The Morung Express

C M Y K

The Morung Express

A Daily Publication of Morung for Indigenous Affairs & JustPeace

Dimapur VOL. III ISSUE 316

“

www.morungexpress.com

A closed mind is like a closed book; just a block of wood

”

Friday, November 14, 2008 12 pages Rs. 3 - Chinese Proverb

United in purpose and action Bonnie Konyak Dimapur | November 13

IN A remarkable display of camaraderie and team spirit, the United Nationals, comprising of players from the various “national groups” (factions), not only got the full endorsement of the packed crowd at the DDSC stadium but proved that unity in purpose can achieve even the insurmountable. And in today’s football game against the civil society team played at the DDSC stadium, the United Nationals came back strongly from the jaws of certain defeat to level the score at 3-3 at the end of full time.

As the match progressed, it was clear beyond doubt that the Naga public, who had gathered to watch the game, was supporting only one team— the United Nationals comprising of the otherwise known as warring factions. Not even the on-field exploits of Dr Wati Aier, Convener of Forum for Naga Reconciliation, could match the team spirit displayed by the United Nationals. The unrivaled combination of “strikers”, deputy kilonser of NSCN (IM) Sangti Konyak and team captain, kilonser of “GPRN/NSCN” Singson Kuki, wowed the crowd with the first goal within minutes of the match. The players even huddled together when a goal was scored, doing the high fives among themselves and encouraging each other.

As the second reconcilation soccer match to be played in Nagaland, the atmosphere today was remarkably less tense as compared to the first event held in Kohima. In fact, the scene at the Chakhesang Baptist Church before the start of the game was one of hugging and back-patting and handshakes especially amongst the lower-rank cadres of different factions who seemed glad to meet after a long time. Deputy Kilonser of “GPRN/NSCN”, Wangtin Konyak acknowledged the calm friendliness among the cadres of various factions and remarked that such contacts would get easier from now on. Though regretting his inability to play soccer, Wangtin, who came all the way from Mon to witness the match, showed his support for the process of Naga reconciliation.

A Family…: Forming a single team, seen here are leaders of the various Naga underground groups congratulating one another after a successful unified effort on the soccer pitch during the Reconciliation Soccer match. (Morung Photos) More stories on page 12

Earlier before proceeding to the DDSC stadium, Nagaland Baptist Church Council general secretary Rev Zhabu Terhuja encouraged the participants drawing parallels to newly US President elect Barack Obama. “Change, we can, but today we want to send a message to the United States of America that ‘change is possible’ because it is happening today in our land”, Rev Terhuja delivered these strong moving words at a short prayer meeting at the Chakhesang Baptist Church.

Later speaking during a short function before the match kicked-off, convener of Forum for Naga Reconciliation Rev. Dr. Wati Aier termed it is an exciting day filled with hope and as “the moment in our history in which a new order is being born.”

In this context, Dr. Wati reminded the people of the responsibilities and challenges of it, the first of which would be “to guard their rights jealously, and that people must stop hoping that by a twist of historical fate that we will be in paradise”. He said if Nagas are going to be saved, it will be the people who will do it and therefore urged all to start believing in the power of the people. He also urged people to discard the false doctrine of “exclusivism”, to transcend every tribalistic, ethnocentric, and religious overtone and together invest in the future of Naga history.

Outlining the history of the formation of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation in February 2008, Dr. Wati Aier informed that all “Naga political groups” have agreed to reconciliation” and despite the struggles, the commitment to travel the common journey of reconciliation is a promise and commitment given by all the Naga political groups, he added. Rev. Dr. Wati also assured that the forum would never betray the people from the commitment to Naga reconciliation and also acknowledging the efforts of many other groups and organizations towards this noble cause.

It may be mentioned that the match was officially kicked-off by retired “general” Theinuoselie Keyho. After the match, both the teams, along with the orphans and choir members made a circle around a cross in a mass prayer.

ULFA denies hand in blasts yet again Alva charge haunts Congress

C M Y K

NPF general convention on November 18 Our Correspondent Kohima | November 13

THE NAGALAND People’s Front will hold its general convention at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima on November 18. Commencing at 11:00 AM, the convention will be chaired

by NPF vice president Huskha Yepthomi while the welcome address will be delivered by Chubatemjen Ao, secretary general NPF. Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu, president of the NPF will deliver the presidential address. Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio will address the convention. Short speeches will be delivered

by Khekiho Zhimomi, MP, Noke Konyak, Thenucho and P. Longon. The convention will also witness cultural items, recommendations of the election board voting and election of NPF office bearers among others.

