September 30th, 2015 by The Morung Express

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www.morungexpress.com

wednesdAY • september 30 • 2015

DIMAPUR • Vol. X • Issue 267 • 12 PAGes • 4

T H e

ESTD. 2005

P o W e R

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons Obama and Putin clash over Syria’s future pAGe 9

‘Pack-House for fruits & vegetables’ launched

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T R u T H

— R. Buckminster Fuller

FIFA FIASCO: Former vice president Jack Warner gets banned for life

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nagaland spent 377 crores on health sector in 2012-13 Morung Express News

Nagaland state spending on healthcare (2012-13)

Dimapur | September 29

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Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks on Mars inferred to have been formed by contemporary flowing water are seen in an image produced by NAsA, the Jet Propulsion laboratory (JPl) and the university of Arizona. scientists have found the first evidence that briny water may flow on the surface of Mars during the planet’s summer months, a paper published on Monday showed. (REUTERS)

Effect of dengue minimal in North East aGartala, September 29 (iaNS): Though the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which causes dengue, is found in abundance in the North Eastern states, the deaths due to the disease are fortunately very minimal in the region, experts said here on Tuesday. “During a recent official survey, it was found that in the urban and semi-urban areas of the North Eastern states, the Aedes aegypti mosqui-

to was found in abundant. However, the toll due to dengue is negligible in the North Eastern states,” Tripura health department official Pranab Chatterjee told reporters here. He said: “Due to people’s alertness and health personnel’s seriousness, the death due to dengue is insignificant in the North Eastern region.” In the presence of Tripura Health Minister Badal Choudhury, Chatterjee said so far 15 people have been

affected by dengue in the state, but none of them has died so far. “Dengue is an infection disease caused by the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which is the primary epidemic vector. Dengue infection may occur in the form of classical dengue fever or dengue haemorrhagic fever with bleeding manifestations or with or without shock (decreased blood pressure), and then the patient might expire in that situation,” he added.

Nagaland state spent a total of Rs 377 Crores on healthcare during the period 2012-2013. This was revealed in the National Health Profile 2015, compiled and published by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), the National nodal Institute in the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. While the spending is low compared to other states with bigger populations, Nagaland however found itself ranked 7th in the list of states spending the most on healthcare out of the total state expenditure. Nagaland’s expenditure on healthcare out of its total state expenditure of Rs 6859, works out to 5.49 percent of the state’s total expenditure. This is only superseded by Delhi (9.57%); Meghalaya (6.69%), Sikkim (6.34%), Goa (6.07%), Andhra (6.06%); and Himachal (5.90%). The report, which was released earlier this week, indicates that Nagaland state, during 2012-13, spent Rs 269 Crores on Medical and Public Health; and Rs 23 Crores on Family Welfare. The report further informed that Rs 85 Crores of the spending on healthcare was marked as “others.” Under the expenditure incurred by the state in Medical and Public

uHs 142 crores

MEDiCAl AND PuBliC HEAlTH RHs MERT PH 92 crores 4 crores 31 crores

FAMilY WElFARE AND oTHERs uFWs RFWs MCH Misc 0 15 crores 0 8 Crores Medical and Public Health: Family Welfare and others: others: Total:

others 85 Crores

269 crores 23 crores 85 crores 377 crores Source: Central Bureau of Health Intelligence

Health (MPH), Rs 142 Crores was spent on Urban Health Services (UHS), which include direction and administration, employee state insurance scheme, central government health scheme, medical store depots, departmental drug manufacture, school health scheme, hospital and dispensaries, other health schemes and “other expenditure.” Rs 92 crores was spent on Rural Health Services (RHS), which includes health sub centres, subsidiary health centres, primary health centres, community health centres, hospitals, dispensaries, and “other expenditure.” Further, a total of Rs 4 Crores was spent on Medical Educational Research and Training (MERT), which comprises of expenditure on medi-

cal research and training institutions. Under the same MPH category, Rs 31 Crores was spent on Public health, which includes direction and administration, training, prevention and control of diseases, prevention of food adulteration, drug control, manufacture of Sera/Vaccine, public health laboratories, public health education, public health publicity, “other systems and other expenditure.” Meanwhile, under the expenditure on Family Welfare, the state spent Rs 15 Cores on Rural Welfare Services (RFWS), while Rs 8 Crores of spending was termed as “miscellaneous.” The state also logged in zero spending on Urban Family Welfare Services (UFWS) and Maternity and Child Health (MCH).

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reflections

By Sandemo Ngullie

Nuklutoshi assures work on Tseminyu & Wokha road sectors within 2 weeks

KoHima, September 29 (NepS): Minister for National Highways, Nuklutoshi, has assured that the department will start work on the pathetic road conditions in Tseminyu and Wokha road sectors on National Highway 2 within one or two weeks’ time. It may be mentioned that the Lotha and the Rengma Hohos have called a total bandh on vehicular movement on NH2 within the two sectors of You two live nearby? Tseminyu and Wokha on October 7 in protest against the The Morung Express authority’s utter negligence in their road sectors. Poll QuEsTioN Talking to NEPS here on Vote on www.morungexpress.com Tuesday, the Minister said the sMs your answer to 9862574165 department would arrange emergency fund to start workDo Nagas respect the ing on the road portions in one freedom of religion in or two weeks’ time and further Nagaland state? appealed the leaders of the Lotha and the Rengma Hohos to Yes No others reconsider their decision to call C M Y K

Morung Express News

Churachandpur, better known to the locals as Lamka, is a town palpably in mourning. This puts the people of the town in a strange paradigm.

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KoHima, September 29 (Dipr): Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, IPR, N Hushili Sema, has notified all concerned departments to submit their pending advertisement bills w.e.f. October 1, 2014 till date to the Directorate of Information & Public Relations. A circular issued by the IPR informed the departments to submit the bills on or before October 9.

isis has generated lot of interest in Assam: Police GuwaHati, September 29 (pti): Assam police is keeping a close watch on extremist militant group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria which has generated a lot of interest in the state going by the “hits in the Internet photos of ISIS”, state DGP Khagen Sarma said on Tuesday. Noting that Assam has religious fundamentalists, the DGP today said that “a lot of interest has been generated in Assam in the ISIS. Hits in the Internet photos of ISIS is very high in Assam”. Recent media reports quoting the findings of a national survey by an intelligence agency showed the second largest volume of Internet traffic related to ISIS was from Assam after Jammu and Kashmir. Sarma however said he had not actually seen anybody from the ISIS in Assam so far. The DGP said that the Assam Police CID and the NTRO were monitoring the situation.

‘There are causes worth dying for but none worth killing for’ Churachandpur | September 29

the total bandh. Nuklutoshi disclosed that the delay of the work on the sectors of the NH2 in Tseminyu and Wokha areas was because of the Court case between contractors. But after he took over as Minister for National Highways, they had intervened into and the case was finally withdrawn. “Now new DPR is being completed and it will be submitted to the Ministry of Roads and Transports at the earliest,” he said. “In the meantime, some funds are arranged to start working on the road sectors in Tseminyu and Wokha areas.” Stating that people have every right to agitation to such situation, the Minister opined that they could have influenced the contractors to withdraw the case long back. The work was delayed due to it (court case), he said.

iPr directs depts to submit pending advt bills by oct 9

Daytime As you enter Churachandpur, black flags in front of its houses greet you to the district. Autorickshaws and cars move around with black flags on them. Most houses and shops have a normal look in the morning. Activity increases as you reach the centre of town—people dressed in black buzz around two spots, the district hospital and the office of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) which is protesting the three controversial bills passed by the Manipur legislative Assembly without consultation with the hill people. At the district hospital, nine dead bodies of young men and a child are being kept at the morgue, maintained by a Joint Philanthropic Organisation

(JPO). They were all shot dead by security forces of the Government of Manipur (GoM) for agitating against the three bills that have been termed both “unconstitutional” and “anti tribal.” The corpses of these youth have been here for nearly a month now. The hill people of Manipur have decided not to hold a burial for them till the government recognises the value of the lives taken. “They died for a cause,” reminds convenor of the JPO, Laldawnlien Varte, on why they have been declared “martyrs.” The “ex gratia” offered by the GoM for the deaths were rejected by the families for the same reason. The JPO, a conglomeration of more than 300 organisations from Churachandpur and its Diaspora, has volunteers change the ice at the morgue everyday and preserve the bodies using traditional material like dry fruits and lemongrass in separate coffins. Every minute of every day, hundreds of people in black come in groups and pray for the dead.

The JPO, that has managed to put together Rs. 45 Lakh in donations, also takes care of the financial necessities of more than 30 injured during the agitation against the bills between August 31 and September 7. “Most were shot from the back or from the top,” explains Varte who is coordinating groups of volunteers at the district hospital from where the JPO operates. Video footage shows how some of them were shot by the Indian Reserve Battalion in Manipur at point black at times, while some other Manipur police officials took pictures of the people they had shot. While the women came to the streets eventually to control both the agitators and security personnel, the community in Churachandpur, irrespective of tribe, came together in a unique show of solidarity for its protestors.

Night time The town stops functioning at 1:00pm. A “public curfew” is imposed from 1:00pm to 5:00am. For 22

days, women from every colony sat on benches outside the limits of their colonies making sure no one creates a problem while the bodies of the “martyrs” are still around. Now that the point is clear, the responsibility has been asked by the JAC to be shouldered by the men as well. At Hill Town colony, for instance, people are enthusiastic about this direct action program. “No office or school has opened for almost a month now. Children are being home tutored. But if we don’t do this, the GoM will grab all our land and we will be reduced to no one in our own land,” says the daughter of the colony chief. The colony consists of Hmar, Gangte, Paite, Lushai, Bihari and Marwari people, all of whom are out sitting on benches by the bright moon. Smoke erupts in a silhouette at a distance as an MLA’s house is being destroyed and burnt down by a group of women into the night of September 28. “We collect an optional Rs. 10 from members for refreshments,” explains

the chief’s daughter. ‘Refreshments’ is basically tea, sometimes with sugar but mostly without. Businesses are running in 90% loss in the past month, car fuel has shot up to Rs. 180-200 per litre and LPG costs Rs. 2000. “My siblings and I were born in Churachandpur, so were my parents and my grandparents and their parents. If the GoM suddenly says that we have to be enumerated in a 1951 census to be indigenous to the land, does that make sense? When there was no governance here whatsoever, or roads or electricity or schools, how could a proper census have been conducted then? Does that make me a foreigner on my soil?” she questions, rather flustered by the silence of both the Government of India and GoM on the issue, and ready to take the protest against the three bills to wherever it may go. As Tshirts, quickly produced in the aftermath and widely worn, say, “There are causes worth dying for but none worth killing for.” (This is the first part of a series)

NNC opposes India’s move for permanent UNSC seat

KoHima, September 29 (mexN): The Naga National Council (NNC) has expressed strong opposition to India’s push for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). A press note from senior leaders of the NNC cited India’s “forceful occupation of Naga country for the last more than sixty long years in complete violation of the United Nations Human Right and the Right to Self-Determination, the North East peoples problem, Jammu & Kashmir political problem, Punjab human problem, the mainland Maoist problem of India also the imposition of Draconian Laws like Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and Disturbed Area Act (DAA) of military rule in the region” as reasons for their opposition. These political and human problems should be settled peacefully and permanently, the NNC urged, before India becomes a permanent member of the UNSC. India, it stated “suppresses and oppresses these people...” It stated that until the Government of India settles these issues in totality, “no nation or

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people should support” India’s move for permanent membership in the UNSC “since they suppressed and oppressed the political rights of these above mentioned people and Nations for so long.” The note was appended by Eshithung Lotha, Senior Advisor, NNC; Shanremo Lotha, Midan Peyu; Zhavilhu Angami, President, Angami Regional Council; Kiumukam Yimchungru, President, Yimchungru Regional Council; Keorun Yimchungru, ‘senior most’ NNC member, Gen (rtd) Merentoba Ao, Senior Advisor, NNC; Mejinshilu Ao, Central Executive Council Member, NNC; and Rongsensashi Ao, Ao Sub Regional Council. The senior NNC members, “who stood for the rights of the Naga people from the inception of our political movement till date” appealed to the United Nations not to accept India as a permanent member in the USC till they “solve and settle all these political and human problems of this sub-continent for the best interest of the UN for world peace.”

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A PUBLIC APPEAL

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In the intervening morning of September 28, 2015, an unspecified number of individuals stole the bus of Sinai Ministry (a registered non-profit NGO) at around 12:30am from PWD Colony, Dimapur. An FIR has been duly submitted to the Dimapur Police to this effect. The bus is integral to the activities of the Sinai Ministry and therefore the Sinai Ministry makes this Public Appeal to all citizens and well-wishers for any information and assistance towards the recovery of the ministry bus. The details of the bus are:

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Traveller (Force) White Color 26 Seater AC PS BS-111 Chasis No: MCIE4FGA6FP001841 Engine No: D56004037 Registration Number: NL07B0294 Any related information may be provided to: +91 97740 49958 • +91 89740 10446

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wednesdAY 30•09•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

‘Pack-House for fruits & vegetables’ launched PMMY launched in Nagaland

Concept of CMG Greens

he concept of CMG Greens is to link small farmers and local produce to high-value urban and export markets within and outside India. According to a CMG concept note, the supply chain is the weakest point in the state since it is a multi-layered marketing channel requiring proper infrastructure. An efficient supply chain requires strengthening all the levels of infrastructure such as input delivery, credit, irrigation, procurement, reducing post-harvest losses, creation of cold store chains, starting of processing units and marketing techniques. “This is where CMG’s main role would be. With certain infrastructure already been set up by the state machinery and existing understanding with certain potential buyers, CMG’s role will to act as mediator, facilitator and supplier of Nagaland horticulture produce to national retailers and exporters or to directly find channels to export globally based on: market products in demand, market demand generated products and, develop new market and become a solution provider”, the note stated. On business operations, CMG Greens would get the produce either directly from the farmers or through the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen (retd) VK Singh along with others during the state machinery, use the facility (pack-house and refrig- launching of PMMY scheme at Dimapur. Morung Express News Nagaland parliamentary secretary for Horticulture, Kejong Chang, planting a tree sapling af- erated vans) to stockpile, process and package. The proerative bank branches in and to bail them out of the ter inaugurating the ‘Pack-House for fruits and vegetables’ at the State Horticulture Nursery, duce would then be shipped by road, rail or air to channel his/her area. Loans under clutches of money lenders. Dimapur, September 29 Green Park, Tuesday. (Morung Photo) partners locally or globally. PMMY come under three Gen (retd) Singh pointed Pradhan Mantri Mudra categories: Shishu loan out that there was so much Morung Express News ture, Watienla Jamir, the pack-house state Horticulture department is a said the setting up of the pack- Yojana (PMMY), a central upto Rs 50, 000/-, Kishore of enterprising scope in with 4 metric tonnes storage capacity relatively young department after house would especially benefit the scheme under which any loan above Rs 50, 000/- to Nagaland and northeast Dimapur | September 29 bonafide Indian citizen can Rs 5 lakh and Tarun loan which cannot be comwas constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.43 its bifurcation from the parent Ag- rural Naga farmers. In a boon to local farmers who crores under special plan assistance. riculture Department, the departCMG member Medo Putsure, avail loan upto Rs 10 Lakh above Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 pared with any other state incur heavy losses due to weak The pack-house along with two ment has now assumed the role of said the objective of CMG in tak- for starting non-corporate lakh. These loans come at in the country. marketing linkage, the State Hor- refrigerated vans has been leased a ‘mother’ to local farmers. ing over the pack-house is not just small business sector was an interest rate of 1 % per Stating that PMMY was ticulture Department has set up a out to the Concept Management Congratulating the Horticul- to create new markets and linkages launched in Nagaland by month and the repayable facilitating easy financing ‘Pack-House for fruits and vegeta- Group (CMG), a diversified com- ture department and CMG for the but also to understand grassroot Union Minister of State for period is upto a maximum process with no collateral bles’ here at the State Horticulture pany that provides specialized ser- unique partnership that would bring levels, whilst impacting lives and External Affairs, Gen (retd) of five years. and processing fee, Gen Nursery, Green Park, to link small vices and concept based manage- immense relief to local farmers to creating livelihoods. VK Singh in Dimapur at Speaking at the launch- (retd) urged the citizens farmers and local produce to high- ment to various industries. CMG market their produce, Kejong said Secretary, Horticulture, CM Town Hall on Tuesday. ing programme, Gen to make use of the provalue urban and export markets. Mudra stands for Mi- (retd) Singh said, “PMMY gramme. is a conglomerate of expert and the Horticulture department has a Tsanglao, chaired the programme The ‘Pack-House’ inaugurat- young Naga professionals repre- big responsibility to play in a state and deputy director, State Horti- cro Units Development & is meant for people who The launching proed by parliamentary secretary for senting different sectors like retail, like Nagaland. He appealed to all culture Nursery (SHN), Dr. Moa Refinance Agency Ltd and want to be small entrepre- gramme was attended by Horticulture, GB & DB, Kejong corporate management, restau- staffs of the department to cooper- Walling, proposed vote of thanks. under this scheme, the neurs.” He said that the aim BJP northeast incharge, FaChang, on Tuesday has a total rants and finance. ate with each other and work collecThe parliamentary secretary borrower may approach of PMMY was to benefit rooq Khan, Parliamentary plinth area of 340 square metre and After inaugurating the pack- tively to make the department grow. also took a tour of the nursery any public/private sector people who otherwise do Secretaries Amenba Yaden 40 sq metre cold room. house, the parliamentary secretary Director, Horticulture, Watien- (Green Park) and planted a tree sap- commercial bank, region- not find financial means and Mmhonlumo Kikon According to director, Horticul- in his address said that though the la Jamir in her welcome address ling near the entrance of the park. al rural banks or co-op- to start their own business among others. 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National seminar on ‘Cultural Heritage of Nagaland’ underway Morung Express News Kohima | September 29

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A national seminar on the theme ‘Cultural Heritage of Nagaland’ is underway at Kohima Science College, Conference Hall from September 29 to 30. The seminar is organised by the Department of Anthroplogy Kohima Science College (Autonomous) Jotsoma, in collaboration with Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangralaya (IGRMS), National Museum of Mankind, an autonomous organization of Ministry of Culture, Government of India, Bhopal. Prof. Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri, Director, IGRMS, Bhopal who spoke during the inaugural session held on September 29 stated that the purpose of the seminar is to create spaces and critical thinking of the people in the North East region, which he hoped will create a kind of impact. “The seminar will be a single

step towards understanding the critical domain, future possibilities and strategies of the cultural heritage of Nagaland,” stated Chaudhuri who also reminded the participants of the danger of exclusivity, which he maintained that taking it exclusively will not help in the larger linkage in the state and the region. Dr. I. Anungla Aier, Principal, Kohima Science College in her welcome note contended the importance of the subject matter of cultural heritage which invokes a sense of emotion and sentiment in the heart because ‘it is central to one’s identity and history’. “How we manage our heritage will decide the lives of the future generation,” said Dr. Aier who also urged the importance of scholars to come together, share knowledge and research findings and contribute to the body of knowledge. Aier was also of the view that until and unless

Prof. Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri, Director, IGRMS, Bhopal speaks at the national seminar on the theme ‘Cultural Heritage of Nagaland’ held at Kohima Science College, Conference Hall. (Morung Photo)

knowledge shared, deliberated and debated in the Seminar goes to the public domain, it will be futile. Delivering the keynote address, Prof Temsula Ao, Chairperson, Nagaland State Women Commission, Kohima stated that the topic of the seminar carries a huge responsibil-

ity for both experts and the lay persons because ‘Nagas are far removed from the cultures of our forefathers and are grappling with the present influences of the cultural past with the ground realities of the 21st century’. Making a mention of the distinct cultures among the

Naga tribes, Ao questioned if all Nagas have equally inherited the tribal cultural legacy. Ao also stressed on the limited role of women in most Naga tribes in its cultural history or political practices and self-government, which are just confined to cultural activities such as singing, storytelling and textile manu-

facturing. This limited role, Ao noted, is seen even today in the rural and urban set up of different tribes. “In the Naga context, far more than the tangible aspects of culture, it is the intangible arena that one faces the most hurdles in documenting, analyzing and understanding the process called culture of the people. And as time passes many of these intangible aspects of our culture are on the verge of extinction.” stated Ao, further adding it is the intangible heritage which are the most valuable principles of our cultural past and more importantly it continues to manifest its relevance even to the present life of the Naga society today. Ao noted that scholars have to try to establish the relevance of the tangible culture to the intangible by adopting a more humanistic approach to the ‘findings and examination

of the artifacts to the life-style of the people under study’. Citing examples of cultural heritages of Nagas, Ao viewed that Oral traditions contained not only the Naga history, myths, legends and tales but also other lore relating to indigenous knowledge about the land and its resources and the importance of preserving the ecological balance between man and nature while also maintaining the ethical behavior among people for peaceful existence in the villages. Also marking the emerging trend of using tangible culture as mere identity markers, Ao cited the many beautiful and meaningful specimens of past history kept in many museums in the west. “Have any of us ever thought of demanding the return of our treasures from those countries which spirited them away as spoils of conquest?” concluded Ao.

