamy.

The president also signed two other laws, which restrict religious conversion and interfaith

marriage, on August 26, Zaw Htay said. The measures are part of four “Race and Religion Protection Laws” championed by the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion, or Ma Ba Tha. The laws were dangerous for Myanmar, said an official of New York-based Human Rights Watch.

“They set out the potential for discrimination on religious grounds and pose the possibility for serious communal tension,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. “Now that these laws are on the books, the concern is how they are implemented and enforced.” In May, the president signed a Ma Ba Tha-backed population control bill that forces some women to space three years between each birth.

The monk-led group has stoked sentiment against Muslims, whom it has accused of trying to take over Myanmar and outbreed its Buddhist majority. Hundreds of people have been killed in flareups of religious violence in Myanmar. In 2012, an incident in Rakhine State led to the displacement of more than 140,000 people, most of them members of the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority.

LONDON, August 31 (ReuteRs): British Prime Minister David Cameron has put the future of the centuries-old union between England and Scotland in mortal danger by stoking English nationalism, former premier Gordon Brown said on Sunday.

Brown, who led a Labour government between 2007 and 2010, told an audience in his native Scotland that Conservative leader Cameron must retreat from policies that draw dividing lines between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Scots voted 55 percent to 45 percent to maintain their 308 year-old union with the England in a 2014 referendum. But since that vote support for the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) has surged, helping

the SNP win almost every British parliamentary seat in Scotland at May’s national election.

“The union is in mortal danger unless the Tories (Conservatives) are prepared to turn off the tap of English nationalism,” Brown said at a book festival in Edinburgh, according to a copy of his speech distributed by his office.

Cameron swept to a surprise election victory in May as voters backed his manifesto based on the Conservative Party’s reputation for economic competence and a promise to deliver a budget surplus.

During the Scottish referendum campaign he said it would break his heart if Scotland split from the United Kingdom.

Brown, a 64-year-old Scot who was ranked Britain’s most unpopular prime minister in half a century, emerged as an unlikely star of the referendum.

He was credited with seeing off a late surge of separatist support with a series of barnstorming pro-union speeches.

On Sunday, Brown criticised Cameron’s “pernicious” national election campaign, which warned voters that unless they backed the Conservative Party

they would end up with a Labour-led government that was beholden to Scottish nationalists.

He said the same tactic could be used during an in/out European referendum.

Britons will vote on whether to remain a member of the European Union before the end of 2017, after Cameron has sought to renegotiate EU rules on politically sensitive issues such as immigration. The pro-EU SNP has said it would likely seek another independence referendum if Britain voted to leave.

He called for Cameron to meet in full the promises he made to Scottish voters before the independence reference to devolve powers to Scotland.

Brown also said plans to give lawmakers in English constituencies a veto over laws that only affect England, undermined Scotland and risked creating two classes of politician in parliament.

“As the government of the UK, and as a self-proclaimed Unionist party, they should instead be standing up for British values and institutions that we share in common and which connect us together,” he said.

“The Storm Makers” puts sex-trafficking in spotlight LONDON, August 31 (thOmsON ReuteRs FOuNDAtiON): Cambodians say that when human traffickers arrive in a village, they bring a storm and tears with them, an experience that Aya, sold into slavery when she was 16, will never forget.

Her story is at the centre of the “The Storm Makers”, a documentary by French-Cambodian filmmaker Guillaume Suon, who spent three years filming human trafficking victims and traffickers in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

A chilling expose of Cambodia’s human trafficking underworld, the film depicts the lives of women like Aya who have returned from a life of slavery abroad, and those preparing to leave the country in the hope of earning enough money to support their families at home.

It also portrays a trafficker who claims he has sold more than 500 Cambodian girls, some as young as 14, without ever being arrested by police.

“Aya’s story is a strong example that shows all the reasons why Cambodians become victims of human trafficking,” Suon, 32, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Almost 20 percent of Cambodians live below the poverty line and the country lacks a social welfare network to support

poor families, its institutions still struggling to recover from the devastation caused by dictator Pol Pot’s genocidal regime in the late 1970s.

Aya, now in her early 20s, recently came back to Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia after she was trafficked to Malaysia to work as a maid.

Disabled and unable to support their family, Aya’s parents had been approached by a recruiter promising Aya would be able to work in Malaysia in a secure job and send home money.

Her boss was abusive, so she escaped, only to be raped the night she ran away. She became pregnant as a result of the rape.

“Sometimes, I’d like her to sell him,” her mother says in the film about the baby, a tiny boy seen rocking in a hammock, whom she resents as just another mouth to feed. “I should have died over there,” Aya says. Her own relationship with her son is also fraught as a result of the violence she experienced. She says she hits the baby when she thinks of his father and what he did to her.

TRAPPED IN POVERTY Cambodia is a “source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labour and sex trafficking,” the U.S. State Department’s 2015 “Trafficking in Per-

WAshiNgtON, August 31 (iANs): Growing in severe poverty can adversely affect children’s brain development, thereby putting them at a disadvantage for academic achievement, new research has found.

The researchers found that low-income children had atypical structural brain development and lower standardised test scores.

“These observations suggest that interventions aimed at improving children’s environments may also alter the link between childhood poverty and deficits in cognition and academic achievement,” the study noted.

The authors estimated that as much as 20 percent of the gap in test scores could be explained by developmental lags in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

While the frontal lobe is important for controlling attention, inhibition, emotions and complex learning, the temporal lobe is important for memory and language comprehension, such as identifying and attaching meaning to words.

Socioeconomic disparities in school readiness and academic performance are well documented but little is known about the mechanisms underlying the influence of poverty on children’s learning and achievement.

For the study, Seth Pollak of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, and colleagues analysed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 389 typically developing children and adolescents ages four to 22 with complete sociodemographic and neuroimaging data.

The authors measured children’s scores on cognitive and academic achievement tests and brain tissue, including gray matter of the total brain, frontal lobe, temporal lobe and hippocampus.