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Sanitation Campaign launched in Mkg AhoDs & HoDs meeting conducted

EE, PHED Mkg Division, Er N Yanger Pongen administering ‘sanitation pledge’ on the occasion of the declaration of the nationwide sanitation campaign in Mokokchung district at Longkumer Kilem on September 29. (Morung Photo) Morung Express News Mokokchung | September 29

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The ‘Nation-Wide Sanitation Campaign in Mokokchung district’ under the Swachh Bharat Mission was formally declared by ADC Mokokchung, Bendanglila here today at a programme held at Longkumer Kilem which was organized by the WSSO, PHED Nagaland and attended by WATSAN workers, Ward authorities and other NGOs. The guest of honor, ADC Mokokchung & Administrator MMC, Bendanglila, while formally launching the campaign, strongly urged the gathered WATSAN workers and ward authorities to take the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) very sincerely and seriously so that the objectives of this mission can be achieved even in our society. Stressing on the adage ‘cleanliness is next to godliness’, Bendanglila said that sanitation and hygiene is very important for a healthy life.

About the cleanliness of the town, she said that Mokokchung is considered as ‘comparatively’ cleaner than other places in the town. While highlighting the oftrepeated comment from visitors about the ‘cleanliness’ of Mokokchung town, Bendanglila however questioned whether the citizens of Mokokchung can really vouch that the town is clean in a ‘true sense’. In this regard, she said that cleanliness in its ‘true sense’ means not only the clean houses or the compound, but also about how clean our surroundings, especially the ‘nallah’ (drainage), the rivers and streams, the streets etc are. She also pointed out that the rivers in the surrounding areas are very polluted, with old shoes outnumbering even the fishes, which is affecting the natural environment. She therefore said that cleanliness is not only about confines of one house but also about maintaining the natural environment and ecosystem in a balanced manner through proper waste dis-

posal management. The administrator also challenged the gathered ward authorities to especially take care of the drainage system in their localities since the drainage system is meant for easy flowing of water and not for dumping waste materials. She also urged the citizens not to dump dead animals or toxic materials, which is very harmful to the wellbeing of the citizens. She also asked the WATSAN workers to avail the church platform to disseminate the SMB mission to the villagers. Executive Engineer, PHED Mokokchung Division, Er N Yanger Pongen, while highlighting on the ‘solid and liquid waste management’, stressed on discouraging open defection. He said that even if a person defecates inside an enclosure (toilet), if it does not have modern commodes, then it would still be considered as open defecation. He therefore urged the WATSAN workers to educate the masses in the villages and to use modern commodes in the toilets. He also said that if solid and liquid waste is not managed properly, then the Swachh Bharat Mission would be a failure. He also administered a ‘Sanitation Pledge’ to the gathered audience, where the audience pledged to maintain a clean, healthy and hygienic lifestyle and to spread the message to at least 100 persons. The chairman of All Ward Union, Mokokchung also exhorted the audience. The programme was chaired by Er Imnaningsang (JE, PHED) while SDO PHED Mokokchung, Er tinu Longchar delivered the vote of thanks. A special song was presented by Toshikala Longkumer.

Kohima, September 29 (Dipr): The AhoDs & HoDs meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar, IAS on September 29 at the Secretariat Conference Hall. During the meeting, different departments like Social Welfare, Election, Health & Family Welfare and P&AR gave PowerPoint presentations based on their activities and programmes undertaken. Thereafter, the problems and challenges faced by the Departments were deliberated at length considering the

pros and cons. In response to presentation made by the Social Welfare Department, the Chief Secretary asked all the directorates and districts offices, who are in the offing to build new offices, to come up with a provision to construct ramps for disabilities. The Health & Family Welfare Department has stated that every year 22 crores are incurred as medical reimbursement and scrutinizing those bills & cash memos was a real challenge, they added. Besides, identification of dependents for availing medical reimburse-

ment and lack of manpower has been a tussle for the Department. Referring to poor attendance in the Civil Secretariat, the Departments of Home, P&AR and IT&C have been assigned to work out the modalities to improve the abysmal performance in attending offices in the Secretariat. Highlighting on the importance of personnel information management system, the Chief Secretary urged all the departments to send their officers for training. The CEO, Sanjay Kumar IAS, while highlighting on the

electoral revision, stated that it needs massive support and urged the officials in particular for their full cooperation in the revision process. In this regard, the Chief Secretary also requested all AHODs and HODs to live as an example in maintaining purity of the State Electoral Roll. He also asked the Departments not to transfer its officials who have been engaged with the electoral matters. The Chief Secretary also informed that all the Departments should incorporate BT quota in their respective service rules.

Disability medical assessment camp begins at NHAK

Kohima, September 29 (Dipr): The three-day Disability Medical Assessment Camp began on September 28 at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) with a turnout of 44 differently abled persons from Tseminyu and Chiephobozou under Kohima district. Altogether, 44 differently abled persons with multiple disabilities were examined today at the camp for issue of Disability Certificate. During the assessment camp, Orthopedic Dr. G. Thong, Clinical Psychiatrist Dr. Neivotso Khesoh, Pediatric Dr. Ruutuo, ENT Specialist Dr. Kedo Punyu, Medicine Dr. Wstsuthong and Dr. K. Vawlalruati and Eye Specialist Dr. Mereninla Senlem examined the patients and assessed the percentage of their disabilities for issue

Medical team assists during the Disability Medical Assessment Camp at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) held on September 28. (DIPR Photo)

of Disability Certificate. The Differently Abled Persons who were examined by the Doctors have been issued an Identity Card by the Social Welfare Department at the venue. The three day Disability

Medical Assessment Camp is being organised by the Nagaland Parents Association for Disabled (NAPAD) in collaboration with Departments of Health & Family Welfare, Social Welfare and District Administration, sponsored

by the Hornbill Balls Tourism Department. The camp was held for Jakhama, Secu and Kezocha circle on September 29 and on September 30 for Kohima Sadar starting from 10:00 am till 2:00 pm at NHAK.

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WednesdAY 30•09•2015

NORTH-EAST

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

M'laya: NGt extends time to pay royalty on coal Arunachal Pradesh to provide

A pair Khasi women working in a coal depot in Khliehriat town in Jaintia Hills District about 64kms from Shillong capital of Meghalaya. (The Hindu File Photo)

Passing a slew of directions, the Tribunal had earlier allowed transportation of coal strictly in accordance with the guidelines prepared by the committee under Additional Chief Secretary K S Kropha and orders of the tribunal. It had last year ordered coal miners and transporters of Meghalaya to pay

North east Briefs

AP submits Status report on PDS scam Itanagar, September 29 (ptI): Arunachal Pradesh government has submitted a status report on multi-crore PDS scam to the Gauhati High Court, saying it has given prosecution sanction against five accused while in case of 13 others the sanction has not been granted. Additional Advocate-General of the state Kardak Ete yesterday submitted the status report on behalf of the state government. The court had earlier issued arrest warrants against top government officials after they failed to turn up as respondents before it in a PIL. The Supreme Court had stayed the arrest warrants against the officials who had filed a special leave petition challenging the high court's order. On September 2, the high court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants the officials because of their failure to turn up as respondents in a public interest litigation case. The PIL was filed by one Khyoda Ram in the Itanagar Bench of Gauhati High Court against the state in 2013 seeking the details of officers prosecuted in the Rs 1,000-crore public distribution system (PDS) scam.

Mizoram's Food Security Act from Nov aIzawl, September 29 (ptI): Mizoram is planning to implement the Food Security Act from November this year and preparation for it is going on in full swing, state Food Minister John Rotluangliana said today. "The Food Security Act will cover 7,06,296 people," he said after inaugurating a training programme on the National Food Security Act, 2013 and end-to-end computerisation of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) here. "Around 28,810 Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families would be able to receive 35 kgs of rice per month at the rate of Rs 5, while 5,78,182 others can purchase five kgs of rice per month at the rate of Rs 5," he said.

Woman killed for 'practising witchcraft' agartala, September 29 (IanS): A 25-year-old tribal woman was killed by her brother-in-law in Tripura for allegedly practising witchcraft, police said here on Tuesday. Sanjya Munda was allegedly killed by her brother-in-law Kartik Munda, 23, at Sidhai in western Tripura on Monday night. "Kartik's one-year-old son Arab was suffering from fever for the past few days and he died on Monday night. Kartik suspected his son died due to the black magic practiced by his sister-in-law. He then killed her," a police official said. Police arrested the youth on the basis of a statement by the victim's husband, the elder brother of the accused.

about Rs 400 crore royalty to the state government as per Mines Development and Regulation Act, 1957, before transporting the 6.3 million tonnes of extracted coal lying in depots across the state. The NGT also ordered the state government to collect 10 per cent of the said market value of the

coal per metric tonne from each person in addition to the royalty payable to it. During the hearing, advocate Ranjan Mukherjeea, appearing for Meghalaya, submitted the draft guidelines for coal mining activity in the state and told the bench that there cannot be a general mining policy for all the mines but it should

rather be mine-specific. "The government of Meghalaya, Department of mining and Geology, Shillong has formulated the draft guidelines for coal mining activity in the state. The draft guidelines prepared by Department of Mining and Geology, Shillong was placed before the Expert Group headed by the Chief Secretary, Meghalaya. "After receiving the inputs from the various members of the Expert Group, the draft guidelines has been approved and cleared by the Expert Group in the 4th meeting on September 17. The guidelines have been submitted to the Ministry of Coal and MoEF," Mukherjeea said. The green bench has prohibited mining in the entire state of Meghalaya but allowed transportation of extracted coal kept in the open with due "checks and balances".

Itanagar, September 29 (ptI): The Arunachal Pradesh government today said it will provide all assistance to the specialised identification and recovery teams from the US which will be in the state in search of nearly 400 Americans who remain unaccounted for from the World War II. This will be the first recovery mission conducted by Defense Prisoners of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency (DPAA) in Arunachal Pradesh since December 2009. "This is a humanitarian issue and there should be no controversy," state Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi said here. He said the matter has been approved by the Defence and External Affairs Ministries, while the state home department along with state's Resident Com-

aIzawl, September 29 (ptI): The opposition Mizo National Front (MNF) today said it will organise a rally on October 13 demanding immediate repairing of roads across the state. A press statement issued by the MNF said the decision was taken at the meeting of the office bearers of the party. "All roads across the state are in a deplorable condition and almost im-

possible to travel by vehicles," the statement said adding, vehicles carrying goods including essential commodities like foodgrain, and passengers refuse to ply on many sectors due to the state of the roads. The party also urged the state government to ensure that the Bru voters lodged in Tripura relief camps and unwilling to return to Mizoram, be deleted from Mizoram's voters' list.

this morning to find 30 people who went missing after an overcrowded boat, ferrying at least 200 passengers, overturned in Assam's Kamrup (rural) district yesterday. However, Director-General of Police Khagen Sarma was hopeful that the missing passengers may have swum to safety."Most of the people in the area know how to swim, they probably swam across the river to the other side of the river bank," Sarma said. The boat has been fished out from the water, he said. The search was being conducted by personnel of the National Disaster Response Force

Mayank Aggarwal livemint.com

An environment ministry panel has given the go-ahead for the 780 megawatt (MW) Nyamjang Chu hydropower project in the Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh to be taken up for forest clearance, despite it posing a threat to one of two wintering sites of the black-necked crane in India. The decision by the expert appraisal committee (EAC) for river valley and hydroelectric projects comes despite a letter from the ministry’s regional office in Shillong, written in August 2014, revealing illegal felling of trees in Tawang by NJC Hydro Power Ltd, the company behind the project. The regional office asked the ministry to deny the Rs.7,000-crore project the final forest clearance and also sought levy of a penalty on the developer for violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The environment ministry has not taken any action on the issue as yet. A query to the ministry seeking

information on action taken against the company remained unanswered. The black-necked crane is a protected species under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and is also considered sacred by locals. Schedule I accords the highest protection under the law to endangered species. Its numbers in India are a mere 15-20 breeding pairs, found in Ladakh. A wintering site is a lower altitude area to which the birds migrate during the harsh winter months. The other such site is the Sangti valley in West Kameng of Arunachal Pradesh. The project got environmental clearance and in-principle forest clearance in April 2012. It is awaiting final forest clearance. Incidentally, the environmental impact assessment report on the basis of which clearance was given makes no mention of the bird or the fact that the barrage is right in the middle of its wintering ground. Construction of Nyamjang Chu involves diversion of around 90 hectares of

forest. Activists, however, are of the opinion that the project should be appraised afresh as a site inspection has revealed that the total requirement of forest land will be nearly 200 hectares. The EAC also proposed mitigation measures such as maintaining prescribed environmental flow, restricting construction activities during winter months and minimizing noise pollution to tackle the impact of the project on endangered species. It also sought a study by the Wildlife Institute of India for protection of the black-necked crane’s habitat. The regional office’s site inspection report revealed that the Khangteng and Shyaro hydroelectric projects had been constructed without prior forest clearance. This was the reason for it seeking imposition of a penalty on the project developer and withholding of final forest clearance. The EAC, in its minutes, noted that it would take up the issue relating to Khangteng and Shyaro projects when the cases are presented to the committee in future.

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GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER PEREN: NAGALAND OBJECTION NOTICE With the blooming Anthurium flower in background, the famous Mizo Bamboo dance is being performed during ‘Anthurium Festival,’ a 3 day-long festival organized annually by the government of Mizoram. The three days extravaganza showcases various culture and traditional activities and is aimed at promoting tourism and encourage Anthurium cultivation in the state. (Mizoram Tourism File Photo)

make mizoram 'bamboo state' of India: Doner minister Mizoram can become the "bamboo state" of India due to the high level of production of this giant woody grass which can be used for furniture as well as paper, Development of the Northeastern Region (DoNER) Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday. Stating that each of the

and living up to their motto of 'Fulfilling Our Nation's Promise'. "The recovery of the remains of missing US service members is a stand-alone humanitarian mission, underscoring the Department of Defences commitment to the fullest possible accounting for US servicemen from the nation's past conflicts," a statement issued by the American Embassy in New Delhi yesterday said. The DPAA teams had arrived in the capital yesterday. Falling directly under the Office of the Secretary of Defense, DPAA continues its search for approximately 400 Americans still missing in India, and more than 83,000 Americans still missing from past conflicts worldwide.

report was filed with the police in connection with yesterday's boat capsize, the DGP said. "No death of any passenger of the capsized boat has been reported to the police so far. So, we have presumed that there is no death in the accident," Sarma told reporters here.The overcrowded boat was carrying about 200 people from Koraibeel to Gumi. The boat's engine had stopped midway and it hit a pillar of a bridge and overturned in Chaygaon area. The passengers in NDRF team searching for bodies after a the boat were travelling to witness a boat drowned in Kalahi river in Assam. boat race nearby, the sources said. (PTI Photo)

Arunachal hydropower project up for forest clearance

Lal Thanhawla brought to Singh's notice two of his priority projects involving construction of community halls in and around Aizawl. Singh assured Lal that these projects would be taken up on a priority basis, the statement said.

Horticulture introduced commercial cultivation of anthurium in 2002 under Technology Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in northeastern states. Over 300 families grow anthurium in Mizoram.

missioner Office in New Delhi is coordinating the entire mission. "The mission will start shortly in the eastern part of the state," Negi added. The Embassy of the United States of America and DPAA worked with the Government of India to coordinate this opportunity for the agency to work in Arunachal Pradesh. The majority of missing Americans are believed to be located in this area, since the main air resupply route from India to China during World War II flew over the Himalayas on a route which came to be known as 'The Hump'. "DPAA missions are therefore important to help them fulfill their mission of fully accounting for American servicemen still missing from previous conflicts,

MNF to organise rally demanding Boat capsize: Search on for 30 missing passengers road repairs across Mizoram guwahatI, September 29 and State Disaster Response Force. Meanwhile, no missing or death (ptI): Search operations resumed

Anthurium festival, Mizo Bamboo Day begin October 1 KolKata, September 29 (IanS): More than 70 homegrown varieties of the beautiful anthurium flower will be showcased at the threeday Anthurium festival in Mizoram beginning October 1, organisers said on Tuesday. This year, the Mizoram Bamboo Day will also be held simultaneously. One of the most prominent events of the north east, the anthurium festival not only promotes cultivation of the flowers (also known as tailflower, flamingo flower) but is also a chance to exhibit indigenous fruits, vegetables, handloom and handicrafts. "It is also a tourism promotion event. Apart from anthuriums, Mizo culture and tradition will be highlighted for tourists," Lalnunmawii, an official at the state's department of information and public relations, told IANS. "This year it will be held at the Mini Sports Complex, Lengpui, near the Aizawl airport and the Mizoram Bamboo Day will also be held on the same day," Lalnunmawii said. Bamboo products will be exhibited and training programmes will be organised to mark bamboo day, the official said. On offer are a range of entertainment programmes as well like beat contest, rock show and dance competition. The Department of

assistance to US DPAA teams

8 northeastern states can develop an identity of its own, Singh told Mizoram Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, who called on him here, that Mizoram has a very bright opportunity to earn the distinction of becoming the "bamboo state" of India, according to an official statement. He said the high level of production of bamboo in Mizoram can make the state a major source of not only furniture but also paper for the rest of the country. Regarding connectivity between Mizoram and the rest of the country, he said he was persuading the aviation ministry and different private airlines to

start, if not daily, at least biweekly or triweekly direct flights between Delhi and state capital Aizawl.

Dated Peren the 29th Sept. 2015

NO.PRN/JUDL-SC-1/2015/ Smti. Lungteiheile has applied for issue of Succession Certificate in her name to draw GPF/GIS/ Leave Encashment/Gratuity/ Pension Pay etc of her Late husband Shri. Vituolie Kense of Peren District. Public are hereby invited to file claims/Pensions within 30(thirty) days w.e.f date of publication in local papers. If no objection is received from the public within the stipulated time, the said Certificate shall be issued in his/her name. (PETER LICHAMO) Deputy Commissioner, Peren: Nagaland.

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CHRISTIAN VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE In collaboration with PERI MONTESSORI & NURSERY TEACHERS TRAINING An ISO 9001:2008 Certified Institute. Admission going on for Montessori Teachers Training United Colony Half Nagarjan, Dimapur. Contact: 8014509468, 9089912247.

CHRISTIAN HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, DIMAPUR CONGRATULATIONS 1. Mrs. Purnima Rai – Dimapur District Meritorious Teacher’s Award 2015 on Sept. 5th 2. Miss. Kimyeni Grace of Cl. 12 – Champion, 4th Nagaland Spelling Bee Contest 2015 on Sept. 26th 3. Mr. Rishi Deb of Cl. 7 – 1st Position Bridgestone Dimapur Drawing Competition 2015, on Sept 12th 4. CHSS Basketball Team (Boys) – 1st Runners up; ANPSA Basketball and Volleyball Tournament on Sept. 26th 5. Miss. Sedevinu Sale – Selected by INSPIRE (INNOVATION IN SCIENCE PURSUIT FOR INSPIRED RESEARCH) under Department of Science & Technology, New Delhi, to represent India in the Sakura Youth Exchange Programme in Japan organised by Japan Science and Technology (JST).

BORDER ROADS ORGANISATION NOTICE INVITING TENDER (NATIONAL COMPETITIVE BIDDING)

1. The Commander 15 BRTF, PIN-930 015, C/O 99 APO on behalf of President of India invites tender(s) from the eligible contractors for the following work(s):Particular of Cost &Time of Details of tender work work documents Tender No. CDR (a) Cost :Rs. 18.31 (a) Cost of tender: 15 TF/11 of 2015- Lakh Rs. 500/16) (b) Period of com- (b) Availability :On Supply and stack- pletion : 120 days or after 03 Oct ing of Stone boul- (c) Earnest money 2015 der, S/Metal and : Rs. 36,320/(c) Submission : Sand for permaUp to 1200 hrs on nent works be28 Oct 2015 tween KM 0.00 and KM 60.00 on Maram-Peren Road under 98 RCC/15 BRTF Project Sewak in Nagaland Note: Full notice of tender, any change in above details, tender document (including eligibility criteria) and other details may be obtained from Central public procurement portal www.eprocure.gov.in for any queries, please contract on telephone 0370-2271427 EE (Civ), SW, For Commander

Davp: 37102/11/0345/1516

new DelhI, September 29 (ptI): In a relief to coal mine owners in Meghalaya, the National Green Tribunal today extended the time for payment of royalty of already extracted coal in the state by a month after the state government said heavy rains had hampered the transport of coal. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar also directed the Ministry of coal and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to examine the draft guidelines on mining submitted by Meghalaya government expeditiously. The green panel passed the order to extend the time of royalty payment till October 31 after the counsel for Meghalaya government sought the extension saying incessant rains have hampered the coal transportation process.

WednesdAY 30•09•2015

BUSINESS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

RBI cuts interest rates more than expected as RBI “front-loads” MuMbai, SepteMber 29 (reuterS): The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its policy interest rate to a 4-1/2 year low of 6.75 percent on Tuesday, in a bigger-than-expected move that, with inflation running at record lows, could help turn around an economy that has been slowing down. “I don’t think we have been excessively aggressive,” RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan told a news conference, explaining that the RBI had “frontloaded” the easing in response to downgrades to expectations for global growth. “Clearly this was about, given the state of the economy, how can we move forward,” he added, reflecting widespread concern that India’s growth was losing momentum. The RBI cut its growth forecast for the fiscal year to 7.4 percent from 7.6 percent previously, well below the government’s target of 8 to 8.5 percent, but still faster than China. The central bank said it expects inflation to rise

Highlights of the RBI Monetary Policy statement MuMbai, SepteMber 29 (iaNS): The following are the major highlights of the fourth bi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement 2015-16, made by Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan on Tuesday: • Reduction of the policy repo rate (shortterm lending rate to banks) under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 50 basis points from 7.25 percent to 6.75 percent with immediate effect. • No change in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks from four percent of net demand and time liability (NDTL). • Permit Indian corporates to issue rupee denominated bonds with a minimum maturity of five years at overseas locations, subject to the ceiling of $51 billion on foreign investment permitted in corporate debt. • No restriction on end-usage of rupee denominated bonds issued overseas, except for a small negative list. • Inflation is likely to go up from September for a few months as favourable base effects reverse. from August’s record low of 3.66 percent to 5.8 percent in January, just below its 6 percent target. It also set a new inflation target of around 5 percent by March 2017, and Rajan said the RBI would strive to keep real interest

• The outlook for food inflation could improve if the increase in sown area translates into higher production. • Revised framework for external commercial borrowing (ECB) to replace existing rules in sync with the current economic and business environment will be issued soon. • New guidelines for participation of gilt account holders in the repo market to be issued by November-end. • Permit scheduled commercial banks to take short positions in the When Issued (WI) trading in new and reissued government securities. • Permit regulated entities other than banks and primary dealers to take long positions in the WI market. • To develop repo market electronic dealing platform(s) in corporate bonds, to be designed in consultation with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). • Stand-alone primary dealers to be permitted in currency futures contracts • Permit exchange traded currency futures

rates benchmarked to a 1-year Treasury bill rate of between 1.5 to 2 percent. At the same time, the RBI announced a slew of measures intended to further open debt and currency markets, signalling confidence in an econo-

my expected to do better than most emerging market peers when U.S. interest rates eventually go up for the first time in nearly a decade. The measures included increasing the current $30 billion limit for foreign

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and options in three cross-currency pairs, viz euro-US dollar, British pound-US dollar, and US dollar-Japanese yen. Increase the limit for resident entities for hedging their foreign exchange exposure in the over-the-counter market from $250,000 to one million dollars without the production of any underlying documents, subject to submission of a simple declaration. Reserve Bank of India to come out with a concept paper on increasing card acceptance infrastructure and move towards less-cash society. Tentative economic recovery underway in India. Foreign exchange reserves rose by $10.4 billion during the first half of 2015-16. Limits for foreign portfolio investment (FPI) in debt securities will henceforth be announced/fixed in rupee terms. Limit for FPI investment in the central government securities will be increased in phases.

investments in government bonds by 1.2 trillion rupees ($18.13 billion) by March 2018 in stages, and allowing overseas funds to buy debt issued by Indian states. But it was the size of the rate cut that excited

most comment, with analysts doubting whether there would be further easing, at least for a while, putting the onus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overcome resistance in parliament to his reforms. “We think that today’s

larger-than-expected rate cut will mark the end of the easing cycle,” Shilan Shah, an economist for Capital Economics in Singapore, commented in an email. The benchmark 10year government bond yield dropped as much as 17 bps to 7.56 percent, its lowest level since mid-July 2013, while share indexes surged more than 1 percent after initial falls. The rupee was broadly unchanged. HIS OWN MAN While there had been calls from within Modi’s cabinet for the RBI to cut rates more aggressively, most analysts doubted whether Rajan had succumbed to pressure, even though only one analyst out of 51 polled by Reuters last week had forecast a 50 bps reduction in the policy repo rate. Forty-five had expected a 25 bps cut, the same magnitude as previous three cuts this year. Certainly Rajan gave the impression of being his own man when asked

whether he felt like Santa Claus during the news conference. “My name is Raghuram Rajan, and I do what I do,” the governor responded in a remark that flew round social media. Reducing rates during the monsoon season, running from mid-June through September, is unusual for the RBI. It has tended to be on the defensive against food price pressures after disappointing rains. This is the first cut during that period since the repo rate was adopted as the policy rate in 2004. Analysts said economic factors probably lay behind the strong move to force banks to lower lending rates faster. While the RBI has reduced official rates by 125 bps since embarking on an easing cycle in January, banks have moved far more slowly. The latest repo rate reduction, however, was swiftly answered. State Bank of India, the country’s largest commercial bank, lowered its base lending rate by 40 bps to 9.3 percent.

2015 Maruti Ertiga Facelift to Launch in Oct Facebook seeks to end storm Flipkart plans ‘Big Billion Sale’ New Delhi, SepteMber 29 (NDtV auto): Ever since its launch in April 2012, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga hasn’t received any update; but with rising competition in the compact MPV space, it has become necessary for the Indo-Japanese carmaker to refresh it. In fact, the parent company had revealed the updated version of the MPV at the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in August, and the same

product will come to India as well sometime in the first half of 2015. The updated Suzuki Ertiga receives a bunch of exterior and interior changes, and its diesel engine will also get the SHVS (Smart Hybrid Vehicle by Suzuki) micro-hybrid system that was recently launched with the Ciaz hybrid. The SHVS will help the Ertiga facelift return better fuel efficiency than before.

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 # 3361

HARVEST TIME COMBINE TRACTOR SILAGE GREENCHOP ABANDONED COVERCROP HARVESTED HAYLAGE GRAIN SEED IRRIGATED NONIRRIGATED WINTERWHEAT SPRINGWHEAT DURAM BARLEY OATS RYE GRAINCART YIELD BUSHELS BALER PRODUCTION CORN SOYBEANS SUMMERFALLOW NURSECROP GRAINSTOCKS

I P O R C E S R U N P L Y A U

G B P Z H B K D R K O S I T R

over ‘Digital India’ support issue

New Delhi, SepteMber 29 (iaNS): Facebook on Tuesday sought to clarify on the controversy over support for “Digital India” - which chief executive Mark Zuckerberg had solicited - also translating into support for the much-criticised Internet.og initiative of the social networking giant. The company said it was a “mistake” by an engineer. It all started when Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg changed his profile picture with a tint of green, saffron and white for the Tricolour in a symbolic gesture to suggest he supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Digital India” campaign. He asked others to follow suit. Accordingly, a host of Facebook users also started doing the same. But it was soon noticed that if you changed your display, the code below had a small bit with the word Internet.org -- an initiative netizens have been opposing for allegedly being anti-net neutrality. It thus sent out a feeling that support to “Digital India” also meant support for Internet.org. “There is absolutely no connection between updating your profile picture for ‘Digital India’ and Internet.org. An engineer by mistake used the words ‘Internet.org profile picture’ as a shorthand name he chose for part of the code,” a Facebook spokesperson said. Ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Zuckerberg has said on September 27: “I changed my profile picture to support Digital India, the Indian government’s effort to connect rural communities to the Internet and give people access to more services online.” He also made a plea for people to shor their support at fb.com/supportdigitalindia.

beNgaluru, SepteMber 29 (ageNcieS): After the failure of the much touted ‘Big Billion Day’ last year, e-commerce marketplace Flipkart is gearing up for its “Big Billion Sale” season two. The “Big Billion Sale” is the second edition of the discount sale and will be held from October 13-17. Unlike the previous version, this year’s sale will be a fiveday long event. The “Big Billion Sale” will be an app-only shopping event and will offer exciting offers and discounts across more than 70 product categories for customers. “Celebrating the start of festive season in India, Big Billion Days will be the ultimate shopping event for customers to shop for gifts and other items for friends and family,” Flipkart said in a release. Flipkart will offer special discounts on items like apparels, footwear, mobiles, furniture, laptops, toys, large appliances, jewellery, watches and home furnishings among others. “India shops the most during this time of the year. With over 75 per cent of traffic coming via mobile, we expect this app only sale

DAILY CROSS WORD

CROSSWORD # 3374

Answer Number # 3360

G A R I A A S E Y O H K E A S

The most noteworthy changes given to the 2015 Ertiga facelift are up front. The front fascia of the vehicle looks slightly bolder with a new tripleslat chrome grille with revised air dam, revamped radiator grille, new bumper, fog lamp enclosures with chrome bezels, etc. Other styling elements are 10-spoke 15-inch alloy wheels, revised tail-lamp cluster with new reflector elements, new bumper and a thick chrome garnish on the license plate. The company has updated the vehicle’s cabin too with dual-tone finished dashboard, brown seat fabric, steering wheel with silver inserts, etc. The 2015 Ertiga also features electricallyadjustable outside rear-view mirrors (ORVMs), third row seats with 50:50 split, driver & front passenger airbags, one push power up driver-side window, etc.

R L O T Y R O T E T C C L E U

A E D A L L Y A T R N O D H M

I R U E A E B G I A E T H W M

N E C H G Y E I R C E S A R E

C N T W E S A R R T R N R E R

A I I G D L N R I O G I V T F

R B O N U E S I G R J A E N A

T M N I R H E N A G C R S I L

O O P R A S E O T V O G T W L

T L R S A B A N D O N E D W W

S I L A G E C O V E R C R O P

STD CODE: 03862 232224; Emergency229529, 229474

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228254

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228400

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232106

East Police Station West Police Station

227607 232181

CIHSR (Referral Hospital)

242555/ 242533

Dimapur hospital

224041, 248011

Apollo Hospital Info Centre:

230695/ 9402435652

Railway:

131/228404

Indian Airlines

229366

ACROSS

1. Astrological transition point 5. Normal 10. Q-Tip 14. Killer whale 15. Jumpy 16. Relating to aircraft 17. Welt 18. Reverence 20. Worker 22. Go backwards 23. Japanese apricot 24. Venomous snake 25. Disenchant 32. Hard wood 33. Excellence 34. Directed 37. Adriatic resort 38. Dismay 39. Jump up and down 40. S 41. Perspiration 42. Classical Greek 43. Ceaselessness 45. Summary 49. A late time of life 50. Analyze 53. Spire 57. Administrative official

DOWN

1. Hood 2. Component of urine 3. Anagram of “Cabs” 4. Light tan horse 5. Reveal 6. Clairvoyant 7. A large vase 8. Affirm 9. Stringed instrument 10. Filled to excess 11. Strange 12. Got up 13. Silly mistake 19. ___-garde 21. Depend 25. Expunge 26. Nile bird 27. Mats of grass 28. Refereed 29. Flower part 30. Angry 31. Petroleum

34. Solitary 35. Auspices 36. Physicians 38. Barley bristle 39. Thought deeply 41. Old photo color 42. Small island 44. Homestead 45. Renegade 46. Give off 47. Concerns 48. Catkin 51. Central points 52. Beige 53. Told 54. Throw up 55. Scallion 56. Being 58. Caviar Ans to CrossWord 3373

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

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

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KOHIMA

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

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE 59. Regrets 60. Biblical garden 61. Grill 62. Anagram of “Seek” 63. “___ we forget” 64. Soft leather 65. Apollo astronaut Slayton

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

A C Y P M U D N E G R E E A O

DIMAPUR Civil Hospital:

to be the biggest shopping event of the year. Bigger and better as compared to last year, we have worked towards ensuring a seamless shopping experience for our customers,” said Mukesh Bansal, Head of Commerce Platform, Flipkart & Chairman – Myntra. “We have also ramped up our technology and supply chain support to ensure all our 50 million customers have the best ever mobile shopping experience,” he added. Last October, Flipkart, one of the unicorns of the Indian start-up story, had organised ‘Big Billion Day’ to celebrate its one billion journey. The company had announced deep discounts for products in over 70 categories with a sales target of $100 million in gross merchandise value. However, the special day became a failure for the company and its founders Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal were forced to apologise for the troubles the customers faced. To cater to the anticipated customer demand this year, Flipkart has opened new fulfilment centres across the country to guarantee efficient delivery.

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

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WednesdAY 30•09•2015

NAGALAND

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

An interview with Kitovi Zhimomi deepak dewan North East Sun

The Nagas struggle for self determination or the Naga political movement has dominated the insurgency theatre of North East India. Over the decades of political struggle, a trend of leaders breaking away from the main organization and forming their own faction has headlined the Naga issue. The first split happened in 1980 and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) was born led by Isak Chishi Swu, Th Muivah and SS Khaplang. Then in 1988, Khaplang broke away from the original NSCN, denounced it and formed another NSCN which came to be identified as NSCN-Khaplang. Sharing SS Khaplang’s ideologies and aspirations then were two major characters of the Naga struggle – Khole Konyak and Kitovi Zhimomi. Twenty three years later in 2011, these two Naga insurgent leaders left Khaplang and on June 7, 2011, the NSCN (Unification) was born. One of the more prominent factions, the NSCN (Unification) entered into ceasefire with the Indian Government on April 27, 2012. General Secretary of NSCN (U), Kitovi Zhimomi was the prime minister of the underground NSCN-K government when he left the organization. A few weeks before the Naga Peace Accord was signed between the Government of India and the NSCN-IM, Kitovi Zhimomi spoke to North East Sun Executive Editor Deepak Dewan about the reasons behind the split with Khaplang, the Naga political struggle, differences with NSCN-IM chief whip Th Muivah and the aspirations of the Nagas of Nagaland. NE Sun: Mr. Kitovi, you have been an old associate of Khaplang. When did you join him? Kitovi: I joined NSCN in 1987 and that time Isak, Muivah and Khaplang were together. After the split in the NSCN in 1988 I remained with Khaplang till 2011. NE Sun: It’s a long period. But what are the reasons behind you splitting with Khaplang along with General Khole in 2011? Khitovi: Actually Khaplang was not in favour of Ceasefire right from the beginning but could not resist the pressure of civil society which was spearheaded by the NBCC. At the same time we also tried to convince Khaplang to have Ceasefire in order to have a dialogue with the Government of India. And in 2001 we signed the Ceasefire. After ten years of Ceasefire in 2011 Khaplang had already made up his mind to abrogate the Ceasefire and ordered top functionaries th to get inside ‘Burma’ by 30 of July so that he could call for the boycott of the ‘Indian’ Independence day on August 15 in Nagaland. So I immediately being the General Secretary of the Party convened emergency national meeting to deliberate on the issue. The House unanimously impeached Khaplang for taking such drastic decision on his own without

taking parliament into confidence. It was on May 7, 2011. We impeached him for displaying doctorial attitude and high handedness. Without taking the Cabinet and parliament into confidence how could he decide the fate of the nation by breaking Ceasefire and start the war? Had he (Khaplang) presented that issue in the parliament before hand, who knows the majority might have supported his decision to abrogate the Ceasefire. But he did not do like that. He just dictated and for that he was impeached on May 7, 2011. We had no other option but to impeach him. We elected Gen Khole who was then the Chief of the army as the Chairman of the Party (NSCN) and I was made the General Secretary. NE Sun: Why Khaplang decided to break the Ceasefire in 2011? Was he influenced by some other group or by some other country? Kitovi: As I told you that from the beginning he was not interested in Ceasefire with India. But at the same time he also made some close relations with Myanmar. And at the same time I think he realised that it would be meaningless to have Ceasefire with India because of his Burmese nationality the Government of India will never accept him or have any dialogue with him. That’s why he agreed for the separate Ceasefire with the Myanmar and development package for the Naga areas of Myanmar side. And that agreement was not just the ground rules or something but it was a political agreement. NE Sun: It is being said that the organisations like ULFA, KLO, PLA, UNLF, KYKL, UNLF and KCP are with him. Is it true? Kitovi: All are with him (Khaplang). They are in safe heaven. Two years back they formed a new organisation. Their ideology is to fight the common enemy that is India

NE Sun: How can India be Khaplang’s enemy? He is from Myanmar? Kitovi: You are right. Khaplang does not belong to India but I am sure under the influence of the other groups, especially from the Manipur and Assam he might have succumbed to their policies. NE Sun: Policies or money? Kitovi: I can say money because economically Khaplang was in such a horrible condition that it was ULFA and other groups who paid him for sustenance and survival. And he let his people from Burma to work as porters for ULFA and other revolutionaries and collected money for it. NE Sun: What about the Ceasefire abrogation this year? Kitovi: He is Right in one sense because he is nobody to have Ceasefire with the Government of India. If wants to have the Ceasefire he should come through the proper channel that is through the

Government of Myanmar. On the hand the Government of India also made slight mistake by encouraging Khaplang by having Ceasefire. NE Sun: How do you view the present situation in Nagaland? Kitovi: Now we have a new group NSCN (R).