They observed developmental lags in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brains of children stricken with severe poverty. On average, children from low-income households scored four to seven points lower on standardised tests, according to the results. The study was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

Vehicular air pollution increases heart attack risk

An undated photo of Aya, now in her 20s, who recently returned to Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia after she was trafficked to Malaysia to work as a maid. Photo courtesy of Tipasa Production, Bophana Production.

sons Report” noted.

Entrenched poverty, especially in rural areas, forces tens of thousands each year to work in Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and increasingly the Middle East, lured by the promise of lucrative jobs.

“I target the poorest ones,” trafficker Pou Houy says in the film.

“These people are easy to lure and to recruit. Most can’t read, they have nothing to lose. Even the factories don’t want them, nobody wants them but me.”

He has never been arrested by the police and enjoys a life of luxury due to his trafficking activities, an industry estimated to be worth $150 billion globally.

Aya, meanwhile, now earns a meagre living by washing dishes, cooking for her neighbours and hauling bricks for $1 a day on a construction site in the capital Phnom Penh.

Suon spent much of his time in Cambodia in the countryside, where most of the trafficking vic-

tims come from, to gain the trust of locals.

“Nearly everyone knows someone who has gone to work abroad,” said Suon. “It was easy to find the trafficking victims and the traffickers, who operate freely and with impunity.”

“The Storm Makers” will have its television premiere on Monday on the PBS channel in the United States and will be screened online throughout September.

LONDON, August 31 (iANs): Even short term exposure to particulate matter and nitric dioxide (NO2) air pollution, that originate predominantly from the combustion of fossil fuels such as emissions from industrial plants or vehicles increases risk of severe heart attacks, research has found.

The study investigated the effect of short term exposure to air pollution on the risk of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a deadly type of heart attack caused by a prolonged blockage of blood supply in the heart.

“The association between STEMI and air pollution was observed within one day of exposure,” said researcher Jean-Francois Argacha, cardiologist at University Hospital Brussels in Belgium.

“This was despite the fact that concentrations of air pollutants were within the European air quality standard,” Argacha noted.

The researchers used a statistical model to evaluate real-time exposure to air pollution in each part of Belgium with adjustments for population density.

The researchers looked at records of hospitalisations for STEMI in Belgium between 2009 and 2013.

They found that 10 micrograms per cubic metre increases in ambient PM2.5 concentrations were associated with a 2.8 percent increase in STEMI while 10 micrograms per cubic metre rises in NO2 were associated with a 5.1 percent increased risk.

These associations were only observed in men.

“It is possible that only men were affected because of the under representation of women in our study population (less than 25 percent),” Argacha said.

The findings were presented at European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2015 in London this week.

10

tuesDAY 01•09•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Juve suffer side effects of dismantling winning team

MILAN, August 31 (ReuteRs): Juventus appear to be suffering from a predictable early-season slump in the wake of a summer spent fumbling around the transfer market in a bid to rebuild a team that had grown to dominate Serie A. Juve have captured four straight league titles, including runaway wins in the last two seasons, but have seen their strangehold loosened in just eight days with back-toback losses at the start of the 2015-16 campaign.

Sunday's 2-1 defeat at AS Roma was the first time that Juventus have lost two league matches in a row since March 2011, the last season before their dominance began, and the first time they have ever lost their first two fixtures.

The lacklustre start, however, can hardly be deemed as that big a surprise following the loss of three influential players, and the heart of last season's team, during the summer. Playmaker Andrea Pirlo, whose arrival in 2011 sparked Juve's dominant run, decided that at 36, it was time to bid farewell to Serie A and ply his trade in North America. Arturo Vidal, one of the most complete midfielders in the world, left for Bayern Munich, apparently believing he would have a better chance of winning the Champions League, and Carlos Tevez returned to his native Argentina.

In their place have come the temperamental Mario Mandzukic, the relatively inexperienced Paulo Dybala and injuryprone Germany midfielder Sami Khedi-

ra. Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado seemed to be an afterthought when he was signed last week and there was a failed, drawn-out attempt to coax midfielder Julian Draxler from Schalke 04.

Dybala, 21, scorer of a late consolation on Sunday, appeared a logical choice to replace his fellow Argentine Tevez but is clearly going to need time to settle.

Mandzukic has a respectable scoring record but the Croat spent most of his first game against Udinese fighting petty battles with the opposition, an unhappy facet of his game and a striking contrast to the feisty Tevez. Khedira, sadly, has already suffered another of the nagging injuries which plagued his last season at Real Madrid and is out for another two months. The form and confidence of the players who have survived from last season has also been affected, particularly Simone Padoin and Paul Pogba in midfield. An injury to Italy midfielder Claudio Marchisio has not helped either.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri, who surprisingly reverted to a three-man defence on Sunday, has remained as unflappable as ever heading into a twoweek international break.

"When we come back, we'll have Claudio Marchisio ready and Sami Khedira won't be far off," he said. "I'm not worried, now we will start our season. These things can happen in football, they shouldn't happen but they do. The season is long and our team still has all our cards to play."

swansea end Man united's unbeaten start

LONDON, August 31 (ReuteRs): Swansea City came from behind to end Manchester United's unbeaten start to the Premier League season with an impressive 2-1 victory at the Liberty Stadium on Sunday. After an entertaining first half ended goalless Juan Mata fired Luke Shaw's teasing cross into the roof of the net in the 48th minute before Swansea took control.

Andre Ayew restored parity with a headed effort 13 minutes later before Bafetimbi Gomis maintained his superb form with a low shot five minutes later as the Welsh side registered their third successive 2-1 league victory over United.

"It was a very difficult game," Swansea captain Ashley Williams told Sky Sports.

"We had to dig deep.

"Any time you can beat one of the top teams shows our improvement. We keep working every day and every week. We want to be a consistently good side."