NE Sun: But they are from the same stock you belong to and they are your separated brothers and sisters. Kitovi: Yes. When we impeached Khaplang in 2011 it was Wangtin who supported and strengthened Khaplang. But this time when Wangtin went to attend the Ceasefire meeting Khaplang instructed his army wing to shoot at the Indian security forces and made Wangtin and Tikhak the scapegoats. If Khaplang was sincere he should have informed his top functionaries like Wangtin beforehand. But he did not do that and demonstrated his true colours and dictatorial approach. Wangtin was compelled to form the new organisation. Now we have three Naga groups. Now IM is in talks with the Government of India for the last 18 years. So far there is no breakthrough. Now the Government of India is also contradicting its own policy and the principle. They say that they (India) are ready to solve any kind of problem through dialogue and negotiations and the same time they say the territorial boundaries will not be changed. Unfortunately Muivah happens to be from Manipur and the Government of India is using Muivah as the chief interlocutor to solve the Naga problem, where as the Nagas of Nagaland have been kept in the dark. Whatever solution is brought about by Muivah, I am very doubtful that Naga people will accept it. Because the Government has ruled out the Naga integration. At any cost Muivah can’t be a part of Nagaland as long as resistance to integration is there. NE Sun: If you look at IM, Muivah may be from Manipur but Isak Swu is from Nagaland. Similarly the Reformation group’s Wangtin is from Nagaland but Tikhak is from Arunachal Pradesh. If you look at the background, the Nagaland State was created out of an agreement and trouble started when Nagas living outside the Nagaland State were left out. There are more Nagas living outside than the Nagas living inside the Nagaland. That’s why the trouble started. Kitovi: You rightly said that the Nagaland state was created by a political agreement. There was a clause which kept the provision of Naga contiguous areas to merge with the Nagaland if people desire so. Chiten Jamir was sent to the Naga areas of Manipur to know if they desired to join Nagaland but the people out rightly rejected. NE Sun: I think there is some confusion here. If you recall in Manipur one Naga political party came up with the name Naga Integration Council which

Nagaland attends workshop on pentavalent, IPV introduction Our Correspondent Guwahati | September 29

A 17-member team from Nagaland today attended the “Regional Media Sensitization & Communication Workshop” for pentavalent & IPV introduction in NE states here at Indian Institute of Bank Management, Khanapara. The team, comprising Medical Officers (UIP), District Media Officers, Family Welfare Assistant, Deputy MEIO, State IEC, including three newspaper journalists, was led by Dr. GR Rio, MO, Universal Immunization Programme, Nagaland. Organized by Regional Resource Centre for NE (a branch of National Health Systems Resource Centre) in collaboration with UNICEF, the workshop sensitized media officers/ journalists on the concept of pentavalent and Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine (IPV) introduction in North East. The workshop stressed on the need to raise the level of awareness through print and electronic media to strengthen immunization coverage in line with pentavalent and IPV introduction in the region. Assam has already launched pentavalent vaccine. Other NE states will follow the same by next month (October), informed Dr. Mangesh Ghadari, UNICEF. 126 countries, including India, have taken steps to continue protecting its children against polio with the introduction of IPV in 2015. The introduction is part of the Polio Endgame Strategy. The IPV will be

spearheaded the movement to join the contiguous Naga areas and Rishang Keishing even contested election from the same Party and was elected. Kitovi: Chiten Jamir was sent by the Nagaland Government and SC Jamir is the living witness to this. The 16 Point Agreement came in force and the State was created. The agreement and its provisions were too good for the people of Nagaland. But today it is not sufficient and moreover the Government of India does not seem to be committed to the 16 Point Agreement anymore and they have backtracked from the certain provisions. The Agreement needs to be reviewed from time to time. We are very much concerned about the Nagas living in Manipur. We are not happy when Manipur government humiliates and discriminate them. We want them to a part of us after all we are the same blood and same family. But when there is a boundary and no political Party at Centre is ready to redraw the inter-state boundary. I am talking about the practicality of the issue.

NE Sun: Your group has Ceasefire with the Government of India since 2011. What is your assessment about the Centre’s approach towards the Naga issue? Kitovi: To my understanding and observation I think that the Government of India is not sincere in resolving the Naga political problem. Time to time they say that they are sincere but are not committed.

available free to millions of children in India at the routine immunization sessions through the country’s public health delivery systems. The Polio Endgame Strategy calls on countries to strengthen routine immunization programmes and introduce at least one dose of IPV in all countries using only Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV). IPV would be given in addition to the existing oral polio vaccine, in order to boost population immunity. Source said while the use of OPV has successfully reduced polio cases by 99% worldwide, adding IPV to the routine immunization programme will further improve the immunity of children against polio and help prevent polio outbreaks. The Government of India has decided to introduce pentavalent vaccine in the national immunization programme. Pentavalent vaccine provides protection to a child against five life-threatening diseases - Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Hepatitis B and Hib. DPT (Diptheria + Pertussis + Tetanus) and Hepatitis B are already part of routine immunization in

India, while Hib vaccine is a new addition. Together, the combination is called Pentavalent. Hib vaccine can prevent serious diseases caused by Haemophilus influenza type B like pneumonia, meningitis, bacteremia, epiglottitis, septic arthritis etc. Giving pentavalent vaccine reduces the number of pricks to a child, and provides protection from all five diseases. The pentavalent vaccine will replace the current Hepatitis B and DPT primar y vaccination schedule in the immunization programme. Additionally, Hepatitis B birth dose will continue as before, in institutional delivery points, within 24 hours of birth. DPT boosters at 1624 months and 5-6 years will continue as before. Hib mostly affects children under two years of age; children between four months and 18 months of age are most at risk. All children aged upto 1 years (after 6 weeks and less than 1 year) should receive Hib vaccine as part of routine immunization after its launching. Globally, Hib kills more than 370,000 children un-

der five every year. Nearly 20% of these children die in India. Dr. Ghadari said pentavalent vaccine will help re-strengthen overall immunization system and ensure improvements in coverage and quality of routine immunization. The workshop touched on key facts about pentavalent vaccine, revised national immunization schedule, operational guidelines for pentavalent vaccine, Polio Endgame Strategy and IPV introduction challenges in India, key components of communication strategy for pentavalent/IPV, communication activities roll out planning for IPV/pentavalent introduction, handling AEFI during crisis etc. Dr. Sameer Pawar, UNICEF, Veena Kumari, UNICEF, Dr. Mangesh Ghadari and Samudra Gupta Kashyap from The Indian Express acted as resource persons. Earlier, Dr. Joydeep Das, RRC-NE highlighted the overview of the workshop, while Dr. Hitesh Deka, RRC-NE presented overview of routine immunization pogramme in NE states.

NE Sun: But you are not for integration and you have been saying that you are only for the Nagas of Nagaland. Isn’t it true? Kitovi: Yes, since the integration has been ruled out we have decided to work for the Nagas of Nagaland. NE Sun: What do the Nagas of Nagaland want more? They already got the State. Kitovi: That is not enough. That is not enough even the statehood is not enough. The Government of India is not sincere in implementing the 16 Point Agreement. NE Sun: Which are the points you have complaints about? Kitovi: Nagaland was initially under the Ministry of External Affairs. NE Sun: But that was the earlier arrangement and… Kitovi: (interrupts) But the document is still alive.

NE Sun: You want Nagaland to be placed under the Ministry of External affairs NE Sun: Why do you say that the again? Kitovi: Yes, very much Government is not committed? What makes you feel that? Kitovi: If they were serious then India NE Sun: What are the other demands? Kitovi: Nagaland was supposed to be should have addressed the core issue to funded by the Centre until and unless it solve the problem. could economically stand by itself but it was withdrawn. We are having thousands NE Sun: Recently the Home Minister of educated youth who are unemployed Rajnath Singh announced in Guwahati and the Government of India is not sincere that the Government is coming out with on how to accommodate these educated youth. Our only worry is that if we do not solution very soon Kitovi: Yes, they have a solution create space to accommodate them, these to Nagaland by declaring whole state youth will be compelled to commit crimes disturbed. That is the solution? Even the out of desperation. Prime Minister had announced in Kohima on December 1, 2014 that solution would NE Sun: What about the role of the State come in eighteen months of time. While the Government which gets funds for all people are eagerly waiting for the solution, these? Kitovi: That is not sufficient for the they have declared the entire State under the disturbed area. They should have State Government. It is like giving a toffee deployed the force along the international to a crying child. boundary in the border areas not in the State Capital Kohima or the commercial NE Sun: Whatever funds Nagaland is getting from Centre the question here is town like Dimapur. that whether it is being used properly? Kitovi: Whether the State government NE Sun: You said that the Centre should have addressed the core issue. Are you is using funds properly or not I cannot comment on that but the funds they are referring to the ongoing talks? Kitovi: I am talking about the base getting from the Centre is not sufficient. people, I mean the people of Nagaland. It is not even one quarter portion to serve It is the people of Nagaland who want a the Nagas. We have so many domestic solution with the Government of India. problems The government of India should clearly This interview was originally published in the differentiate the problems of the Nagas of North East Sun and is being reproduced here with the Manipur and the problems of the Nagas permission of the North East Sun Executive Editor Deepak Dewan. of Nagaland. Muivah has always spoken

DUCCF informs Dimapur, September 29 (mexN): Dimapur Urban Councils Chairman Federation (DUCCF) has asked all chairmen under it to reach DMC office on September 30 at 1:00 pm sharp to attend a meeting convened by the DMC Executive Officer.

National Voluntary Blood Donor’s day on Oct 1

nagaland state team at the regional Media sensitization & Communication Workshop for Pentavalent & iPV introduction in ne states in Guwahati on september 29. (Morung Photo)

against the 16 Point Agreement. Initially Nagas supported Isak and Muivah when they started the talks. Now how can he claim that the people are with him when he has clearly declared that the integration of the contiguous areas at this point is not possible? So, after hearing this we realised that the Government of India will use the same yardstick with us also.

Kohima, September 29 (Dipr): The National Voluntary Blood Donor’s Day will be observed on October 1 at Nagaland University, Meriema campus, Kohima under the theme ‘Help save a life: Give the gift of life’ with Chairman DAN & Co-Convener Political Affairs Committee, Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu as the guest of honor. The programme is being organized by the Voluntary Blood Donor Association, Kohima and sponsored by De Oriental Grand in collaboration with Nagaland University, Naga Hospital Kohima and Decibel sound system. Welcome address will be delivered by Pro Vice-Chancellor NU Meriema campus. A short speech on the significance of the day will be presented by Principal Director, Health & Family Welfare Nagaland, Dr. NL Changkija, while a special number will be presented by PG Men Hostel. Dr. Kehousetuo Kuotso will speak on the importance of voluntary blood donation. Vote of thanks will be proposed by President VBDA, K. Kholie Dolf.

T Khel mass social workcum-get together on Oct 3 Kohima, September 29 (mexN): The Tsütuonuomia Khel of Kohima village will be organizing a mass social work-cum-get together on October 3. The social work will commence at 9 am, followed by the get together at 2 pm at Rüzie, T. Khel. A release issued by Tsütuonuomia Youth Organization (TYO) general secretary Kevisevolie Solo has informed all T. Khel members, including Kohima town inhabitants, to attend the same without fail. Further, the TYO at the behest of T. Khel Council has requested all its members, or group and organi-

zation, not to coincide any of its pro- requested all senior citizens in the town grammes with the said programme on to attend the programme. October 3. For further details, one may contact TYO social & cultural secretary Special prog for at 9436275282 or TYO info & publicity Sulimi students secretary at 9774008125. Dimapur, September 29 (mexN): The Dimapur Sumi Totomi Meeting on special Hoho (DSTH) is organizing a “special summary of e-roll programme” for Sulimi students, i.e., Kohima, September 29 from Class XI and above, on October (mexN): Additional Deputy Com- 3, 9:00 am at Town Hall, Dimapur. The missioner & Electoral Registration Of- speakers for the day will be Prof. Akali ficer, Kohima, Lithrongla Tongpi has Sema, Head of Department, Horticulinformed that in connection with the ture, SASRD, Nagaland University; Viensuing Special Summary Revision of kali A Zhimo, general secretary (We for Electoral Rolls with reference to 01-01- Women), and Bokali Mughavi, Director, 2016 as the qualifying date, a consulta- Kupukini Women Society. DSTH has tive meeting with the political parties, informed all the students from differmedia, civil societies/ NGOs, church ent colleges and 20 members each from organizations and government offi- different colonies under it to attend the cials will be held on October 1, 11:00 programme. For further details, contact am in the conference hall of DC Office, 08794828202, 08014900484. Kohima. All concerned have been requested to attend the said meeting for EAC Phek informs the greater interest of general public.

ward chairpersons

DCCI, BAN joint meeting Dimapur, September 29 (mexN): As per resolution of joint meeting of Dimapur Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) and Business Association of Nagaland (BAN) held on September 19 to organize “Dimapur Night Carnival-2015,” there will be a follow up joint meeting between DCCI and BAN on October 2, 3:00 pm at DCCI Office. Therefore, all DCCI and BAN office bearers and executives have been requested to attend the meeting without fail.

Mokokchung to observe International Day of Older Persons moKoKchuNg, September 29 (Dipr): District Welfare Office, Mokokchung in collaboration with Day Care Centre for Elderly Persons, Mokokchung is organizing a programme on October 1 at Ongpangkong Salang to observe International Day of Older Persons under the theme “Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in Urban Environment”.District Welfare Officer has

pheK, September 29 (Dipr): EAC (Dev) Phek, Nukutulu S. Venuh has informed all concerned that the official declaration of updating and seeding of NPR database has been scheduled for October 1, 10:00 am at the EB No. 0010, Bethel Colony, Phek Town. All ward chairpersons have been requested to attend the same without fail.

Birthday GreetinGs Dear bro Alem Our love for you knows no bounds. Our respect for you is equally immense. You are our ultimate emotional support and our sweetest friend. Every moment from the gone years, makes us glad that you are our brother. And we wish you a very warm and Happy Birthday. We love you Loving Sisters

wEDNESDAY 30•09•2015

IN FOCUS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express X issue 267X issue 185 Thursday 9volume July 2015 volume By dr. asangba Tzüdir

Church Building and God’s Kingdom

In our ingrained material provincialism is our much vaunted and illusory being as a Christian

he whole of Christendom invoke God’s Kingdom in pronouncing the Lord’s Prayer which is the Kingdom of Heaven, a Government established by God with Jesus Christ as the King. God’s kingdom is unlike any human Government that will never be brought to ruin as envisaged in the Book of Daniels wherein the subjects will be those who does what God requires having set a high standard that also raises the moral character in prohibiting wrong behaviour. Ultimately, those who love Him will live forever with Him. For all these God’s promises, it is a sad reality that, invoking God’s Kingdom is slowly becoming a casual ‘lip service’ before God. Taking the Church buildings in Nagaland as a point of reference it is worth reflecting on how the Churches today are helping God build His Church in the expansion of God’s kingdom. For sure, God did not mean concrete buildings when he spoke of His Church. With the onset of ‘modernity’ Church buildings too have been given due emphasis on the outlook to ‘suit the changing times’ and those Church building made of bamboo and tin or even those that are not so magnificently big are made to feel like the ‘Church of a lesser God.’ To have a big and ‘magnificent’ looking building is ‘important’ (though not the yardstick of a spiritual and worshipping Church) but not without addressing the foundational purpose for which the Church exists, that it becomes meaningless if it compromise on God’s Kingdom and the essence of the believers as a ‘body of Christ’. The ‘changing times’ has also created a ‘class consciousness’ which demands going to Church in a car and those coming to Church in an auto or by foot is somehow made to feel ‘awkward.’ Secondly, without beating around the bush, worst is the stench of ‘politics’ which the Church gets enmeshed in. Someone simply said, “If you want to enter into politics in Nagaland, the Church is the best place to first learn politics.” The state of affairs of the Church is such that even by simply looking at the big Church building, it only dawns upon the sad reality that the essence of spirituality and worship has paved the way for materialism and its associated politics. Somewhere down the line, our big Church buildings have overshadowed God’s Kingdom and we have so become symbolic representation of a ritualistic practice and in our ingrained material provincialism is our much vaunted and illusory being as a Christian. Why do we worship and whom do we worship? Have we not reduced God’s kingdom in our pursuit of materialism and petty politics. Have we so lost our Christian character and identity? These are questions worth revisiting. The promise of God will only hold good in setting a high Christian standard. Today, materialism and the ‘question of survival’ has taken precedence over the aspect of ‘soul winning’ which has been the greatest impediment that stifles building God’s Kingdom. Big Church buildings today are a classic testament of how the Church have been enslaved by materialism and have thereby lose sight of God’s Kingdom which holds so much of promise but sadly sidelined and neglected. The urgency is felt to revive the Christian character of the Church and the essence and purpose for which it exists by shedding the attitudinal trend of materialism and petty politics. Milton spoke of “Paradise Lost,” and even Jesus Christ has cautioned in unequivocal terms when He said, “Iniquity there shall be in this World; woe unto you if you be the cause of it.” Drawing on the true character of a Church, we often need to be reminded that our body is the Church of Christ each making up for a larger block in God’s eternal kingdom. (Dr. Asangba Tzüdir is an Editor with Heritage Publishing House. He contributes a weekly guest editorial to the Morung Express. Feedback and comments can be mailed to asangtz@gmail.com)

lEfT WING |

Chan Kin-Man

This is why Hong Kong’s struggle is not over yet As Hong Kong’s civil society regroups and reflects in the aftermath of the 2014 prodemocracy protests, one of the founders of the Occupy Central campaign explains where they should go next

n the wake of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution, nothing is certain, and as different forces move to prove themselves, civil society remains in flux. To mark the one-year anniversary of the pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, Chan Kin-man – co-founder of the Occupy Central movement – sets out the critical problems and new battlegrounds that lie ahead for future movements. No exit strategy “The 2014 protests lacked a coherent leadership. Student leaders were torn between the "Occupy Central with Love and Peace" campaign (also pan-democratic legislators), and more radical protesters. We were against an escalation of action – just to avoid violent conflicts – while the radicals were against retreating from the occupation. “The standoff at the end led to a backlash from the community. Occupying for too long was not a wise decision.” Splits in the movement “Radical groups, such as “Civic Passion”, promote both violence and independence for Hong Kong. This will only marginalize the democratic movement from mainstream society. Most people, including democracy supporters, are moderate and regard independence as unrealistic. “However, looking at a group like Civic Passion from a more dynamic viewpoint shows the regime how far society can go, if democratic reform is further delayed.” What happens now? “There is a strong sense of cynicism among people after the Umbrella Movement. It is difficult for pro-democracy politicians to push the government to initiate a new round of constitutional reform. What can people do when a large-scale moment of civil disobedience like the Umbrella Movement failed to create real change? “I do not think there is going to be a large-scale demonstration this year. But sporadic conflicts will continue, and when the opportunity arrives – when Beijing picks the next Chief Executive – the grievances towards both Hong Kong’s Chief Executive C.Y. Leung and Beijing will explode. The 1 July pro-democracy rally in 2016 should be a critical sign.”

C O M M E N T A R Y

Didier Jacobs Foreign Policy in Focus

Why Foreign Policy does not take World Peace seriously? When it comes to what should be a fundamental goal of foreign policy — world peace — the elites aren't even trying

t’s the fall of 1993. I’m sitting in my Foreign Policy 101 class at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The faculty — a former State Department official — goes through a list of US “national interests.” The usual suspects are all there: preventing nuclear proliferation, strengthening democracy in Eastern Europe, and so on. I raise my hand to argue that protecting the Brazilian rainforest is also a vital U.S. national interest. The faculty’s reaction? “Er, so, if Brazilians keep chopping down their forest, should we bomb them?” Welcome to the establishment’s mindset! The U.S. foreign policy establishment — that is, professionals who trained in international affairs and make careers in government, think tanks, and higher education, with revolving doors among the three — plays an outsized role in U.S. foreign policy. But they fail to deliver the multilateral approach that the American public wants. They’re stuck in old schools of thought and groupthink. Most importantly, they lack ambition, as the UN’s September 25-27 Sustainability Summit reveals. What’s missing is some vision of world peace. Exceptionalists Using opinion polls from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) stretching from 1974 to 2004, Benjamin Page and Marshall Bouton have convincingly identified a disconnect between the general public and the establishment. On some issues, these views differ consistently over the long term — and the public fails to get its way. The disconnect has more to do with interests than with knowledge or values. So, for example, the establishment is more likely to put troops in harm’s way, less likely to protect jobs from globalization, and more likely to use the public purse to buy influence over dubious allies like Egypt or Pakistan. It’s the public, not the establishment, who pays the price of such policies. A particularly important disconnect concerns multilateralism. The CCGA polls show strong, consistent, and bipartisan support of the American public for multilateralism, on par with majorities observed in other countries. The surveys show a strong majority (78 percent in 2014) in favor of maintaining or increasing U.S. commitments to NATO and a preference for exercising “shared leadership” over “dominant leadership” (63 percent vs. 28 percent in 2015). A majority of Americans agree to work through the UN even when that means that America doesn’t get its first choice (59 percent in 2014). Additionally, strong majorities support acceding to the International Criminal Court Statutes (70 percent in 2012), a treaty to curb carbon emission (71 percent in 2014), the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (84 percent in 2012), the Law of the Sea (83 percent in 2014), and the Arms Trade Treaty (68 percent in 2014). According to these polls and Page and Bouton’s analysis, elites don’t deliver on these priorities, in part because of the establishment’s misperception of the public’s preferences and in part because of the checks and balances of the U.S. political system, which allow a minority to block policy (such as the super-majority necessary for the Senate to ratify treaties). Diverging interests are again relevant here: The establishment has a vested interest in hoarding power in U.S. institutions rather than sharing it

armer Phub Zam, 55, is in a hurry. Monsoon rains have hit her farm in Bhutan’s Paro valley and Zam is rushing to harvest her broccoli before crop is damaged. "Of all my vegetables, broccoli is the most sought after," she said. “Each kilogram sells for 90 rupees ($1.40)." That’s 15 to 30 cents more than broccoli imported from neighbouring India. Zam gets the higher price because her produce is grown without the use of chemicals, making it healthier, more flavourful and more in demand. "I apply organic manure that I compost right at home," she said. “The imported vegetables do not taste so good." After decades of subsistence farming, Zam went organic four years ago. Now she grows 21 crops on her 1.3-acre farm — including grains, fruits and vegetables — and sells them, as well as homemade compost, to hotels, local vendors and nursery owners. She earns 40,000 rupees ($600) per month, three times more than she made before, she said. Zam’s success is part of Bhutan’s plan to support sustainable farming as one key to build a thriving “green" economy. In 2011, the government launched the National Organic Program, which aims to make the country’s agriculture 100 percent organic by 2020. By teaching farmers good organic farming practices and how to earn more money by growing organic produce, and by providing financial support, Bhutan hopes to reduce waste, decrease the country’s dependence on imported food, and ensure it remains climateneutral, producing no more climatechanging emissions each year than its

with international institutions. Old School The end of the Cold War and advent of globalization have not significantly altered the analytical frameworks of the international affairs discipline (though an important exception is the “governance without government” paradigm, which is more relevant to the economic side of foreign affairs). The worldviews of the foreign policy establishment continue to be dominated by realism and liberal internationalism. Neoconservatism had a chance and failed during the George W. Bush administration. Three other worldviews — isolationism, libertarianism, and pacifism — remain outside the establishment mainstream. Elites consider these views to be outcasts, and they have thus far failed at the ballot box (although isolationism and libertarianism have recently gained some traction within the Republican Party). Despite its division into these camps, the foreign policy establishment is susceptible to groupthink. Take Iran, for instance. Although the debate over the nuclear deal is heated, it revolves around technicalities such as verification protocol or the feasibility of air strikes. Very few people in the establishment challenge the threat to use force if Iran reneges on the deal. No one questions whether Iran should be considered an enemy in the first place. For international affairs graduates, challenging such consensus views puts access to senior government jobs at risk. An academic at a prominent university whom I interviewed in preparation for this essay quickly grasped where I was heading and confided that “it is impossible to make a career in this field with an alternative view; it is not by chance that alternative views come from people educat-

ed in other disciplines, like linguistics for Noam Chomsky or law for Richard Falk.” Lacking Vision Such groupthink explains in part the inability of the discipline to articulate a transformative vision. The U.S. National Security Strategy is good up to a point but not transformative; it is incremental and even status quo-oriented. The UN Security Council, G7, G20, and other multilateral forums do reactive crisis management. A grand bargain among big powers to end war is nowhere in the works. Even think tanks and academia fail to produce blueprints for world peace. I am not aware of any credible plan to achieve comprehensive and sustainable international peace within a generation, nor of any forum to produce such plan. Indeed, asking for one comes across as naive. In all the polls of CCGA and other organizations, two fundamental questions are conspicuously absent: Do you believe that world peace is achievable? And should it be a primary goal of U.S. foreign policy? I’m an economist engaged in a career in international development. Ending world poverty used to sound like a utopian goal but not anymore. In 2000, the United Nations set a goal to halve extreme poverty in the world by 2015. That goal was met in 2011. We — the United Nations, the World Bank, national governments, and a whole industry of non-governmental organizations, philanthropists, and consultants — have been discussing a new goal to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030. The UN Sustainability Summit is expected to endorse it. We mean it, and we’ll do it. But world peace? The foreign policy establishment isn’t even trying, because they don’t believe in it — and they don’t believe in it because they’re not even trying.

To build a greener economy, Bhutan wants to go organic stella Paul Thomson Reuters Foundation forests absorb. Already praised by environmentalists for its low carbon emissions and heavy use of hydropower, Bhutan hopes to become even greener by showing that environmentally friendly farming can also make money. CASH FROM TRASH Zam’s switchover came when a team of officials from the agriculture ministry told her they were offering women farmers in her village free training in organic farming, including composting and selling the compost for a profit. After attending a three-day training course, Zam started her home compost heap. Today, she sells about 60 kilograms of compost — made of grass, leaves, cow dung and sawdust — every two months to tourist resorts and other buyers. Zam also uses the compost at her farm, including in the two greenhouses she bought and installed with an 80 percent subsidy from the government. Before learning how to compost, she would end every harvest season with two or three truck-

loads of dead leaves and other organic waste that she would either burn or pay someone to dispose of. "Now, from leaves to cow dung to chicken poop, everything is used," she said. “I have no trash, only compost." Nedup Tsering, executive director of the government-funded Clean Bhutan project, which aims to make Bhutan a zero-waste country by 2030, notes that the country generates over 100 tons of garbage daily but has no centralized waste management program. "We want citizens to practice the 5 Rs: Rethink, reduce, recycle, reuse and re-create," Tsering said.

WRITE-WING

THE HURDLES According to Kesang Tshomo, coordinator of the National Organic Program, Bhutan faces some hurdles on its path toward fully organic farming, however. "We have to be practical and consider the realities facing our farmers," she said. One is that the country produces relatively little of its food. According to a 2014 study on food security by the Royal Bhutan College of Thimphu, less than 4 percent of Bhutan’s total land is

under food cultivation, which is why almost 50 percent of the country’s rice is imported from India and Thailand. To persuade Bhutan’s farmers to use organic methods, showing that the switch can lead to higher production is key, Tshomo said. In June, officials announced that the government had so far provided 176 greenhouses to farmers and planned to install 650 more. It said its combined policies of pursuing organic farming and modernisation — such as building greenhouses and fencing — had helped increase agricultural production 3 percent since the start of the organic push. The government is banking on the Clean Bhutan Project to also help Bhutan keep its pledge to remain carbon neutral. Currently, the country’s carbon emissions rate is a negligible 0.8 metric tons per capita, according to the World Bank. Promoting organic farming practices like composting is a “logical step towards the goal of remaining carbon neutral," said Peldon Tshering, chief strategist of Bhutan’s environmental commission. Zam, the Paro valley farmer, supports the government’s plan to convert its farmers to organic agriculture. But for the project to succeed, she said, the government needs to help widen the market for organic produce. Most of the hotels near her farm still mainly buy imported vegetables from India because they are cheaper, she said. "If the government could convince people to buy from local farmers, it would help us a lot," Zam said. “I could sell all my produce within hours, without spending extra on driving a wagon from one market to another."

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.

wednesdAY 30•09•2015

PERSPECTIVE

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Stop Googling. Let’s Talk. Sherry Turkle

NYT

OLLEGE students tell me they know how to look someone in the eye and type on their phones at the same time, their split attention undetected. They say it’s a skill they mastered in middle school when they wanted to text in class without getting caught. Now they use it when they want to be both with their friends and, as some put it, “elsewhere.” These days, we feel less of a need to hide the fact that we are dividing our attention. In a 2015 study by the Pew Research Center, 89 percent of cellphone owners said they had used their phones during the last social gathering they attended. But they weren’t happy about it; 82 percent of adults felt that the way they used their phones in social settings hurt the conversation. I’ve been studying the psychology of online connectivity for more than 30 years. For the past five, I’ve had a special focus: What has happened to face-toface conversation in a world where so many people say they would rather text than talk? I’ve looked at families, friendships and romance. I’ve studied schools, universities and workplaces. When college students explain to me how dividing their attention plays out in the dining hall, some refer to a “rule of three.” In a conversation among five or six people at dinner, you have to check that three people are paying attention — heads up — before you give yourself permission to look down at your phone. So conversation proceeds, but with different people having their heads up at different times. The effect is what you would expect: Conversation is kept relatively light, on topics where people feel they can drop in and out. Young people spoke to me enthusiastically about the good things that flow from a life lived by the rule of three, which you can follow not only during meals but all the time. First of all, there is the magic of the always available elsewhere. You can put your attention wherever you want it to be. You can always be heard. You never have to be bored. When you sense that a lull in the conversation is coming, you can shift your attention from the people in the room to the world you can find on your phone. But the students also described a sense of loss. One 15-year-old I interviewed at a summer camp talked about her reaction when she went out to dinner with her father and he took out his phone to add “facts” to their conversation. “Daddy,” she said, “stop Googling. I want to talk to you.” A 15-year-old boy told me that someday he wanted to raise a family, not the way his parents are raising him (with phones out during meals and in the park and during his school sports events) but the way his parents think they are raising him — with no phones at meals and plentiful family conversation. One college junior tried to capture what is wrong about life in his generation. “Our texts are fine,” he said. “It’s what texting does to our conversations when we are together that’s the problem.” It’s a powerful insight. Studies of conversation both in the laboratory and in natural settings show that when two people are talking, the mere presence of a phone on a table between them or in the periphery of their vision changes both what they talk about and the degree of connection they feel. People keep the conversation on topics where they won’t mind being interrupted. They don’t feel as invested in each other. Even a silent phone disconnects us. In 2010, a team at the University of Michigan led by the psychologist Sara Konrath put together the findings of 72 studies that were conducted over a 30-year period. They found a 40 percent decline in empathy among college students, with most of the decline taking place after 2000. Across generations, technology is implicated in this assault on empathy. We’ve gotten used to being connected all the time, but we have found ways around conversation — at least from conversation that is open-ended and spontaneous, in which we play with ideas and allow ourselves to be fully present and vulnerable. But it is in this type of conversation — where we learn to make eye contact, to become aware of another person’s posture and tone, to comfort one another and respectfully challenge one another — that empathy and intimacy flourish. In these conversations, we learn who we are. Of course, we can find empathic conversations today, but the trend line is clear. It’s not only that we turn away from talking face to face to chat online. It’s that we don’t allow these conversations to happen in the first place because we keep our phones in the landscape. In our hearts, we know this, and now research is catching up with our intuitions. We face a significant choice. It is not about giving up our phones but about using them with greater intention. Conversation is there for us to reclaim. For the failing connections of our digital world, it is the talking cure. The trouble with talk begins young. A few years ago, a private middle school asked me to consult with its faculty: Students were not developing friendships the way they used to. At a retreat, the dean described how a seventh grader had tried to exclude a classmate from a school social event. It’s an age-old problem, except that this time when the student was asked about her behavior, the dean reported that the

girl didn’t have much to say: “She was almost robotic in her response. She said, ‘I don’t have feelings about this.’ She couldn’t read the signals that the other student was hurt.” The dean went on: “Twelve-year-olds play on the playground like 8-year-olds. The way they exclude one another is the way 8-year-olds would play. They don’t seem able to put themselves in the place of other children.” One teacher observed that the students “sit in the dining hall and look at their phones. When they share things together, what they are sharing is what is on their phones.” Is this the new conversation? If so, it is not doing the work of the old conversation. The old conversation taught empathy. These students seem to understand each other less. But we are resilient. The psychologist Yalda T. Uhls was the lead author on a 2014 study of children at a device-free outdoor camp. After five days without phones or tablets, these campers were able to read facial emotions and correctly identify the emotions of actors in videotaped scenes significantly better than a control group. What fostered these new empathic responses? They talked to one another. In conversation, things go best if you pay close attention and learn how to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. This is easier to do without your phone in

hand. Conversation is the most human and humanizing thing that we do. I have seen this resilience during my own research at a device-free summer camp. At a nightly cabin chat, a group of 14-year-old boys spoke about a recent three-day wilderness hike. Not that many years ago, the most exciting aspect of that hike might have been the idea of roughing it or the beauty of unspoiled nature. These days, what made the biggest impression was being phoneless. One boy called it “time where you have nothing to do but think quietly and talk to your friends.” The campers also spoke about their new taste for life away from the online feed. Their embrace of the virtue of disconnection suggests a crucial connection: The capacity for empathic conversation goes hand in hand with the capacity for solitude. In solitude we find ourselves; we prepare ourselves to come to conversation with something to say that is authentic, ours. If we can’t gather ourselves, we can’t recognize other people for who they are. If we are not content to be alone, we turn others into the people we need them to be. If we don’t know how to be alone, we’ll only know how to be lonely. A VIRTUOUS circle links conversation to the capacity for self-reflection. When we are secure in ourselves, we are able to really hear what other people have to say. At the same time, conversation with other people, both in intimate settings and in larger social groups, leads us to become better at inner dialogue. But we have put this virtuous circle in peril. We turn time alone into a problem that needs to be solved with technology. Timothy D. Wilson, a psychologist at the University of Virginia, led a team that explored our capacity for solitude. People were asked to sit in a chair and think, without a device or a book. They were told that they would have from six to 15 minutes alone and that the only rules were that they had to stay seated and not fall asleep. In one experiment, many student subjects opted to give themselves mild electric shocks rather than sit alone with their thoughts. People sometimes say to me that they can see how one might be disturbed when people turn to their phones when they are together. But surely there is no harm when people turn to their phones when they are by themselves? If anything, it’s our new form of being together. But this way of dividing things up misses the essential connection between solitude and conversation. In solitude we learn to concentrate and imagine, to listen to ourselves. We need these skills to be fully present in conversation. Every technology asks us to confront human values. This is a good thing, because it causes us to reaffirm what they are. If we are now ready to make face-to-face conversation a priority, it is easier to

see what the next steps should be. We are not looking for simple solutions. We are looking for beginnings. Some of them may seem familiar by now, but they are no less challenging for that. Each addresses only a small piece of what silences us. Taken together, they can make a difference. One start toward reclaiming conversation is to reclaim solitude. Some of the most crucial conversations you will ever have will be with yourself. Slow down sufficiently to make this possible. And make a practice of doing one thing at a time. Think of unitasking as the next big thing. In every domain of life, it will increase performance and decrease stress. But doing one thing at a time is hard, because it means asserting ourselves over what technology makes easy and what feels productive in the short term. Multitasking comes with its own high, but when we chase after this feeling, we pursue an illusion. Conversation is a human way to practice unitasking. Our phones are not accessories, but psychologically potent devices that change not just what we do but who we are. A second path toward conversation involves recognizing the degree to which we are vulnerable to all that connection offers. We have to commit ourselves to designing our products and our lives to take that vulnerability into account. We can choose not to carry our phones all the time. We can park our phones in a room and go to them every hour or two while we work on other things or talk to other people. We can carve out spaces at home or work that are device-free, sacred spaces for the paired virtues of conversation and solitude. Families can find these spaces in the day to day — no devices at dinner, in the kitchen and in the car. Introduce this idea to children when they are young so it doesn’t spring up as punitive but as a baseline of family culture. In the workplace, too, the notion of sacred spaces makes sense: Conversation among employees increases productivity. We can also redesign technology to leave more room for talking to each other. The “do not disturb” feature on the iPhone offers one model. You are not interrupted by vibrations, lights or rings, but you can set the phone to receive calls from designated people or to signal when someone calls you repeatedly. Engineers are ready with more ideas: What if our phones were not designed to keep us attached, but to do a task and then release us? What if the communications industry began to measure the success of devices not by how much time consumers spend on them but by whether it is time well spent? It is always wise to approach our relationship with technology in the context that goes beyond it. We live, for example, in a political culture where conversations are blocked by our vulnerability to partisanship as well as by our new distractions. We thought that online posting would make us bolder than we are in person, but a 2014 Pew study demonstrated that people are less likely to post opinions on social media when they fear their followers will disagree with them. Designing for our vulnerabilities means finding ways to talk to people, online and off, whose opinions differ from our own. Sometimes it simply means hearing people out. A college junior told me that she shied away from conversation because it demanded that one live by the rigors of what she calls the “seven minute rule.” It takes at least seven minutes to see how a conversation is going to unfold. You can’t go to your phone before those seven minutes are up. If the conversation goes quiet, you have to let it be. For conversation, like life, has silences — what some young people I interviewed called “the boring bits.” It is often in the moments when we stumble, hesitate and fall silent that we most reveal ourselves to one another. The young woman who is so clear about the seven minutes that it takes to see where a conversation is going admits that she often doesn’t have the patience to wait for anything near that kind of time before going to her phone. In this she is characteristic of what the psychologists Howard Gardner and Katie Davis called the “app generation,” which grew up with phones in hand and apps at the ready. It tends toward impatience, expecting the world to respond like an app, quickly and efficiently. The app way of thinking starts with the idea that actions in the world will work like algorithms: Certain actions will lead to predictable results. This attitude can show up in friendship as a lack of empathy. Friendships become things to manage; you have a lot of them, and you come to them with tools. So here is a first step: To reclaim conversation for yourself, your friendships and society, push back against viewing the world as one giant app. It works the other way, too: Conversation is the antidote to the algorithmic way of looking at life because it teaches you about fluidity, contingency and personality. This is our moment to acknowledge the unintended consequences of the technologies to which we are vulnerable, but also to respect the resilience that has always been ours. We have time to make corrections and remember who we are — creatures of history, of deep psychology, of complex relationships, of conversations, artless, risky and face to face. Sherry Turkle is a professor in the program in Science, Technology and Society at M.I.T. and the author, most recently, of “Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age,” from which this essay is adapted.

The Newspaper with an Opinion The Morung Express

Sukhato A Sema, the Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland announced this year that our State is the second highest consumer of tobacco in India. Cigarette accounts for 26.3 per cent as the most common form of tobacco consumed in the state followed by other gutka products. Tobacco is a recognized carcinogen. Most of these consumers are school and college going teenagers. To tackle this problem, Tetso College maintains a 'Tobacco Free Campus' with utmost austerity. Here is a true account from a student who was recently caught on campus in possession of this harmful substance. He narrates the episode and shares his afterthoughts on tobacco consumption.

A Tobacco Free Life Musom, B.A 5th semester, English Honours

istakes help us understand the existing theory of life about what is good and what is not. At times a mistake may appear overly good to confront it, while sometimes it may seem too dreadful even for our wildest dreams. But no matter how many mistakes we make or how many failures we face in life, it is certain that the success and happiness that we achieve through it will surely make us wiser. Though mistakes can't be undone, it does teach us a lesson which can make us wiser should we choose to learn from it. It is true that one can never wipe his slate clean and start afresh, but if one learns from one’s mistake, it has the power to change the person, his beliefs and practices. Few days ago, I was unfortunately caught at our college gate in possession of gutka and was penalized with a fine of Rs600. Embarrassed and frustrated, I was totally baffled about how/where I could get the money to payoff for the trouble I got myself into for a mere packet of tobacco that cost just Rs5. The solution was simple "My parents!" But my mind was really disturbed and I found myself asking, "Is tobacco really that important in my life?" This was the first time that I had ever asked myself this question. In fact, I surprised myself within seconds with the answer. As the classes got started I took a seat, one closest to the fan. I could not help but wonder, what a thousand packets of tobacco could do to me in the future. I realized that the answer was just lying on the surface, waiting to be noticed. It did not require any research to find out what it could do to the consumer. The product itself had the answer written on its cover "TOBBACO CAUSES CANCER" and foolishly I was taking it every day. We consume it every day without a second thought. But actually, it is staggering to even imagine how cancer can be caused by just a Rs. 5 packet of tobacco. Right now, we don’t appreciate when the college charges fines to stop us from bringing or consuming tobacco. But ten, twenty years down the line, if diagnosed with cancer, hospitals will be charging us with lakhs of rupees for treatment. Then we will be left with nothing but "I wish". I now realize that tobacco was/is not at all important in life. It is just a very bad habit which can be easily checked if we want, for this habit will not have any positive effect in the long run. Rather it is a suicide, with death staring at one's face. Here is an alarming fact for us to really think twice the next time we decide to buy this killer tobacco, "Worldwide, tobacco use causes nearly 6 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030".We know that death is the inevitable fate of every man and we fear it, but despite one's fear of death, we still tend to invite it by continuously indulging in habits that will ultimately destroy our lives. Gambling is an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning. Although one's intent is to win, one is not sure what the outcome will be when the dice is rolled, and it is this uncertainty that gives the thrill and rush of adrenaline to a gambler. When we consume tobacco, you and I are gambling with our life, the only difference in this gamble is that there is no thrill, no rush of adrenaline and with the dice of life already thrown; there is no uncertainty about the outcome and it leads to nothing but us losing. It is hard to accept or even contemplate how such a habit so injurious to health has taken a deep root in our society, almost beating the pop culture. Ironically, every tobacco consumer is aware of the fact that tobacco causes cancer and this is very sad. In life, at one point or the other we will all make bad decisions; but we should be smart enough to realize our faults and learn from it. Sadly, there are some who are too ignorant or arrogant to even admit one’s own mistake and try to change. We should try to remember that everybody makes mistakes, no one is perfect. Along the way, everyone is bound to make bad decisions or do something they really didn’t think they should have .But the trick is to realize where we have gone wrong and do all we can to do better next time around. Now, what about you and me? Are we willing to admit to our mistakes and change? Are we going to admit that the decision to take tobacco is wrong and change for the better? Are we so weak that we have become slaves to this habit? I think not; I truly believe that we are strong, we can change; we have the power within us to be whoever and whatever we want to be. Let’s take charge of our lives and start living a tobacco free life. “Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. For feedback or comments please email: admin@tetsocollege.org”.