Earlier, Dusan Tadic's brace and a goal from Graziano Pelle gave Southampton's stuttering league campaign lift-off with a comfortable 3-0 victory over promoted Norwich City at St Mary's .

Norwich defender Steven Whittaker was sent off having received two yellow cards within four first-half minutes for professional fouls as the south-coast club registered their first victory of the season.

United's solid yet unspectacular start to the season had been built on a steely defence which had yet to concede and had

restricted opponents to just five shots on target in three matches this season.

Swansea, however, achieved a Premier League double over United last season and had started the season unbeaten, including an impressive opening-day draw at champions Chelsea.

United started brightly, though, with Memphis Depay and Mata sending early warnings of United's attacking threat.

Swansea began to grow into the game having weathered United's early attacking raids with Gylfi Sigurdsson firing agonisingly wide before Bafetimbi Gomis curled an effort against the post.

Wayne Rooney netted a midweek Champions League hat-trick but continued his underwhelming domestic form, squandering a host of inviting chances and having fewer first-half touches than every other United player.

After the break Mata fired in before the hosts turned the game on its head.

Ayew headed home Sigurdsson's cross before the Ghanaian's stunning pass created space for Gomis to slide home his ninth goal in his last 10 Premier League matches. Swansea, who have eight points from four games, leapfrogged United, with seven, into fourth. Southampton moved up to 10th with five points while Norwich sit one point adrift in 14th.

Manchester City top the standings going into the international break with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in action with Swansea's a maximum 12 points from four games, Ashley Williams during a Barclays Premier League match at the three ahead of Crystal Palace.

Liberty Stadium on August 30. (Reuters)

public discourse

speculATiVe GAMes: (pArT ii) A response froM A sTep-son

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ever have the Nagas been confronted with so much confusion in recent history in the aftermath of signing the much touted "framework agreement" on 3rd August 2015 between GoI and the NSCN (IM) followed by the so-called 'consultations' of NGO's, civil society and elected representatives by selective invitation in the absence of the Fourth Estate who were pointedly debarred from entering the forbidden ground both at Niathu Resort and Chumukedima on the 25th and 26th August 2015 respectively. Why was the Press disallowed when it is the main pivotal vehicle that conveys clarity of any proceedings to the masses? For reasons best known to the NSCN (IM), their deliberate effort of to maintain fogged up ambiguity is truly working. One would have expected the Press fraternity to react sharply to this unwarranted shabby treatment when their fundamental freedom had grossly been violated. Instead of tamely swallowing the bitter pill and carrying out a third person reportage and continue walking that insulting extra mile to cover a pre-tailored press statement it was within their rights to register their ethical honour by boycotting the total proceedings in protest to ensure that such an unhealthy practice is not repeated in the future... not only for the sake of the Fourth Estate but also for the sake of the readers who too have a right to know the bare facts. Their duty was to relay the actual unbiased picture as witnessed by them rather than have the picture painted as described to them by an uncomprehending third party. Their docile response has cost the public dearly with the resultant sketchy news coverage picked up from the clueless participants. It has more served to stoke further confusion than clarity...but I suppose this is Nagaland where even the 'Fourth Estate' perceives no damage done in opting to reduce their self respect to that of a nonexistent 'Fifth Estate' instead of upholding the unquestionable ethical honour of their profession. This observation is not intended as a mere criticism but to help the Fourth Estate to understand their role and responsibility to the masses in the future. What remains clear is that the contents of this 'maha' agreement had not been divulged in both the sittings, leaving the masses no wiser than they were before its signing. NSCN (IM) has only itself to blame for encouraging speculative games to continue for better or for worse.

This author reiterates that when two conflicting parties reach any form of an agreement it ought to be applauded and from this perspective alone the agreement of 3rd August 2015 is applauded.

This applause does not however apply to the contents of the agreement which is an unknown quantity. Let us try and draw a lesson from a very true story that actually happened in the past. A very long time ago when reading and writing was still a preserve of a privileged few in the rural sector, a fortunate semi-literate GB of a village had asked an irksome elderly villager to deliver a letter to the Deputy Commissioner Mokokchung. That unfortunate illiterate rural elder did as he was bid by his GB and delivered the letter to the DC only to find out that the GB had recommended that the bearer of the letter be locked up in prison. The DC was given no reason why the bearer of the letter should be locked up and therefore no action was taken. There was a volcanic eruption in the village when this unfortunate 'letter bearer' reached home. Does this true story not fit our present circumstance? Compliant Nagas had been selectively invited to mandate an agreement, the contents of which they knew absolutely nothing about. Like that illiterate rural elder we have delivered the

letter of endorsement to the GoI without knowing the contents. No one without exception...the Apex Hohos and NGOs and selected invitees... who attended the socalled consultation meet at Niathu Resort had the right to mandate any agreement without knowing the contents and without pre-consultation with their respective constituents. This author strongly believes that the Nagas have waited 69 long years to hear the final whistle. We ought to have had the patience to wait another month or two to get our acts together in a legitimately honourable manner...by registering a well considered debate on all the contents of the agreement by Village Council of elders facilitated through their respective Apex Hohos before the actual endorsement thus recreating an almost equivalent moral force of 1951 plebiscite.

It would have sent an unimpeachable signal not only to the GoI but also to all other NPGs unambiguously registering where the will of the masses lie. We can only hope that we are not waiting for a volcanic eruption when the end result is declared based on an illegitimate endorsement.

The conflicting terminology of "shared sovereignty" within the Indian Constitution, from 'independence to interdependence' and so on is nothing much more than word jugglery which at best simply describes a State within the Indian Union with a measure of enhanced autonomy loosely termed as "shared sovereignty".

There has been opinion raised earlier that if the issue of "integration" is not a part of the packaged agreement, Mr. Muivah who is from Manipur, would have no place within the State of Nagaland no matter what his sacrifices. It is equally inconceivable to believe that he would make such supreme sacrifices without his personal interest being put in the frame.