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.

WednesdAY 30•09•2015

INDIA

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Exclusive portal for pensioners soon NEW DELHI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): The central government is all set to launch an exclusive portal for pensioners to address their grievances and provide information and guidance to them. The web-based portal, to be called 'Pensioner's Portal', would be launched by the Department of Pension and Pensioners' Welfare under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, a government statement said here on Tuesday. The project would be implemented under the National e-Governance Plan. The basic objective of the project is to facilitate redressal of Pensioners' Grievances as also to provide information and guidance to pensioners on various pension and retirement related matters, the statement added. The stakeholders of this project would include, besides pensioners, banks, the Controller General of Accounts, the Central Pension Accounting Office and Post Offices. The department of pensions has also commenced an initiative called "SANKALP" for channelising the experience and skill of the pensioners towards meaningful social activities.

Post talks, FTII strike to continue; more meetings in store mUmbAI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): A meeting held in Mumbai between students of Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and government officials on Tuesday on the simmering row over the appointment of a BJP functionary as the chairman of the premier film school remained inconclusive. While further talks have been guaranteed, the strike will also continue. Another meeting has been scheduled for Thursday. “The ministry (representatives) will come back on Thursday to further discuss on this issue. The government has given no assurance and neither have the students done so. The talks are still on. The strike is still on,” FTII Students’ Association president Harishankar Nachimuthu told the media in Mumbai post the meeting. “There is no difference (progress) between (since) the last meeting and today’s meeting,” Nachimuthu said, adding the ministry officials “heard out the concerns in more detail”. He also hoped that a “decision can be arrived at on Thursday”. The students on Sunday had called off their 18-day-long hunger strike in response to the government inviting them for a dialogue to resolve their demands. FTII students have been protesting since June 12 to oppose the appointment of actor Gajendra Chauhan as the institute’s chairperson. Chauhan has been accused of lacking “stature” and “vision”. They have also been questioning other appointments to the FTII council which students claim have been politically influenced.

Narendra Modi calls for climate change agenda that helps developing countries UNITED NATIONS, SEpTEmbEr 29 (rEUTErS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi met U.S. President Barack Obama and France and Britain's leaders on Monday, and called for a climate change agenda from upcoming global talks in Paris that helps developing countries with access to finance and technology. Modi said after meeting Obama that he and the American president shared an "uncompromising" commitment to fighting climate change without hurting development. He thanked Obama for responding positively to his call for a global public partnership to develop sources of clean energy. "We look forward to (a) comprehensive and concrete outcome in Paris with a positive agenda on combating climate change which also focuses on access to finance and technology for the developing world, especially the poor countries and small island states," Modi said. Close to 200 countries will meet in Paris in December and try to hammer out a deal to slow manmade climate change by aiming to keep temperatures below a ceiling of 2ºC above pre-industrial levels. India is one of the few large economies of the world that has

For Modi & Sharif not a summit, not a handshake, just a wave UNITED NATIONS, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): Days of speculation ended with a wave across a table. Would Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif meet, pundits, diplomats and journalists wondered. Or would they shake hands? Or have a "pullaside" - a quick conversation on the sideines? They finally got their answer at Modi's last UN event about four hours before he left on Monday: They exchanged a couple of waves and smiles across the table at the Peacekeeping Summit convened by President Barack Obama. And that was it. Sharif waved first and Modi responded. Modi and Sharif shared the same hotel, the Waldorf Astoria, but avoiding each other was easy. The hotel has several entrances and leaders' entries and exits through driveways that lead right into the not yet submitted its strategy to the United Nations outlining how it plans to address climate change. The deadline for these commitments, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs, is this week. Last week, China, the world's biggest greenhouse gas emitter, renewed its commitment to bring its spiraling emissions to a peak by "around 2030". Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar told Reuters last week that India's peak year would be a "distant" one because it needed to fight poverty and give

middle of the building are carefully orchestrated. Some diplomatic gestures are carefully arranged. One of Modi's diplomatic assignments listed for Monday included a "handshake/exchange of greeting" with Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat as Modi approaches his table. But the wave wasn't. When Modi and Sharif met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit Ufa in Russia in July, they opened the possibilities of a de-freeze in ties between the two countries. However, the deep freeze has returned with firing across the border and the cancellation of the talks between the National Security Advisers. Now its time to decipher the nuances of the smiles and waves for clues to the next phase of diplomacy.

the more than 300 million Indians still living without power access to energy. Javadekar said India would commit to reducing emissions if the developed world could provide more technology and finance to combat global warming. After their talks on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Obama said he was encouraged by Modi's "aggressive" commitment to clean energy and stressed the importance of India taking "a leadership role" in Paris, saying this would "set the tone not just for today but for decades

to come." A concrete plan on how to raise $100 billion a year to help developing countries cope with and combat climate change will be a key factor determining the success of a Paris climate agreement. World finance ministers will meet on Oct. 7-8 in Lima, Peru, to try to agree on that framework. Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said Modi made "very clear" to Obama, British Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande "that

SC to hear pleas seeking relaxation of order on Aadhaar card use

Court grants three-month bail to Maoist leader Ghandy NEW DELHI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (pTI) Top Maoist ideologue Kobad Ghandy, accused of trying to set up a base for banned outfit CPI (Maoist) here, has been granted interim bail for three months by a Delhi court on health grounds. The court said that 65-year-old Ghandy, who is in custody in this case since September 2009, was suffering from various ailments and his condition has "visibly deteriorated" during the period of trial. "In these facts and circumstances, I admit accused Kobad Ghandy to interim bail for a period of three months on his furnishing a personal bond in the sum of Rs one lakh and two sureties of the like amount," Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Reetesh Singh said. The court is currently recording prosecution evidence in the case in which Ghandy along with co-accused Rajender Kumar alias Arvind Joshi is facing trial. Ghandy is facing trial for alleged offences punishable under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act(UAPA) and various provisions of the IPC. The court had framed charges against Rajender Kumar under several IPC sections. During arguments on bail plea, Ghandy's counsel told the court that his client was suffering from multiple ailments for which he required constant medical treatment which was not properly provided in the jail. The court had called for a report from the superintendent of Tihar jail regarding Ghandy's medical condition and after perusing it, the judge said, "it is apparent that Kobad Ghandy is suffering from a host of medical ailments". "He (Ghandy) is aged about 65 years. His condition has visibly deteriorated during the period the trial of this case has progressed before this court," the court said. Ghandy, an alumnus of the prestigious Doon School and St Xavier's College Mumbai, is facing prosecution in around 20 criminal and terror cases in different parts of the country.

the current climate of negativism was not a useful factor as we approach ... Paris. "Rather than just putting pressure ... he said it would have been far better if we had a positive agenda which enabled countries to go in for more sustainable parts of development by providing them with finance and the relevant technology." Swarup said Modi's meeting with Hollande was joined by Microsoft founder Bill Gates, bringing the private sector into the debate. "With people like him getting involved, there is a real possibility of there being private-sector partnerships on the technology side," the spokesman said. Swarup also said Modi told the leaders India had sought U.N. permission to declare its carbon emission commitments a day late on Oct. 2, because this was the birthday of Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi. "(Gandhi) was a person who was passionately committed to the cause of the environment, who was a champion of sustainable development," Swarup said. "If we declare our INDCs on Oct. 2, then it adds a very significant moral dimension as well to our commitment." Swarup said "there was a lot of appreciation for this point of view" from Obama and the other leaders.

A man looks on as he collects items thrown by devotees as religious offerings next to idols of Lord Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, after the idols were immersed on Sunday, in the waters of the Yamuna river in New Delhi on September 29. (REUTERS Photo)

Muslim orgs launch campaigns against 'un-Islamic' ISIS NEW DELHI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (pTI): Slamming ISIS for "un-Islamic" acts and "undermining the basic tenets" of the faith, several Indian Muslim organizations in the country have launched campaigns against the terror group, saying it was trying to justify its violence by distorting Islamic symbols and history. Muslim organizations have held meetings in places like Delhi, Jodhpur, Kozhikode and Lucknow to urge Muslim youths to refrain from associating with ISIS, which they said was involved in un-Islamic activities resulting in the killing of thousands of innocent victims. According to a home ministry report, in Kerala, Ittehadul Subhanil Mujahideen had organized a state-level conclave in Kozhikode on September 20 under the banner of 'Youth Movement Against IS Terrorism', which was inaugurated by its president, TP Abdulla Koya Maudani. In his address, Maudani called for united efforts to counter the proliferation of the ideology of the Middle East terror group, asserting that the outfit was justifying terrorist actions by distorting Islamic symbols as well as history. ISIS was distorting ideologies related to 'Jihad' and

'Khilafat', Maudani explained, and added that Sunni and Shia "extremism" would only lead to destruction of the Muslim community. Separately, chief of Jamaate-Islami Hind, Kerala, MI Abdul Aziz said at a press conference in Kozhikode earlier this month that terrorist activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were un-Islamic as well as a challenge to society. He said that the claims of ISIS with regard to the establishment of an Islamic Caliphate were "fake". His organization also held several meetings at other places in Kerala highlighting the atrocities committed by ISIS. The Rajasthan unit of Jamiat Ahle Hadees had organised a youth conference in Jodhpur on September 13 against terrorist activities of ISIS. Speakers at the conference urged youths to refrain from associating with ISIS which they said was involved in un-Islamic terrorist activities. Also, Syed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, Dargah Dewan, Dargah Sharif, Ajmer, said at a press conference on September 19 that the entire world should unite against ISIS, which was undermining the basic tenets of Islam.

NEW DELHI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): The Supreme Court will hear applications by the Gujarat government, the RBI, the SEBI and the UIDAI seeking modification of its order restricting the government - both at the central and in state level - not to insist on Aadhaar card except for the disbursal of food grains under PDS, and cooking fuel including kerosene and cooking gas. A bench of Justice J.Chelameswar, Justice S.A. Bobde and Justice C. Nagappan directed the listing of the applications for hearing on October 6 as senior counsel Shyam Divan appearing for the main petitioner opposing Aadhaar scheme said that the applications were not served on them and they knew nothing about their contents. Divan appeared for Karnataka High Court's former judge K.S. Puttaswamy, whohas contended that biometric data that was being collected for the issuance of Aadhaar card violated the fundamental right to privacy of the citizens as personal data was not protected and was vulnerable to misuse. Appearing for Gujarat government, senior counsel Harish Salve told the court that in 2015, it could not be anyone's case that privacy was not a right of a citizen. He urged the court that August 11 order may be relaxed to permit the use of Aadhaar number for various socio-economic welfare schemes of the central and the Gujarat government on voluntary basis so that they reach the targeted people without delay. Referring to the six central schemes covered under different statutory regimes, the Gujarat government, in its plea, said that the court's earlier order permitting state agencies to link Aadhaar card for accessing food grains under PDS, cooking fuel, and kerosene recognised the right to food under the constitution's article 21 guaranteeing right to life and personal liberty. Similarly, the state said that right to work under the rural job guarantee scheme, and right to receive old age or disability pension too should be treated at par to right to food as they too come under article 21. Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, in its application, has urged the court to modify its order to permit it to use Aadhaar number in the securities market for the confirmation of address of the brokers and intermediaries under the Know Your Customer (KYC) scheme. However, as court directed the listing of the matter for hearing on October 6, the bench raised the doubt whether it, now, had the jurisdiction to entertain the applications seeking modification of its August 11 order. The bench by its August 11 order while issuing four directions saying that Aadhaar card could only be used for the distribution of food grains under PDS, cooking fuel, such as kerosene and LPG has referred all the petitions before it to a larger bench to determine whether right to privacy was a fundamental right.

BJP plays backward caste card to counter 'Mandal' politics India delays implementation of pATNA, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): In a bid to counter the 'Mandal' politics of the grand alliance in the Bihar assembly polls, particularly Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad's pitch for 'backward versus upper caste fight', the BJP is playing the backward castes card. In order to woo the Dalits, Other Backward Castes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Castes (EBCs), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ruled out any 'sawarna' (upper caste) person becoming the chief minister if the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance won two-thirds majority in the state polls. With 'caste' factor, re-entrenched by recommendations of reservations by the the Mandal Commission, again dominating the campaigning for Bihar polls, senior BJP leader and union minister Giriraj Singh said that the next Bihar chief minister would be either from the Dalits, OBCs or EBCs and not an upper caste.

"An upper caste cannot become the chief minister of Bihar; it is certain that if the BJPled NDA comes to power, the next chief minister will be either from the OBCs or EBCs," the union minister - who belongs to the powerful and landed Bhumihar upper caste with a strong presence in the state politics - told the media here. The BJP leader played this 'backward caste chief minister card' two days after RJD chief Lalu Prasad said that the Bihar assembly polls were a fight between the backward and forward castes. The BJP leader's statement reflected the ground reality in Bihar and sent out a political message to OBCs and EBCs, who constitute around 50 percent of the voters in the state. He said the upper castes were only keen for the development of Bihar. "Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar should not worry about the upper castes; they should play their caste politics to create divide and hatred in society,"

Singh remarked. Interestingly, going by the NDA list of candidates for the Bihar polls, it is clear that the party is essentially relying on the upper castes in the fivephased elections. Of the 243 seats in the assembly, the four NDA parties have given tickets to 85 upper caste candidates, including 36 Rajputs and 28 Bhumihars, in the light of the fact that upper castes constitute approximately 14 to 15 percent of the Bihar population. On the other hand, the grand alliance of the JD-U, RJD and the Congress has fielded 64 Yadavs - 48 of them by the RJD alone - apart from 33 Muslims. It reflects Lalu's faith in his traditional social support base of MY (Muslim-Yadav). The grand alliance is also relying heavily on the OBCs Koeris and Kurmis. Thirty Koeris and 17 Kurmis, who are Nitish Kumar's caste men, have been fielded by the grand alliance. The NDA has not declared its chief ministerial candidate

and BJP president Amit Shah and other senior leaders have repeatedly said that the chief minister-to-be will be decided after the polls. According to political observers here, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for ending caste-based politics in Bihar, a deep-rooted tussle in the BJP between leaders of the upper and other backward castes during the assembly polls has put the BJP in a dilemma. Perhaps realising the problem, Modi and party president Amit Shah are taking steps to ensure that none of these leaders is allowed to dominate the public discourse till the elections end, fearing it may anger either of the groups and thereby lead to erosion of the party's social support base. In the caste-ridden Bihar politics, over half a dozen BJP leaders from the upper castes and the backward castes have staked claims to the chief ministerial chair. "All of them are lobbying hard," a BJP leader said.

bigger tobacco pack warnings

NEW DELHI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (rEUTErS): India has decided to delay implementation of bigger health warnings on tobacco packaging by a year until April 2016, as pressure mounts on New Delhi to take urgent steps to reduce tobacco consumption which kills up to 900,000 people a year. India last year said 85 percent of a cigarette packet's surface should be covered in health warnings, up from about 20 percent now. But the rules, originally to be enforced from April this year, were deferred after a parliamentary panel said it was reviewing how the industry will be impacted. Anti-tobacco campaigners question the panel's decision to delay implementing bigger warnings, pointing out that one member of the committee owns a tobacco company. Two members have said there is no link between tobacco and cancer. The tobacco industry in India has labelled the packag-

ing rules "drastic" and "impractical". Thousands of companies manufacture and sell cigarettes in India, with ITC Ltd and Godfrey Phillips among the leading players. N e w Delhi was u n d e r pressure to act after the high court in Rajasthan in July asked the central government to immediately enforce the new rules. Health ministry officials said the latest directive, issued late on Monday, was to comply with the court ruling, but more time was being sought to allow the industry to change its packaging norms. "Court order implementation is not feasible considering

there are existing stocks in the market with old warnings," said a health ministry official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. India ranks 136th out of 198 countries that use health warnings to deter smokers, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Seema Gupta, an official at the Voluntary Health Association of India, said activists were unsure if the new rules will actually be implemented from April. "This seems to be a face-saving strategy to say something to the court," she said.

WednesdAY 30•09•2015

WORLD

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

Obama & Putin clash over Syria’s future UNITED NATIONS, SEpTEmbEr 29 (Ap): U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin sharply disagreed Monday over the chaos in Syria, with Obama urging a political transition to replace the Syrian president but Putin warning it would be a mistake to abandon the current government. After dueling speeches at the United Nations General Assembly, Obama and Putin also met privately for 90 minutes — their first face-to-face encounter in nearly a year. At the heart of their dispute over Syria is the fate of embattled Syrian leader Bashar Assad, a Russian ally. The U.S. has long called for Assad to leave power, while Russia has cast the Syrian government as the only viable option for confronting the Islamic State, a militant group that has taken advantage of the vacuum created by the civil war. During his address to the UN, Obama declared, “We must recognize that there cannot be, after so much bloodshed, so much carnage, a return to the prewar status quo.” Putin, speaking shortly after the U.S. president, urged the world to stick with Assad. “We believe it’s a huge mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian au-

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (2nd L), Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (R, front), U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry attend a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 28. (REUTERS Photo)

thorities, with the government forces, those who are bravely fighting terror faceto-face,” Putin said during his first appearance at the U.N. gathering in a decade. Obama and Putin’s disparate views of the grim situation in Syria left little indication of how the two countries might work together to end a conflict

that has killed more than 250,000 people and resulted in a flood of refugees. Indeed, the leaders’ private meetings ended with vague statements about the need for a political resolution to the crisis, but no clear pathway for making that happen. The crisis has taken on fresh urgency amid Russia’s

China to prosecute former senior judge for corruption bEIJINg, SEpTEmbEr 29 (rEUTErS): China will prosecute a former senior judge from its highest court on suspicion of corruption after accusing him of crimes including illegally accepting public funds, Beijing’s antigraft watchdog said on Tuesday. Xi Xiaoming, the former vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, came under investigation in July for “serious violations of discipline and laws”, the terminology China usually uses for corruption. He is one of the most senior judicial officials to be ousted by President Xi Jinping’s anticorruption campaign since the downfall of Zhou Yongkang, the former domestic security chief whose brief included law enforcement and courts. Xi Xiaoming had been a member of the ruling Chinese Communist Party for 40 years but has been accused of abusing his position to help his relatives obtain benefits for their busi-

ness activities, the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in statements on its website. Other charges include illegally accepting public funds, breaching confidentiality rules, and leaking secrets related to judicial work. His case has been transferred to legal authorities, the watchdog said, meaning that he will face prosecution. He has also been expelled from the party. It was not possible to reach Xi Xiaoming for comment and it was not clear if he has a lawyer. China’s leaders have pledged to continue combating graft, seen as crucial to the party’s survival, and have vowed to go after “tigers” in senior positions as well as lowly “flies”. Zhou was sentenced to life in jail in June after he was found guilty at a secret trial of bribery, leaking state secrets and abuse of power, in China’s most sensational graft scandal in 70 years.