There has also been wild speculation that the Intanki Reserve Forest and the Nagaland Special Development Zone (NSDZ) could very well be converted into a rehabilitation centre of all the other Naga Tribes beyond the State boundary to afford them backdoor political rights to participate within Nagaland. The discomfort of 'physical integration' being ruled out and yet have a "Pan Naga Confederation" that would encompass all Nagas from other geographical areas, with statutory financial, legal and customary authority vested in it in the likeness of Article 371 A is an unfathomable proposition that any sensible Nagas ought to have questioned.

How would this work in practice? The expounded theory that all Apex Hohos would suitably be empowered in the future seems to describe an infrastructure directed towards the formation of a "Collective Leadership" as presently practiced by the NSCN (IM). Would this mean that the existing State machinery is suitably revamped to reinforce the operational clout of Pan Naga Confederation overriding the State boundary and become the ultimate vehicle of governance within and beyond? Would this scenario then provide Mr. Muivah an opportunity to gain an overall access by default as the Chairman of the Collective Leadership, with or without being an indigenous inhabitant of the State of Nagaland? Pilferage of Intanki Reserve Forest and NSDZ for rehabilitation of out-State Nagas would then become a secondary option.

Admittedly these are all wild speculations without any concrete basis and would amount to nothing. This however is what secrecy does to a mind in a nontransparent environment and the onus of responsibility rest with the NSCN (IM) for perpetuating it.

Khekiye K. Sema IAS (Rtd) Forest Colony, Kohima

(On the recent Rani Raidinliu’s Memorial Museum)

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rom NBCC to ABAM to Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) to Lotha Hoho to Angami Youth Organization (AYO), so many organizations and individuals have voiced their resentment against the construction of Gaidinliu’s Memorial Museum cum Library at Kohima which is been funded by the Govt of India. This made me wonder if we Nagas are fair enough in our judgement and conclusion.

When the Govt of India have decided to built a memorial in recognition of Rani Gaidinliu’s contribution to India’s fight against the British aggression, it has not gone down too well with

other tribes of Nagaland, which seems to me as nothing but a bigbrother- bully if not hypocrisy at its height. As much as other Naga brothers, I do not subscribe in any way to the teaching or ideology of Heraka cult, but the argument to oppose the memorials holds no water because of the fact that the memorials is in recognition of her contribution to India’s freedom movement and not because of she being the leader of a cult called ‘Heraka’. Gaidinliu deserve to be honoured for her immense sacrifices, and to discriminate on the ground of religion is a huge disrespect to the great freedom fighter who have been accorded due rec-

ognition nationally. If Nagaland can have Indira Gandhi (a hindu) Stadium at Kohima I simply don’t understand why we should oppose Rani Gaidinliu Memorial Museum. More so, to equate her religious movement to that of her contribution to national cause is a sign of immaturity, because Heraka movement and her fight against British colonialism are two different entities.

Being from a small tribe which is lagging far behind from the major tribe in all spheres, sometimes we were made to wonder if we are being bullied or looked down by our big brothers. Had Rani Gaidinliu hailed from a major Naga tribe I

think the story will be different today, unfortunately she hails from Zeliangrong community which is being considered as backward, ignorant and poor. When T R Zeliang became the chief minister of Nagaland there were excess attempts to dethrone him from the coveted seat; and today not only the civil or social organizations, but even the church- based organization are coming out strongly against the Memorial of Ranima.

All these make me wonder if we are being treated as a step-son all these years??? This question, only my Naga brothers can answer.

Alum Zeliang Jalukie town

NNC/FGN augment The Weakest Nagas in the present world any people postulate until now that tiated in response to such discrimination? It is asFNR’s statement Nagas are weakened by the Indian sumable that no effective measure has been done army since 1958 Arm Forces Spe- until now which induces Army to take advantage

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he NNC/FGN is issuing this Press Statement to augment the FNR’s statement which was published in the local dailies on 27th August, 2015. The NNC/FGN is grateful to the FNR for their yeoman work in bringing about the reconciliation among the different Naga Political groups into reality. Through the initiation of the FNR and the support of the Quakers, American Baptist leaders, Baptist World Alliance, etc. the Covenant of Reconciliation (CoR) was signed by the highest level leaders of the Naga Political groups comprising of Isak Chishi Swu, Chairman, NSCN/GPRN, Brig.

(Retd) S. Singnya, Kedahge, NNC/ FGN and S. S. Khaplang, Chairman, NSCN/GPRN agreeing to reconcile based on the historical and political rights of the Nagas on 13th June, 2009.

Further responding to the Naga peoples call for the High Level meeting, top Naga leaders comprising of Isak Swu, Th. Muivah, Gen. (Retd) Khole Konyak, Kitovi Zhimomi, Brig.

(Retd) S. Singnya and Zhopra Vero met on 20th and from 22nd to 26th August, 2011 in Dimapur “to Strengthen and Broaden the Peace Process based on the Uniqueness of Naga History” and “Reconciled for a Shared Naga Future.” The Naga leaders jointly accorded to six points• RECONCILED on the basis of the historical and political rights of the Nagas.

• ACKNOWLEDGED that we have hurt one another and that in the spirit of love we have forgiven each other; and are prepared to understand each other towards a shared future.

• REAFFIRM the resolve not to harbour any non- Naga organizations adverse to the Naga political cause as discussed in Chiang Mai II and IV, and subsequently signed on January 15, 2010 in Dimapur, Nagaland.

Furthermore, serious note is taken on the harbouring of non- Naga organizations opposed to the Naga political cause and hence, strongly denounce such acts.

• DISENGAGE in and from all forms of actions and association detrimental to the Historical and Political cause of the Nagas.

• AFFIRM to work for the territorial integrity of all Nagas.

• ANY INTERIM arrangement of the political rights of the Nagas shall be outside of the purview of the Indian Constitution per se.