Iran ready to help bring democracy to Syria, Yemen UNITED NATIONS, SEpTEmbEr 29 (rEUTErS): Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that Tehran was ready to help bring democracy to war-torn Syria and Yemen, and blamed the spread of terrorism in the Middle East on the United States. In a speech to the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, Rouhani said Iran was prepared to assist in “the eradication of terrorism and in paving the way for democracy”. “As we aided the establishment of democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan, we are prepared to help bring about democracy in Syria and also Yemen,” said Rouhani. Tehran has provided military and financial support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the four-year war against rebels, and supports Houthi rebels fighting for power in Yemen. Rouhani, who has said previously that Iran would back the Syrian nation and Assad “until the end of the road,” did not mention the Syrian president’s name in his speech. Anti-Assad rebels enjoy the support of Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia, Shi’ite-led Iran’s regional rival. U.S. President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday offered different views on how to resolve the Syrian crisis. But Obama said he was willing to work with Russia and Iran

to end it. Rouhani blamed the crisis in the Middle East on what he characterized as the United States’ occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq as well as what he said was Washington’s support for Israel against Palestine. “If we did not have the U.S. military invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, and the U.S.’s unwarranted support for the inhumane actions of the Zionist regime against the oppressed nation of Palestine, today the terrorists would not have an excuse for the justification of their crimes,” he said. Rouhani praised the nuclear deal reached in July between Iran and major world powers, which will lift economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme. “The deal is a brilliant example of victory over war that has managed to disperse the clouds of hostility and perhaps even the spectre of another war and extensive tensions from the Middle East,” Rouhani said. He criticized the “incompetence and mismanagement of those in charge” of the haj tragedy in Saudi Arabia, in which more than 700 Muslim pilgrims were killed, including many Iranians. Rouhani is cutting his U.N. trip short, returning to Teheran later on Monday to take part in ceremonies for the return of the bodies of Iranian pilgrims killed in the tragedy.

recent military buildup in Syria. Putin has cast the increased presence of equipment and troops in Syria as part of the effort to defeat the Islamic State, and suggested Monday that Russia could launch airstrikes against the militants. “We are thinking about it and don’t exclude anything,” he said.

It’s unlikely Putin would join the U.S.-led coalition already launching strikes against the militants. He said Russia will only take such a step in accordance with international law, and criticized the U.S. and its allies for striking the Syrian territory without U.N. permission. The Syria crisis largely

overshadowed the summit’s other discussions on peacekeeping, climate change and global poverty. French President Francois Hollande backed Obama’s call for Assad’s ouster, saying “nobody can imagine” a political solution in Syria if he is still in power. Hollande called on countries with influence in Syria, including Gulf nations and Iran, to be engaged in a transition. However, Iran — which along with Russia is a strong backer of Assad — said the Syrian president must remain in power to fight extremists. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that while Syria’s government needs reform, the country will fall to the Islamic State if the international community makes getting rid of Assad its top goal. D espite O bama’s staunch opposition to Assad remaining in office, the U.S. has struggled to push him from power. Russia has long been a major obstacle, shielding Assad from U.N. sanctions and continuing to provide the Syrian government with weapons. In fact, Russia has appeared to deepen its support for Assad in recent weeks, sending additional military equipment and troops with the justification that it is helping the government fight the Is-

Countries pledge 40,000 UN peacekeepers at UN summit UNITED NATIONS, SEpTEmbEr 29 (rEUTErS): U.S. President Barack Obama announced on Monday more than 50 countries have pledged some 40,000 peacekeepers for possible deployment on United Nations missions, as well as helicopters, medical units and training and equipment to deal with roadside bombs. Obama chaired a summit of world leaders at the United Nations to garner commitments to boost the capacity and capabilities of U.N. peacekeeping and to allow the world body to deploy forces more rapidly if a new operation is created. “Our goal should be to make every new peace operation more efficient and more effective than the last,” Obama said. The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said in addition to some 40,000 new troops and police, more than 50 countries had pledged to provide more than 40 helicopters, 15 military engineering companies and 10 field hospitals. China made one of the biggest commitments. President Xi Jinping pledged to set up a “permanent peacekeeping police squad and build a peacekeeping

standby force of 8,000 troops.” Amid a stream of allegations of misconduct and sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers in Central African Republic, U.S. officials say the surplus troops will also allow the United Nations to exercise more discretion with its 16 current missions. “The overwhelming number of peacekeepers serve with honour and decency in extraordinarily difficult situations. But we have seen some appalling cases of peacekeepers abusing civilians ... and that is totally unacceptable,” Obama said. According to the U.N. website, the United States provides 82 of the more than 106,500 people deployed on U.N. peacekeeping missions: 34 troops, 42 police and six military advisers. But Washington pays for more than 28 percent of the more than $8.2 billion U.N. peacekeeping budget. Obama said the United States would work to double the number of military advisers that it contributes to U.N. peacekeeping, and offer logistical support, including air and sea lifts, and training. “When there’s an urgent need and we’re uniquely positioned to

lamic State. The military buildup has confounded U.S. officials, who spent the summer hoping Russia’s patience with Assad was waning and political negotiations could be started. Obama and Putin each framed his case for Syria’s future in the context of a broader approach to the world, launching veiled criticisms at each other. The U.S. president condemned nations that believe “might makes right,” and sought instead to highlight the benefits of diplomacy. He touted his administration’s efforts to restore ties with Cuba after a half-century freeze and the completion of a nuclear accord with Iran, noting that Russia was a key partner in negotiating the Iran deal. Putin, without naming the United States, accused Washington of trying to enforce its will on others and mulling a possible reform of the U.N., which he suggested stands in the way of the perceived U.S. domination. “After the end of the Cold War, the single center of domination has emerged in the world,” Putin said. “Those who have found themselves on top of that pyramid were tempted to think that since they are so strong and singular, they know what to do better than others and it’s unnecessary to pay any attention to the U.N.”

Obama and Putin briefly shook hands during a leaders’ lunch that followed the morning of speeches. Seated at the same table, they clinked glasses during a toast, with Putin smiling and Obama grim-faced. The leaders have long had a strained relationship, with ties deteriorating to post-Cold War lows after Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine and allegedly backed rebels in Ukraine’s east. The U.S. has sought to punish Russia through economic sanctions. U.S. officials said the situation in Ukraine consumed about half of Obama’s meeting with Putin. The White House is worried pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine could hold local elections next month that violate a fragile peace plan, and officials said Obama urged Putin to help keep the accord on track. The peace deal was brokered in February by France and Germany, and Russia doesn’t want the United States to become engaged in those talks. Putin, however, sought to downplay any differences with the U.S. on Ukraine following his meeting with Obama, saying that Washington was working with the Ukrainians and the Europeans to maintain diplomatic contacts with Russia to help with a settlement

Childhood stress puts adults at high heart disease risk

help, we’ll undertake engineering projects like building airfields and base camps for new missions,” he said. During a speech in Brussels in March, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power called on Europe to consider contributing more to U.N. peacekeeping. She said 2 decades ago Europeans made up 40% of U.N. peacekeepers, but that has fallen to about 7% . More than a dozen European countries stepped up on Monday. British Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to send 70 troops and experts to the U.N. and African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia and up to 300 troops to the U.N. mission in South Sudan. “I believe these things are in our own national interest,” Cameron told the summit. “When countries break up, we see the problems of migration can affect us all. When countries become havens to terror, we all suffer as a result.” The top five troop- and policecontributing countries to U.N. peacekeeping missions are Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan and Rwanda. They all made further pledges at Monday’s summit.

WAShINgTON, SEpTEmbEr 29 (IANS): Persistent psychological stress in childhood owing to various factors can lead to higher risk of heart disease and diabetes in adulthood, a 45-year long study of nearly 7,000 people born in a single week in Great Britain in 1958 has found. The researchers found that people with persistent distress throughout their lives had the highest cardio-metabolic risk score relative to participants who reported low levels of distress throughout childhood and adulthood. “This study supports growing evidence that psychological distress contributes to excess risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease and that effects may be initiated relatively early in life,” explained lead author Ashley Winning from Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health. The study looked at information related to stress and mental health collected about participants in the 1958 British Birth Cohort Study at ages 7, 11, 16, 23, 33 and 42. Researchers also collected data for nine biological indicators at age 45 to create a score indicating risk for heart disease and diabetes, known as the cardiometabolic risk score, for each. The estimated risk for cardio-metabolic disease for people with persistent distress through to middle adulthood was also higher than risk commonly observed for people who are overweight in childhood. “Participants who experienced high distress primarily in childhood and those with persistent distress continued to have significantly higher risk scores even after considering other factors,” the authors noted. While effects of distress in early childhood on higher cardiometabolic risk in adulthood appeared to be somewhat mitigated if distress levels were lower by adulthood, they were not eradicated. “This highlights the potentially lasting impact of childhood distress on adult physical health,” Winning noted.

Super typhoon kills 3, injures hundreds in Taiwan TAIpEI, SEpTEmbEr 29 (AFp): Super typhoon Dujuan has killed three people and left more than 300 injured in Taiwan, authorities said Tuesday after it swept across the island before making landfall in eastern China. It hit the Chinese coastal city of Putian by Tuesday afternoon, state news agency Xinhua said, but there were no immediate reports of damage. Many of those injured in Taiwan were hit by flying debris or involved in traffic accidents, the Emergency Operation Centre said, putting the death toll at three and the number of injured at 346. Severe winds uprooted trees and smashed windows while heavy rains triggered multiple landslides. More than 12,000 people were evacuated and almost 3,000 are in temporary shelters, authorities said. Over 175,000 homes are still without electricity as the storm left a trail of destruction in the north of the island. One of the dead was a 54-year-old man swept in the air by winds at a construction site. A 70-yearold man died after a fall and a 41-year-old woman was killed in a car accident. Taiwan’s aboriginal mountain communities are particularly at risk during typhoons, as

areas often affected by flooding and mudslides. Landslides blocked the roads into the hot spring town of Wulai, in mountains just outside the capital Taipei. It was the latest hit for Wulai which was severely damaged by flooding and landslides in August when Typhoon Soudelor hit, with some residents unable to return home for weeks. Many shops and hotels were still rebuilding even as the latest typhoon struck. “The roads are blocked but residents aren’t in any immediate danger,” a spokesman for New Taipei City fire department told AFP. Storm weakens Dujuan was categorised as a “super typhoon” by regional forecasters, taking residents by surprise as it sped up before making landfall late Monday in the eastern county of Yilan. It was downgraded to a “moderate typhoon” by Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau as it crossed the island. “It’s expected the typhoon will continue to weaken and its radius to keep shrinking,” the weather bureau said. Schools and offices in Taiwan remain shut on Tuesday and the stock market is also closed. At the peak of the storm two million homes were left

People ride past uprooted trees and damaged motorcycles, in the aftermath of Typhoon Dujuan in Taipei, Taiwan, September 29, 2015. Typhoon Dujuan made landfall on Taiwan on Monday after torrential rain and high winds disrupted trains and flights for travellers heading home from a long holiday weekend. Hundreds of thousands of households were without water and over a million experienced power outages, the Taiwanese government said late Monday. REUTERS

without electricity. Towering waves crashed through windows at a seaside hotel in eastern Yilan while fierce winds also caused damage at Taipei’s famous 101 skyscraper. In Hsinchu City, a crane fell from 20 storeys onto cars below but no one was injured, local reports said. Performances by US rock band Bon Jovi, due to

take place in Taipei Monday and Tuesday, were cancelled. China’s National Meteorological Center issued a red alert ahead of the storm, Xinhua reported, adding that more than 320,000 people have been evacuated in the eastern province of Zhejiang. Tens of thousands of boats were called back to shore in

Zhejiang and neighbouring Fujian province while all flights at three airports in Fujian were cancelled Tuesday, state media said. The storm is weakening and is forecast to reach Jiangzi province Tuesday night, according to Xinhua. Typhoon Soudelor caused at least eight deaths in Taiwan last month and killed 21 people in China.

wednesdAY 30•09•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

lively lukaku sparks everton Wayne Rooney tells of Ferguson comeback win against WbA clashes in revealing TV programme

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 29 (REuTERS): Romelu Lukaku scored twice and set up another goal as Everton rallied from two down to sink West Bromwich Albion 3-2 in the Premier League on Monday. Everton's away victory took their unbeaten run to four games in the league

and lifted manager Roberto Martinez's team up to fifth in the table with 12 points from seven games. "The first half was not too good and at halftime the manager woke us up and the experienced players spoke up," Lukaku told Sky Sports after his side had trailed 1-0 at the interval.

Vettel needs lottery winner's luck, says Maurizio Arrivabene SuZuKA, SEPTEMBER 29 (REuTERS): Sebastian Vettel would have to be as lucky as a lottery winner to clinch this year's Formula One championship after another dominant display by Mercedes at the weekend, according to Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene. With five races left and a maximum 125 points to be won, Ferrari's German driver is 59 adrift of reigning champion Lewis Hamilton who chalked up his eighth win of the season in Japan on Sunday. "If you win the lottery, you become a millionaire," Arrivabene told reporters when asked whether Vettel still had a chance of a fifth career title this year. "To win the lottery you need to be lucky. "So if we are lucky, yes. But we need to be really lucky," he added. Vettel, who won his four titles with Red Bull, has won three races so far in his first season with Ferrari and hopes rose that he might have an outside chance after Mercedes slumped in Singapore. How e v e r, Su z u k a showed the reigning champions were back to their old ways, with Hamilton leading closest rival and team

mate Nico Rosberg in a one-two finish after locking out the front row in qualifying. Hamilton now has a 48-point advantage over Rosberg and is heading for his third title and second in a row. Vettel was under no illusions about his chances, even if he was not giving up all hope until mathematically ruled out. "It’s not done until it’s done," said the man who won his first title in 2010 despite not leading the championship at any point until the final race. "The chance is there -- and what kind of racing driver would I be if I stopped believing? "Of course I know it’s difficult because the opponent is very strong ... but you have to keep believing otherwise I guess it’s pointless rocking up and trying to fight. "Being realistic I think it will be very, very difficult but who knows what’s going to happen? We have to do our thing and that’s the maximum we can do. Everything else is not in our hands, it’s probably in their hands." Second placed Ferrari are 169 points behind Mercedes in the constructors' standings with a maximum 215 still to be won.

"I knew the first goal was crucial. I knew that we could win the game." West Brom opened the scoring four minutes before halftime at The Hawthorns when James Morrisonpounced on a misplaced pass by Gareth Barry and slipped the ball through for Saido Berahino to beat

keeper Tim Howard. Craig Dawson made it 2-0 for Albion nine minutes after the break when he converted an inswinging corner from Chris Brunt with a powerful downward header. Lukaku, who had a spell on loan at West Brom earlier in his career, started Everton's revival by nodding in a right-wing cross from Gerard Deulofeu in the 55th minute. The Belgium striker turned provider for the equaliser when he ended a clever dribble outside the box by setting up substitute Arouna Kone for an easy finish. Lukaku then scrambled the winning goal past keeper Boaz Myhill with six minutes to go following another excellent right-wing cross by Deulofeu. "We were very disappointed with the first half, we were off, every single individual," said Martinez. "Gerard Deulofeu took extra responsibility, he wanted the ball all night and it was a real mature performance." West Brom's defeat dropped them one place to 15th on eight points. "It is really, really disappointing," said manager Tony Pulis. "We had the game in our hands and we handed it to Everton. "The first goal killed us, we should have dealt with it. The other two goals are poor goals."

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 29 (REuTERS): England captain Wayne Rooney has opened up about his clashes with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, how having children calmed him down and why he should not have gone to the 2006 World Cup for a new BBC television film. Rooney denies that he put in a transfer request just before Ferguson retired in May 2013 but admits that he broached the possibility of leaving the club he had joined from Everton nine years earlier. "I went in to see him and just said, 'If you are not going to play me, it might be better for me to move on'," Rooney said. "Then, all of a sudden, it was all over the press that I had put a transfer request in, which I never did." Three years earlier Rooney did request a transfer and questioned the club's ambition. "Wayne let himself down," former team-mate Gary Neville told the programme of that incident. "Me and Ryan Giggs had a word and he apologised the next day." Talking about his international career, the current Eng-

Rights group seeks action on Mamata's CAB interference

KOLKATA, SEPTEMBER 29 (iANS): Protesting against "interference" by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government in the affairs of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), a city-based rights group on Tuesday said it will seek the intervention of the Indian cricket board and the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the matter.

Mutu hopes productive Pune ISL spell can take him to Euros

PuNE, SEPTEMBER 29 (REuTERS): Controversial Romania striker Adrian Mutu is hopeful a strong spell with new club Pune City in the Indian Super League (ISL) could lead to an unlikely appearance at Euro 2016 and the chance to become his country's record goalscorer. The 36-year-old forward, twice banned for failed drug tests while playing for Fiorentina in Italy and English club Chelsea, will return to competitive action in the burgeoning franchise league next month after more than a year out of the game. Mutu, whose last club was Romanian outfit Petrolul Ploiesti, said a conversation with Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu had given him hope, two years after his last international match. "He has told me that if I continue playing football even after ISL, then he will consider me for the European Championship next year," Mutu told Emirati outlet Sport360. "It's a huge motivation for me to keep going and I am taking it very seriously." Romania are currently second in Group F of Euro 2016 qualifying with two matches remaining. Four points from their October fixtures at home to Finland

Romania's captain Adrian Mutu celebrates after scoring against Bosnia and Herzegovina during their Euro 2012 Group D qualifying soccer match at Giulesti stadium in Bucharest June 3, 2011. (REUTERS)

and away to Faroe Islands would ensure qualification. Mutu, who is level on 35 goals for his country with former great Gheorghe Hagi, will kick off the second season of ISL with Pune in October with the short campaign running through to December. He acknowledged he would need to find another club thereafter to show Iordanescu he was capable to deliver at the finals in France next year. "I never expected that my campaign to return to the national team would begin in India. After ISL, I don't know where I'll play,"

said Mutu, who played at Euro 2000 and 2008. "But I am thinking closer to the future. I hope to stay fit, score some goals and help my team win the title." Mutu, who also had spells with Juventus, Parma and Inter Milan, was meant to play in the inaugural ISL campaign last year, where Pune finished sixth out of eight teams, but visa issues prevented him from moving. He said he had opted to turn down offers from other European clubs to play for Pune, who are coached by former English international David Platt.

England must look forward not back, says Alastair Cook

The 1st edition of Dimapur District Inter Departmental Badminton got underway today 29th September 2015, at the Badminton stadium near DC office junction. Parliamentary Secretary Irrigation & Flood control Jacob Zhimomi who was the chief guest for the occasion declared the tournament open. Addressing the participants and the gathering, the chief guest felt that people should take advantage of the many stadiums and sports facilities provided by the government. The tournament showed a very positive response with the participation of 66 teams representing 44 departments. Meanwhile Deputy Commissioner Kesonyu Yhome IAS, informed all the Head of offices to come with at least 5 staffs to attend and witness the match of the final day, which would commence at 10 am onwards. (DIPR Photo)

land captain admits that he should not have agreed to go to the 2006 World Cup under Sven Goran Eriksson after breaking his foot. "It was touch-and-go as to whether I would be fit," he said. "And then

Sven put me in the squad. "Looking back, I probably would have sat out the World Cup. It was a big ask to get fit after six weeks out. I was never going to have that match sharpness." His performances at two World Cups have been one of the disappointments of Rooney's career, which he suggests may stem from "putting too much pressure on myself". Insights into his personal life include an admission that "having children has calmed me down a bit" and that he was determined those children should be born in his native Liverpool rather than Manchester. Other contributors to the hour-long programme include Cristiano Ronaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ryan Giggs. It is presented by Gary Lineker, whose 48 goals for England have been beaten only by Bobby Charlton's 49 and now Rooney's 50. Roony hopes to add to that total when England, who have already qualified for Euro 2016, play their remaining group matches shortly, against Estonia and Lithuania.