The signatories also resolved in principle to work towards the formation of one Naga National Government (NNG).

Naga leaders having committed these agreements before God and men, let us remain true to our words lest we earn the wrath of God, lose the confidence of the world in the Nagas and bring shame and disgrace to the Naga people. The NNC/ FGN continue to stand by our commitments and will not betray the trust which our people have placed in us.

Ministry of Rali Wali Affairs/MIP Federal Government of Nagaland

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cial Power Act. The fact is that Nagas have weakened themselves and sold powers to visitors in every aspect. Contrastingly, Foucault highlights that the web of power is developed through daily struggles at grass root level (Foucault, 1980) but Nagas have failed to develop power for the past 57 years since the enforcement of 1958 AFSPA. Every Naga says Nagas were brave and invincible which may be true or untrue. The truth of history remains only when it sustains from generation to generation, however, in the post-modern Naga world, the history of bravery appears untrue; it instead reveals insularity Nagas in every corner in praxis. Thepfulhouvi Solo called Nagas “Naively foolish Naga” in his recent article “Naked truth and untruth about Gaidinliu” (Nagaland post, 2015) which substantiates the reality of Nagas becoming weak, naïve and foolish physically, mentally and spiritually, regardless of highly educated and literate beings.

Money is an additional power which repercussions strength and weakness in every discipline. Conflict and peace require money and policy makers display it. Moreover, it requires cooperation (Maxwell, unknown). In the case of the Nagas, money makes them the weakest beings on earth. There are many nations which money strengthens people and society, however, Nagas have weakened the society and people simultaneously and ramification as the weakest being on earth by misusing the money power. Though statistic cannot be availed in this writing, people sold people, killed people and so on for money every day in the Naga society; the Pangsha attack on NSCNK could be assumable of Naga spy sold Nagas to Indian Army for the Indian money. This is why NSCNK called “Vested Nagas”, “Enemy Agents” and “local informers” (Nagaland Post, 2015). Considering this phenomenon as opportunity, Indian army plays magic on civilians through money to identify any NSCNK which expedites toward killing both civilians and Naga army. In addition, Naga Mothers’ Association has become the hock for the Indian Army to fish the rival Naga freedom fighters. Should NMA be blamed for being the fishing hock of the Indian Army? It remains unanswerable!

In expense of NSCNK ceasefire abrogation, Indian Army raided many houses in towns and villages, killed and traumatized women and children and left uncountable pivotal moments. Goods supply for personal and business purpose and transportation at villages are abandoned. Indian Army imposed indefinite inhuman treatment to people living in bordering areas like Phomching, Chen, Tobu, Noklak, Thonoknyu, Pungro and Meluri (DAN, 2005). Villages like Chenmo, Chen Wangti and other villages in Tuensang and few other districts suffer almost every day under the rage of the Indian army which brings desolation and despair. House doors are kicked down in the absence of house owner, misfire gun, bollywood action patrolling in towns that wields the minds of innocent civilians; women are frisked touching breasts in expense of security measures and so on.

What measure have Nagas in respective places ini-

of the weakest characteristics of the Nagas before them who remain as ‘Watch Beings’. When army raids, no civil organization says it is ceasefire rule violation, no denunciation takes place, no protest or rally is organized and no words of ‘non-cooperation” emerges. Contrastingly, when any NSCN groups implement the ethic of freedom fightershood, organizations and groups propagate the word of non-cooperation and condemnation.

Nagas should change this mindset if Nagas long to plant equality and justice. Whichever group it may be, equal condemnation, non-cooperation, rally and demand of justice should be imposed. If Nagas are bias, Nagas will be biased.

Whom should Nagas deplore for this suffering? Nagas should blame themselves for being the weakest beings inviting the Army power in the society. Had Nagas remained in the history of bravery today, no foreign power would impose upon the Nagas, however, unfortunately it does.

A group of buffaloes can trash leopard but their timidity proliferate the power of the lone opponent to defeat them. Similarly, the weakest Nagas generate the power of the Indian Army.

What should Nagas do to regain the history of bravery? Nagas should immediately develop the spirit of fear no wrong doers at home. Make the vantage of revisiting the invincible way of life to overshadow any foreign discrimination in your own historic home. Train every woman, child and man to remain brave and alert at every single moment with every available cultural tool like cane stick, spear, machete, knife, bow and arrow and so on, to keep a distance between the Nagas and Army. Make rule that no army talks to any villager from a close distance; create certain meters distance for any army who approaches villagers and other citizens for any communication. If any Army disregards and infringes this discipline, immediate mass movement should be initiated. Many indigenous people apply this strategy to remain saved from any foreign power imposed upon them. The misinterpreted foreign Gospel teachers in the Naga society may argue to this strategy as against the Gospel. To protect and defend oneself is not against any teaching.

It neither creates violence nor violates peaceful coexistence. It instead, protects from outside unlawful force and engenders peace within every single inner mind and heart. How this culture of unlawful power resistance possible to sustain among the Nagas? As Swain says “knowledge is source of power” (Swain, 2005), every educated, literate and peace loving Naga should sensitize and enhance this knowledge to every Naga everywhere to remain protected. If any such strategy becomes weak for any individual, mass engagement should take torch march to culminate Army from every village and town. No Naga should ignore the suffering of any individual from the Army. Nagas remain the weakest being due to the ignorance of one another’s suffering even when he/she knows it. Therefore, train one another to save one another from any discrimination from the Indian Army at your home.

Researcher & Activist Lemwang Chuhwanglim, lemswang@gmail.com

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

Tuesday 01•09•2015

NE Film Festival for Children launched

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orth East Film Fe s t i v a l f o r Children-2015 was launched at Christian Higher Secondary School on August 31. The screening was Touching Wild Horses in presence of Principal of the School S. Moatemsu Walling who in his welcome speech encouraged the students.

Children's Film Society India (CFSI) is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, committed to nurturing a dynamic children's film culture in the country.