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 29 (REuTERS): England's cricketers cannot afford to rest on their laurels after winning the Ashes in the forthcoming test series against Pakistan and South Africa, captain Alastair Cook said on Tuesday. The three-test series against Pakistan, for which they leave this week, takes place in the UAE, where England were beaten 3-0 in 2012 and where Pakistan have never lost a series. Then they travel to South Africa for a four-test series. Cook said the players were in great heart after beating Australia 3-2 in England to regain the Ashes but that there is little time these days in international cricket to sit back and enjoy success. "It's been a brilliant couple of weeks off after you win such a big series but it's amazing how quickly it has come round again," he told Sky Sports News. "There is no rest and the guys have to park the Ashes and start looking forward. "Winning away from home in international cricket is not done very often at the moment." He believes that will be particularly hard in the UAE, although "it's a brilliant place to play cricket because it's so unique". Cook would give few clues about who might fill the troublesome opening batsman's slot alongside him in either series, for which Alex Hales and spinner Moeen Ali are seen as the main contenders. "We have to be flexible," he said. "We might have to have a short-term option. It might be that Mo opens the batting in this series and not in South Africa or that Alex takes his chance in a warm-up game. "So we have options and we have to be clear pretty early on what we're going to do. "It's a pretty tough job, (opening), you're playing against the best bowlers in the world who are fresh, with the new ball. And it's a big step from county cricket to international cricket." England arrive in the UAE this week and start the first test on Oct.13. After the three tests, there are four ODIs and three T20 internationals before the end of November.

Chief minister Banerjee on September 24 announced that former India captain Sourav Ganguly will take over as CAB's new president succeeding the late administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya. She also named the late BCCI chief's son Abhishek as the new CAB joint secretary, a post held by Ganguly. The Association for Protec-

tion of Democratic Rights (APDR) during the day held a black flag protest outside CAB and would be writing to the BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur and ICC CEO Dave Richardson seeking their intervention into the matter. "This government is trying to run the CAB from the state secretariat. They way Ganguly and Abhishek have been imposed on

the CAB is undemocratic. This government keeps on interfering and the day is not far when there will no autonomous bodies in the state," APDR secretary Ranjit Sur said. "We are writing to both the BCCI and the ICC seeking their intervention in the matter. We will also raise the matter with Governor K.N. Tripathi," added Sur.

Manohar sole candidate for bcci presidency ahead of oct 4 meeting

NEw DELhi, SEPTEMBER 29 (iANS): Former president Shashank Manohar is the sole candidate for the top post of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which has fallen vacant after the demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya, its secretary, Anurag Thakur, said here on Tuesday. Thakur also said BCCI has called a Special General Meeting (SGM) in Mumbai on October 4 at 2 p.m. where a decision regarding the vacant chair will be taken adding scrutiny of the nominations will be done a day ahead of the meeting. The BCCI chief's chair has been lying vacant since Dalmiya died in Kolkata on September 20. As per BCCI's constitution, a notification for a SGM to nominate a successor has to be issued within 15 days of the incumbent's death. Manohar, a lawyer by profession, earlier held the post from 2008 to 2011. "Shashank Manohar is the only candidate for the BCCI president's post. A decision regarding it will be taken in BCCI's SGM in Mumbai on October 4," Thakur said. Thakur made this announcement during an innings' break while witnessing the India A vs South Africans T20 practice match being played here. Manohar emerged as a consensus candidate among East Zone units whose turn it is to nominate a president till 2017. Any candidate for the BCCI top job will need a proposer from the eastern region. It was earlier believed the Tripura Cricket Association or National Cricket Club will propose Manohar's candida-

ture. But it is now believed former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who succeeded Dalmiya as the new Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president, is likely to propose Manohar's name for the post. Manohar is known to be close to former BCCI and International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Sharad Pawar. The senior lawyer has Pawar's backing and after Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Rajiv Shukla opted out of the race, he is likely to be supported by Anurag Thakur as well. Jharkhand Cricket Association (JCA) chief Amitabh Choudhary had emerged as a possible candidate earlier, but his chances slimmed considerably as the Sharad Pawar and Anurag Thakur factions wanted their man at the top. Manohar is unlikely to face any rival since the faction led by ex-BCCI chief N. Srinivasan doesn't have the majority among 29 votes to counter the former's candidature. Srinivasan's eligibility to attend BCCI meetings will be heard by the Supreme Court on October 5. Thakur said Srinivasan is ineligible to attend the meeting but he can cast his vote at the SGM in the scenario of an election. Srinivasan was present at BCCI's working committee meeting on August 26 in Kolkata in his capacity as chief of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). But it led to a controversy as the Supreme Court said earlier this year that he risked being in contempt of court by attending BCCI meetings.

public discourse

Time to turn up the volume

he ‘Common Platform’ organized by ACAUT in order to have a discourse on the Naga political future in the aftermath of the signing of the August 3rd Peace Accord between the NSCN-IM and the GoI was the right call. This was an honest attempt to engage the people on their future for nobody else but the people only can decide the course of path to be taken. If there’s one thing that history has constantly taught us, it is that people are the real source of power and that oppressive politics and regimes don’t last long. The August 3rd Peace Accord should’ve set the socalled apex bodies like the Naga Hoho, Naga Students’ Federation and Naga Council Dimapur up and running in letting the two parties (NSCN-IM and the GoI) know that the desires and wishes of the people are supreme and above anything. Instead, they were in a hurry to support the Peace Accord like a blind man in a desert going anywhere and everywhere on hearing the sound of water. To be clear, welcoming the Peace Accord is one thing. I’m pretty sure that everyone welcomes the Peace Accord since it is a positive step in the long walk to freedom and also a long time coming but to offer support without even knowing its contents, whether it might actually be good or bad for the people, is a dangerous climb. The fall will be hard when things go wrong. The Naga Hoho,

at least, should’ve taken steps of caution instead of hastily supporting the Peace Accord. Interestingly, it took certain steps to ensure that the ‘Common Platform’ organized by ACAUT was of little significance. Apparently, ACAUT was told by certain NPGs to call it off and also the Naga Hoho sent directives to its tribal representatives not to send any representation toward the ‘Common Platform’ and followed by NSF and NCD declaring that they would not be party to the ‘Common Platform’. However, the event was a revelation in its own right and was a befitting reply. The ‘apex’ bodies should remember that the NSCN-IM is not the only NPG and also it does not represent all Nagas. There are a host of other NPGs that must first be brought together before any solution is chalked out. The Naga Hoho, on its part, plans to hold an ‘International Peace Conference’ in the last week of October, 2015. How the common man reacts to it remains to be seen but there is no doubt that the Naga Hoho is under growing skepticism from the people! The ‘apex’ bodies should know better than to just pull the trigger without knowing the target. They should also REMEMBER that they derive their LEGITIMACY from the people and anything that they do now, which would negatively affect the future of the Nagas, especially Nagas of Nagaland, history will never forgive them. I Longkumer

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.

wednesday 30•09•2015

Golden Crown ColleGe celebrates Autumn Festival

Golden Crown Choir with Conductor Avoni Odyuo

he Golden Crown College ushered in the new season by celebrating over a fun-filled event “Autumn Festival” on September 27. It was organized by the Music Department to upgrade its facilities (Piano), in order to avoid the students from being deprived of the privileges of learning from a real piano. Following the welcome address from the Music Director, Avoni Odyuo, the Board Chairman of GCC invoked God’s blessing upon the programme. The festival started with the music students enthralling the guests with enchanting musical pieces of various grades, ranging from grade 1 to 8 (ABRSM). Student performers, who are going to appear grade 8 examinations in October, are Ajem Imchen, Sojano Murry and Jiyong Oh; those appearing grade 5 examinations are Rongpangmenla, Thungyani, Oreno, and Chumchillo; other student performers such as Thungbeni, Mhareni and Chandeno, Likupu and Hannah, Ebeni, Alongti, Vimon, Chumben, and Nchumbemo also displayed their musical poweress. The guitar and violin students were accompanied by their teacher Igang Hemang. , Golden Crown Choir also presented three harmonious choral pieces. It was a gathering across a wide-range of age groups

and professional background; which is possible only through music and food, entities which are common to everyone. The Musical concert ended to give way to thevarious stalls waiting to appease the hunger of the guests with foods and beverages of wide variety. Students of GCC presented their cooking skills and creativity by availing numerous delicious packages and fast foods, such as galho, momo and chow, Chola puri, chicken bread roll, beef chop, puri sabji, naga style pickle, etc., to its guests. It was priced very reasonably, andthe generous gesture by the guestsmade the festival charming, celebratory and enjoyable. The Music department in a press release has acknowledged all participants and guests of the event for their contributions. The event was a major success, with all the food stalls being sold-out within no time. The Clowns and photobooth was also very popular among the guests. There was this connection of family build among the community through this festival. The boredom and tiredness of summer ended, and fresh “omph” of energy renewed the strength of participants as well as the guests. For more information of the College, please contact 9436658844 and 9856124314.

'Angelina Effect' is real A

ngelina Jolie is a woman of many talents: not only is she a hugely successful actor and director, she’s a UN ambassador and a woman who has done her upmost to raise awareness of the risks of cancer to those who carry the BRAC1 gene. Her mission to raise awareness, including publicising her decision to undergo a double mastectomy in 2013, has been successful, the results of a recently published study show. The impact of Jolie’s upfront approach has been speculated about in the media but now a study from Austria shows how Jolie’s actions and the publicity surrounding them have raised awareness and encouraged more women to consider different surgery options including mastectomies and breast reconstruction, primarily reconstructive surgery involving a woman’s own fat tissue (as opposed to synthetic breast implants). The 40-year-old Unbroken director has continually made headlines since

2013 when she revealed, in a powerful op-ed in the New York Times, that she had tested positive for the BRAC1 gene and had decided to undergo preventative surgery. The gene greatly increases the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer in women who inherit it. Jolie had watched the suffering of three of her family members – her grandmother, mother and aunt -as they battled but eventually succumbed to cancer and she made the decision to undergo cancer prevention treatment. She underwent a double mastectomy and later the same year had reconstructive breast surgery. In March of this year, Jolie penned another oped in which she revealed she had undergone an oophorectomy (surgery to remove her ovaries) after tests showed early signs of ovarian cancer. The surgery brought on early menopause despite hormone treatment to prevent it. The study, published in the journal Cancer, shows the impact of the media on women’s awareness of

cancer prevention surgeries. The recently published study compares a study carried out a month before Jolie’s announcement

and another undertaken a month after. The study shows how, after Jolie’s announcement, an increased number of the

Immanuel college celebrated their Annual function 2015 under the theme "Essence of Learning". The programme was graced by K.N Chishi, Secy Dept of Justice and Law, as the chief guest. Inset: From left to right- Miss Fresher 2015, Esther Ngullie (B.A 1st sem) , Miss Congeniality, Limanaro (11Arts), Principal Immanuel college, Mr. Personality, Sanen (11 Science) and Mr Fresher 2015 , Kongtung( B. Sc 1st sem)

MichAEl FAssbEndEr

hopes to inspire school kids with his Macbeth

1000 women taking part in the study (just under 4%) were aware of the possibility of having reconstructive breast surgery after a mastectomy (92.6% up from 88.9% in the first study). Furthermore, as Fox reports, there is evidence of an increased awareness of reconstructive breast surgery using a patient’s own fat tissue rather than synthetic implants (59.5% up from 40.5% in the first study). On a personal, rather than medical, level Jolie’s announcement also shows how her op-eds and the publicity surrounding her decisions had enabled many of the women (one fifth) in the second study to "deal more intensively with the topic of breast cancer."

Avril lAvignE launched ‘Spectre’ spends 24 million lyme disease Campaign pound on blowing up cars

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A recently published Austrian study has shown the publicity surrounding Angelina Jolie’s cancer prevention surgery has raised awareness of different surgery options.

vril Lavigne celebrated her 31st Birthday on Sunday by launching a Campaign to help others like her battling Lyme disease. The Complicated singer has been fighting the condition for the past year and is still far from recovered, but she's keen to pass on tips, advice and information to

others struggling. The five-week Avril Lavigne Foundation campaign will raise funds and awareness for youngsters with the debilitating disease. Lavigne has offered to hand out with a grand prize winner who takes part in the campaign. The winner will also land a speaking role in her new animated

film Charming. Lavigne says, "I'm excited that this year's campaign is supporting people with Lyme disease and helping others to better understand this issue. My fans are always so supportive and ready to give back; I look forward to coming together for an issue that's so close to me."

ary Powell, the chief stunt co-ordinator of Spectre, has revealed that the team behind the film had destroyed 24-million pound worth of Aston Martin DB10 sports cars for the movie. “We set the record for smashing up cars on Spectre. In Rome, we wrecked millions of pounds worth,” Powell told Event Magazine. “They were going into the Vatican at top speeds of 110 mph. We shot one entire night for four seconds of film.” During the filming of a chase scene in Italy, a total of seven specially-designed Aston Martin DB10 sports cars were destroyed. The sports cars were equipped with the iconic ejector seat.

According to the magazine, the car race went through the Vatican, the Colosseum and along the River Tiber. Another mind-blowing action scene included the secret agent in his Aston Martin, pursued at high speed by a villain riding a Jaguar C-X75 through the streets of Rome. Spectre is another movie to feature epic car demolition this year after Furious 7 and Mad Max: Fury Road. Daniel Craig reprises his role as the spy agent for the fourth time in the 007 series. He is joined by Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes and Dave Bautista in the cast.

'Home Alone' returning for 25th anniversary

ailed as one of the greatest Christmas family comedy, "Home Alone" will return to theatres to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Fathom Events and 20th Century Fox have announced that they will celebrate the 1990 holiday classic's anniversary by screening the movie

for two nights only in select theatres across US, reported Entertainment Weekly. The special presentation, airing on November 8 and 11, will also feature an exclusive introduction. Written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, "Home Alone" introduced the world to Macaulay

Culkin as Kevin, the 8-yearold boy who, after being left behind by his family, has to defend his home against two blundering burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). "Home Alone" earned more than USD 285.7 million, and is still considered the highest grossing live-action comedy of all time in the US.

Paul walker's daughter sues Porsche Hillstar

C TO R Mi c ha e l Fassbender says his greatest wish for his new movie Macbeth is that it inspires more schoolchildren to study Shakespeare. The Hollywood A-lister, who plays the lead role in director Justin Kurzel’s adaption of the play, will be in Edinburgh today for the UK premiere of the film. Fassbender says he would encourage teenagers to go and see the epic

blockbuster, in which Scotland’s dramatic countryside has a starring role. The actor, who played Magneto in the X-Men films and won an Oscar nomination for his role in 12 Years A Slave, said: “Shakespeare is a genius. The one thing I kept saying to Justin is, ‘If we can inspire the kids, that would be wonderful.’ “It’s an arrogant thing for me to presume that they weren’t already in-

spired by it but I’m talking from my own experience. “I hope 15-year-olds who are doing it as a part of their exams see the movie and find fresh and new things and see that it’s not so far removed.” Tourism bosses hope the movie will spark renewed interest in the real Scottish king. Macbeth, which was first shown at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, won rave reviews from critics.

aul Walker's 16-year-old daughter Meadow has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Porsche. The 'Fast and Furious' actor died in 2013 when his friend Roger Rodas lost control of the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT they were travelling in and hit a concrete lamppost and two trees before the car went up in flames. However, Paul's 16-year-old daughter Meadow has filed court documents claiming that Paul was still alive when the car caught fire and a ''defective'' seat belt prevented him from escaping the vehicle. According to court documents the seat belt ''snapped Walker's torso back with thousands of pounds of force, thereby breaking his ribs and pelvis'' and leaving him trapped. Meadow's lawyer Jeff Milam told E! News: ''The bottom line is that the Porsche Carrera GT is a

dangerous car. It doesn't belong NOW SHOWING on the street. And we shouldn't be without Paul Walker or his friend, Timings:11:00 AM Roger Rodas.'' The lawsuit also ||05:00 PM||08:00 PM claims the car ''lacked safety features...that could have prevented the accident or, at a minimum, allowed Paul Walker to survive the crash''. Meadow claims that the car Paul was in ''had a history of instability and control issues but the company failed to install its elec- Timings:02:00 PM tronic stability control system, which is specifically designed to protect against the swerving actions inherent in hyper-sensitive vehicles of this type''. Her lawsuit also disputes law enforcement's assertion that the crash was caused by speeding, with Roger driving between 80 to 93 miles per hour. Meadow claims his actual speed was between 63 and 71 mph.

wednesdAY 30•09•2015

SPORTS

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy FIFA FIASCO: Former vice president 16th Alianza FC, Dimapur and New Market XI win Jack Warner gets banned for life

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ZURICH, SEPTEMBER 29 (REUTERS): Trinidadian Jack Warner, once one of the most powerful men in soccer, has been banned from all footballrelated activities for life, the ethics committee of world governing body FIFA said on Tuesday. Warner, 72, was one of 14 soccer officials and sports marketing executives who were indicted in the United States on May 27 on bribery, money laundering and wire fraud charges involving more than $150 million in payments. In the latest twist in the corruption scandal, Swiss authorities said last week they were investigating FIFA President Sepp Blatter on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and misappropriation of funds. The FIFA ethics committee said Warner was investigated following an inquiry into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. The tournaments were awarded to Russia and Qatar re-

Morung Express News Dimapur | September 29

Day 12 of the 16th NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy witnessed a sweeping victory for New Market XI in the second match on Former FIFA Vice-President Jack Warner walks after leaving the Magistrate's Court in Port-of- September 29. New Market XI who played defeatSpain September 25. (REUTERS) ed Oriental College 5-0. spectively in December CONCACAF," the comWarner resigned from 2010 by the FIFA executive mittee said his posts when he was committee, of which WarWarner is the former placed under investigation ner was a member. president of CONCA- by the ethics committee in Warner was found to CAF, the Confederation 2011 over a cash-for-votes have committed "many of North, Central Ameri- scandal in the run-up to and various acts of mis- can and Caribbean As- that year's FIFA presidenconduct continuously and sociation Football. He tial election. The case was repeatedly during his time is currently in his native subsequently dropped by as an official in different Trinidad and Tobago, the ethics committee as he high-ranking and influen- where he is fighting extra- was no longer involved in tial positions at FIFA and dition to the United States. football.

In the first round, Kohima Science College, Jotsoma lost to Alianza FC, Dimapur (2-O). It was a poignant moment for the New Market XI team who lost one of its players, Kevise Suohu. Suohu is said to be a promising football player who played as a Striker for New

Market B Team in the ongoing Tournament donning Jersey No.11. Players, well-wishers and fans of New Market XI wore black armbands during the match to show respect to Suohu, who succumbed to injuries suffered during a street brawl in Kohima on September 23. A one-min-

ute silence was held before the commencement of the match at 2 pm. In the first match between Kohima Science College and Alianza FC, Dimapur, the first goal was scored by Mosa Chawang, Jersey 23 at the 12th minute of the match while second goal was scored by Shelimthung, Jersey 10 at the 27th minute. Ngamkang Salym, Jersey 10, (Kohima Science College) received a yellow card during the match. In the second match between Oriental College Kohima and New Market XI, a hat trick was scored by Yhunshalo Kemp and the other two by Vilhukho and Phitso Mero. Fixture for September 30 Group-E 1st Match : Tiema-Khe, Kidima vs. Veracious FC Phek 2nd Match: Medziphema Village SU vs. Addax FC

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Many will fall in football's graft scandal: Ronaldo

RIo dE JanEIRo, SEPTEMBER 29 (IanS): Brazil legend Ronaldo has said he expects "many people will fall" as a result of a worldwide probe into corruption in football. Ronaldo said he had "always heard a lot" about shady deals in the game and urged authorities to act swiftly to identify crooked officials, reports Xinhua. "When you are involved in football, you hear about what goes on," the former striker said on Monday. "It doesn't surprise me that the system has fallen on a global level. It's time to make things more transparent. Many people will fall. It is important that the authorities find out

more about this (corrupt) network. We hope that football can once again be pure." Ronaldo's comments come three days after Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings against FIFA president Sepp Blatter. The 79-year-old Swiss is accused of signing a contract that was "unfavorable to FIFA" and making a "disloyal payment" to UEFA president Michel Platini, who has also been questioned. Blatter and Platini denied any wrongdoing on Monday. In May, the US department of justice indicted 14 current and former FIFA officials on charges that included racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering.

Swiss authorities are also investigating the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, to be held in Russia and Qatar. The scandal has had major repercussions in Brazil, where a congressional inquiry is looking into claims of graft within the country's football confederation (CBF). Among those being investigated is CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero, who replaced Jose Maria Marin as head of the confederation in April. Del Nero raised eyebrows in May when he unexpectedly returned to Brazil from Switzerland just hours after Marin was arrested in Zurich as part of the US probe.

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