CFSI is organizing North East Film Festival (NEFF) for Children, reaching out to privileged and underprivileged children of the region during August 20 to September 25. Five Visions is the outreach partner with CFSI in this film festival. Meant exclusively for the five states of North-East India, the film festival will showcase eight children's films, some award winning in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat (Assam), Agartala (Tripura), Dimapur (Nagaland) & Aizawl (Mizoram.) Five Vision Consulting is an organisation having interests in events

and CFSI's outreach partner for this event.

CFSI is committed to strengthening the children's film movement within India and promoting Indian produced children's films across the globe. CFSI promotes films that provide healthy and wholesome entertainment for children to broaden their perspective and encourage them to reflect on the world around. With an enviable catalogue of 250 films in 10 different languages, CFSI remains the prime producer of children's films in South Asia.

Tetseo Sisters featuring Kenny Rio will be releasing their music video on Youtube and made available for download at Indihut by 5pm on September 1.

Taylor Swift wins Video of the Year, dominates full winners list

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aylor Swift was among the biggest winners at the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards.

The country-turned-pop diva took home the Video of the Year Award after her and Kendrick Lamar's starstudded "Bad Blood" visuals beat out other contenders like Beyonce Knowles' "7/11", Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud", Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk" featuring Bruno Mars and Lamar's own "Alright".

Swift received her award from Ice Cube and his son. In addition to the coveted prize, Swift bagged moonmen from other cat-

egories including Best Pop Video and Best Female Video for "Blank Space".

Kanye West was another act who had a memorable night at the VMAs as he was honored with the Michael Jackson Vanguard Award. Swift, who presented the award, addressed the 2009 incident in which she had her speech interrupted by the rapper, and opened up about having been a big fan of him before letting him take over the stage to deliver a lengthy acceptance speech that included an announcement that he's running for president in 2020.

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards was aired live on Sunday night, August 30 from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California with Miley Cyrus as the host.

• Best Female Video: Taylor Swift - "Blank Space" • Best Male Video: Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars "Uptown Funk" • Best Hip-Hop Video: Nicki Minaj - "Anaconda" • Best Pop Video: Taylor Swift - "Blank Space" • Best Rock Video: Fall Out Boy - "Uma Thurman" • Video of the Year: Taylor Swift Ft. Kendrick Lamar - "Bad Blood" • Michael Jackson Van-

Pawandeep Rajan wins first season of ‘The Voice India’

Oprah Winfrey, Eddie Murphy to star in Richard Pryor biopic

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alk show host Oprah Winfrey, actor Eddie Murphy and Kate Hudson are set to star in a movie about stand-up comedian Richard Pryor. Directed by Lee Daniels, of Precious fame, The Weinstein Company produced-biopic follows the life of the late comedian, who was known for his com-

mentary on social issues such as racism, reported Deadline.

Pryor died of a heart attack in 2005. He was 65. Winfrey, 61, will play Pryor's grandmother, who raised the comic in the brothel she ran.

The 54-year-old The Nutty Professor star will play Pryor's father LeRoy 'Buck Carter' while Hudson, 36, is set to

play Pryor's widow Jennifer Lee. Stand-up comedian Mike Epps, who starred in Next Friday, Friday after Next and two Resident Evil films, will play Pryor. Daniels, who worked with Weinstein and Winfrey in The Butler, will start production in March next year, after wrapping up the second season of his hit Fox series Empire.

Controversial godwoman Radhe Maa approached for 'Bigg Boss 9'?

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C M Y K

ith Bigg Boss Season 9 approaching closer, fans of Salman Khan are quite elated to have him back on the show as judge.

But what is exciting right now is the selection of contestants for the show. With the prediction of many names for the BB9, here is another name that might be seen on the show. The controversial godwoman Radhe Maa has been approached by the makers of the show to be a part of Bigg Boss 9.

According to a leading website, “The makers are in the process of finalising contestants for Bigg Boss 9 and have met Radhe Maa for it. If ev-

erything goes fine she will be a part of the show.”

Radhe Maa has been a part of the controversies eve since her picture in a red mini dress went viral. Since then, she has been walking with controversies around. Recently, former Bigg Boss contestant Dolly Bindra accused Radhe Maa of making sexual advances and when Dolly spoke about it, she got threatening calls from followers of Radhe Maa. With so many controversies and Bigg Boss being the hottest reality show, let’s wait and watch if Radhe Maa will be a part of it or not.

guard Award: Kanye West • MTV Artist to Watch: Fetty Wap "Trap Queen" • Video with a Social Message: Big Sean Ft. Kanye West and John Legend - "One Man Can Change the World" • Best Editing: Beyonce Knowles "7/11" • Best D i r e c t i o n : Kendrick Lamar - "Alright" • Best Visual Effects: • Best Cinematography: Jack U a.k.a. Skrillex and Flying Lotus Ft. Kendrick Diplo Ft. Justin Bieber Lamar - "Never Catch Me" "Where Are U Now"

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awandeep Rajan, a member of Bollywood singer Shaan’s team, was declared the winner of the singing reality series, ‘The Voice India’, at the grand finale on Sunday. Rajan beat three other finalists, one each on the teams of coaches Sunidhi Chauhan, Mika and Himesh Reshammiya, to bag the title of the series’ first edition. The &TV show is a version of the internationally-acclaimed singing reality show, ‘The Voice’.

Overwhelmed by his win, Pawandeep said, “‘The Voice India’ is a huge

platform and I feel overjoyed by this win. I feel extremely humbled with all the love and appreciation received from the audience across the country.

Pawandeep received the grand prize money of Rs 50 lakh from &TV, a Maruti Alto K10 and a deal to record his first single with music label Universal.

The finale was a musical spectacle as the young generation of voices like Kanika Kapoor, Neeti Mohan, Akriti Kakar, Ash King, Siddharth Mahadevan set the stage on fire with some high -voltage

performances. Comedian Kapil Sharma took the stage with equal zest and enthusiasm, adding humour along with his “Kis Kisko Pyaar Karu” co-star Elli Avram and director duo Abbas-Mastan.

The grand finale also witnessed electrifying performances by the four coaches apart from special performances by other top singers from the show.

With an initial 102 singers, the show went from blind auditions to the battle rounds, live round and finally the grand finale over the course of three months.

becomes World's Richest Pop Star J.Lo relies on Bono Bono becomes world's richest pop star after wise a database to investment in Facebook earns him nearly £1billion pick her outfits U

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.Lo has a high-tech system to remember everything she wears so she doesn’t repeat her outfits, a source close to the singer tells Confidenti@l. “She had her feet up at a meeting, and someone noticed that she had a bar code on her shoe and asked her if she borrowed them,” says our insider.

“Jennifer laughed and said no, that she has her own internal bar code system on all of her closets to digitally keep track of what she wore and when she wore it, so that she isn’t caught wearing the same thing twice.”

We’re told all her clothes, from her gowns down to her jeans and T-shirts, have a tag inside with a code that’s scanned into a database, which pulls up a picture and description of each item, including size, color and date it was last worn. There’s also a database of paparazzi shots of the singer wearing the items.

“She has a full-time staffer in charge of just her clothing,” adds our source, who says that with the star’s extensive travels and homes in New York and Los Angeles, the system monitors where every piece of clothing is at every moment in case she needs access.

“She takes her fashion very seriously,” laughs our insider. “She never wants to be caught accidentally in the same thing twice. When she chooses to wear something more than once, it’s intentional.”

We’re also told Lopez’s closet looks like “Barneys,” with some “historic” pieces she has worn placed on mannequins behind glass in her three-room closet in New York.

“Clothes are a huge part of her success,” says our source.

2’s Bono has become the world’s richest pop star after raking in nearly £1 billion from his Facebook shares. The Beautiful Day hitmaker bought a 2.3 per cent share in the social media network for £56 million in 2009 with the investment group that he co-founded, Elevation Partners. Today that share is work a whopping £940 million, according to reports.

That means that Bono’s venture has earned him more in the last six years

than the whole of his incredible music career.

Now Bono takes over Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney as the world’s richest pop star. The singer, who is married to Nancy Shevell, has an impressive £730 million. Facebook hit its own ‘billion’ milestone this week, when it had one billion users in one day.

The company went public in 2009.

Earlier this month, it was reported that losses at an ethical clothing firm founded by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson have hit almost £44 million

after a £3.4 million drop last year. Figures lodged with the Companies Office show just how much Edun Apparel struggled in the 12 months to the end of December.

In spite of the losses Bono, Ali and the other directors state in the accounts they “are confident the current business strategy will result in the development of a successful and sustainable brand”. Bono and his wife established the global fashion brand in 2005 in a bid to bring about positive change through its trading relationship with Africa.

Justin Bieber skyrockets to top with a new single

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ustin Bieber's new single 'What do you mean?' skyrockets to number 1 position on iTunes in over 75 countries including India on both, the iTunes singles chart and the Apple music song chart, within hours of its release.

The arrival of 'What do you mean' caps a hugely successful viral 30 day Instagram countdown and Twit-

ter lyric reveal campaign, garnering over a 100 million impressions. The lyric video for 'What do you mean', featuring professional skater Ryan Sheckler, premiered on YouTube recently.

"It's been an amazing journey to write, record and deliver this record to my fans," said Justin. "I'm so glad people have participated in it, and I hope

they are receptive to it and love it as much as I do. This is only the first step in the journey for me. This album is so personal to me, there's so much of my heart and soul in it, and I can't wait to bring my fans along for the ride." 'What do you mean' is the first advance track from Justin's eagerly awaited fourth studio album to be out on November 13.

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SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

India need seven wickets to clinch series

• India all out for 274 in second innings • Sri Lanka 67-3 chasing 386

CoLomBo, august 31 (REutERs): India stood seven wickets away from a series-clinching victory after setting Sri Lanka a formidable 386-run victory target on the penultimate day of the third and final test on Monday.

Resuming on a precarious 21-3 in the bowler-dominated weather-hit contest, the visitors needed a string of cameos from their middle and lower-order batsmen to score 274 in their second innings.

In their first test since batting great Kumar Sangakkara retired, Sri Lanka lost opener Upul Tharanga in the first over and were reeling at 67-3 at the close.

Opener Kaushal Silva (24) and skipper Angelo Mathews (22) were at the

India's Amit Mishra plays a shot during the fourth day of their third and final test cricket match against Sri Lanka in Colombo August 31. (REUTERS)

crease with the hosts still needing 319 runs for an improbable victory. Having taken a 111-run first-innings lead, India consolidated their position in the first two sessions at the Sinhalese

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Morung Express News

United sign Martial

Dimapur | August 31

Monaco have agreed a fee worth £36m with Manchester United for striker Anthony Martial. Futhermore, sources in France tell us that the overall deal, including bonuses, is higher than that figure.

Source: Sky Sports

Borini joins Sunderland

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Virat Kohli (21) who again succumbed to his penchant for pushing at deliveries outside the off-stump.

Rohit Sharma (50) looked more convincing, hitting Pradeep for back-

Krav Maga workshop held

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Sports Club to virtually bat Sri Lanka out of the contest.

Dhammika Prasad bowled with characteristic hostility but Nuwan Pradeep drew first blood, dismissing India captain

to-back boundaries and bringing up his fourth test fifty before pulling a short Prasad delivery to fine leg.

Stuart Binny (49) came up with a more eventful knock -- playing some risky shots, surviving a stumping opportunity, being hit on the helmet by Prasad and eventually falling agonisingly short of his second test fifty.

Debutant Naman Ojha (35) and Amit Mishra (39) frustrated Sri Lanka while Ravichandran Ashwin (58) registered his fifth test fifty before being the last man out.

Sri Lanka wobbled early in their chase with Ishant Sharma dismissing Tharanga before Umesh Yadav sent back Dimuth Karunaratne -- both caught by wicketkeeper Naman Ojha for nought.

Ishant, who had an animated altercation with Prasad earlier in the day, also dismissed Dinesh Chandimal before giving the batsman a send-off, an act that earned him a 65 percent match fee fine in the first test.

Sunderland have signed Fabio Borini from Liverpool for a fee of £7.75m, rising to £9.75m with add ons. The Italian joined Liverpool from Roma in 2012 but has now penned a four-year deal with the Black Cats.

Source: BBC

Papy medical at Chelsea

Defender Papy Djilobodji is having a medical at Chelsea ahead of a £2.7m move to Stamford Bridge. The 27-year-old is due to sign a four-and-a-half year contract and the fee has been reduced as he's in the last year of his contract.

Source: Sky Sports

Leverkusen agree Chicharito deal

One day workshop on Krav Maga was held today at the North East India Academy of Performing Arts.

The workshop was held under the tutelage of Vicky Kapoor, Director and Chief Instructor, International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF India). Vicky was assisted by Khriephrezo (Vibou) Rutsa, Krav Maga Nagaland, Director IKMF India Nagaland.

Krav Maga, founded by Imi Lichtenfeld, was developed as the official combative training for Israeli military personnel, police and security forces.

The workshop on Monday demonstrated basic self defence techniques for protection against both armed and unarmed attacks.

While Vicky demonstrated the techniques, participants were paired up and made to repeat the techniques with their respective partners.

And Vicky did his bid to make the learning enjoyable urging participants not to get too serious.

“Smile on your face,” Vicky told the 20 odd participants who were busy practicing the techniques. “Too serious and you will not learn,” he added.

Speaking to The Morung Express, Vicky informs that Krav Maga is an art of self defence meant

11 member Nagaland team to part in Taekwondo national championships

NTA General Secretary Lhouliebeio Khezhie posing lens with NTA team for Taekwondo national championship.

Kohima, august 31 (mExN): A strong 11 member team from Nagaland will take part in the 33rd National subjunior Taekwondo Championships to be held from September 6 to 9 at Hyderabad, Telengana, organized by Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI) The team is led by Theja Keretsu as Team Manager and Visabeiu Peseyie as Team coach and Albert Lotha as assistant, which is represented under the aegis of Nagaland Taekwondo Association (NTA), which is affiliated to Nagaland Olympics Association (NOA) and Department of Youth Resources and Sports(DYRS), Nagaland.

NTA being affiliated to Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI) can directly participate in National Championships, organized by TFI, which is affiliated World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) and also affiliated to Indian Olympics Association (IOA) and International Olympics Council (IOC).

It may be recalled here that Nagaland Taekwondo Association (NTA) established in 1987 is a registered sports association in the state affiliated to NOA, DYRS, Nagaland, TFI and WTF. NTA celebrated its silver jubilee of its formation of association in the year 2012 and last week successfully conducted the 28th Nagaland State Taekwondo championships.

The players representing Nagaland team are Asangbo Zeliang(under 18 kgs), Tenloi Phom (Under 21 kgs), Nnumhie Zeliang(Under 23 kgs), Thinokhoto Nakhro (Under 25 kgs), Neikhozo Napranotsu (Under 27 kgs), Kevinguzo Kerestu (Under 29 kgs), Yentsiithong Tikhir (Under 32 kgs) and Hinglakbo Nkie(Under 35 kgs).

Meanwhile NTA officials exuded confidence that the young boys will be able to perform well in the forthcoming national championships.

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Participants learn the art of Krav Maga during the one day workshop at the Northeast India Academy of Performing Arts (NIAPA) on August 31.

for the streets. Vicky’s association with Krav Maga has lasted 12 years although he has really been associated with martial arts for 42 years now.

Developed by the military, Krav Maga employs techniques which aim to neutralise potential attackers as quickly as possible by targeting specific areas.

“Krav Maga is the modern day MMA with no rules,” Vicky says. He further maintains that Krav Maga would enhance the skills of martial artists from other backgrounds.

In Nagaland, the art has seen a very slow growth.

Vibou, the only qualified and certified Krav Maga instructor in the entire Northeast, has a training centre in Kohima and is doing his best to popular-

ise the art. Vibou had earlier tied up with the Administrative Training Institute (ATI) for training and has so far trained a section of Police officers and Administrative officers. He is now mulling on tying up with schools for providing basic lessons on the art.

Both Vicky and Vibou are hopeful that Nagas would take to the art. “Nagas are inborn fighters,” Vicky remarks, suggesting that the art would not be too hard for Nagas to take to. “And I’m here to give them skills, techniques,” he adds.

Vibou particularly wants women to take to the art. “Women can do with Krav Maga. It’ll be very good for them,” he says. “It is easy for women, girls and children to learn the art.”

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Bayer Leverkusen have agreed a deal to sign Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez. The Mexico international has been unable to prove his worth to Louis van Gaal following his return from a loan spell at Real Madrid.

Source: Sky Sports

Januzaj completes loan to Dortmund

Adnan Januzaj has completed a loan move to Borussia Dortmund after the German club beat Valencia in the race to sign the Belgium international.

The Spanish club tried to sing Januzaj on Sunday but were unable to get the deal done and he now completed a switch to Dortmund on a season-long loan.

Source: Sky Sports

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Draxler joins Wolfsburg

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It's been a busy hour for Wolfsburg, who have followed up the signing of Dante from Bayern Munich by confirming the arrival ofJulian Draxler from Schalke.

Source: Sky Sports Published, Printed and Edited by Aküm Longchari on behalf of Morung for Indigenous Affairs and JustPeace from House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur at Themba Printers and Telecommunications, Padum Pukhuri Village, Dimapur, Nagaland.

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