The Morung Express WEEKLY POLL

Vote on www.morungexpress.com SMS YOUR ANSWER TO 9862574165 Who should be responsible for the sanitation in your locality?

Municipality Public Others

Last week’s poll result

Do you support the government’s decision to relax the recruitment policy of teachers?

No Others Yes

24%

70%

6%

GUWAHATI, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): The banned ULFA has for the second time denied its involvement in the serial blasts in Assam which killed 85 persons. In an e-mail to media in Guwahati on Thuraday , ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’PareshBaruaclaimed that the outfit was in no way involved in the blasts which claimed innocent lives.

“It has been proved that the ULFA has been never involved in attacks on innocent persons ... This is a conspiracy hatched by the government to malign us,”

he said. “Whenever ULFA talked about peace it has been the ploy of the government to disturb the process,” Barua said.

The Centre, he alleged, was ‘indulging in blame game’ only to divert the people’s attention. “The ULFA is also no way connected to any political party whether it is the Congress or the BJP,” he said. The outfit’s chairman Arabindo Rajkhowa had earlier denied its involvement in the blast, while the state government claimed that there was conclusive

evidence against ULFA and NDFB involvement in the crime.

Meanwhile as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) continues with its probe into the deadly serial bomb blasts in Assam on 30th October, the links have been traced far and wide. The arrest yesterday of a Bhutanese national named Tenzing Zangpo has thrown up new leads in the investigation and has turned investigators attention for the first time to Bhutan ever since the probe began.

Healing of the spirit

Morung Express News Dimapur | November 13

EVEN AS cheering crowds enjoyed the on-field action during the reconciliation soccer match, there were also other emotional scenes witnessed off the field.

One such moment was when widows who had lost their husbands in factional violence, presented roses to the players from team United Nationals. Such a poignant moment helped in giving a human face to the untold tragedy endured by Naga families and homes over years of fighting.

Twenty-nine year old Toviholi, widow of “captain” Hekuto who was killed in a factional clash earlier this year along with 13 other cadres of the “GPRN/NSCN”, was unable to control her tears as she performed the gesture of forgiveness and goodwill. Seeing her husband’s former comrades and officers made her cry, she said. Even if her husband has died, she hoped that Nagas can come together and make things better for the next generation, for the sake of children. And she has been left with five young children.

Orphaned children affected by the factional violence also performed a song and released the ‘Balloons of Peace’.

Another significant development in the second reconciliation soccer match was the performance by the ‘United National Choir’. Like the football team, the United National Choir was made up of cadres from various factions. According to the Forum for Naga Reconcilation, this choir is to become officially functional and must present themselves to sing whenever summoned.

(Top): Reaching Out: Leaders of the various Naga underground groups – forming team ‘United National’ – seen here receiving white roses from widows, who had lost their men in faction-related conflicts.

(Bottom): Lyrics of Hope: ‘United National Choir’, comprising of Naga underground cadres performing a song at the Reconciliation Soccer match in Dimapur.

BANGALORE, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): There seems to be no respite to the Congress from the ghost of the cash-for-ticket scam. After a “disciplined” Margaret Alva clammed up on her allegation of the party having sold tickets during the last assembly elections in Karnataka, a former Congressman who is now in the B S Yeddyurappa cabinet on Thursday accused two senior Congressmen of selling tickets during the 2004 assembly election.

Woman and child welfare minister P M Narendraswamy, who won the elections from Malavalli (reserved) as an Independent candidate, alleged that Kagodu Thimmappa and MLC K C Kondaiah had demanded money from him in return for fielding him as a Congress candidate during the 2004 assembly elections. But Narendraswamy wondered how Alva who herself was part of the candidate selection in 2004, could raise a stink now on the cash-for-ticket scam. The minister demanded that the Centre and the Election Commission initiate an inquiry into the cash-for-ticket scam.

He also demanded that Alva, Kagodu Thimmappa and Kondaiah should be subjected to narco analysis tests to get to the bottom of the scam. Narendraswamy categorically stated that he would stand by his charget that tickets were sold in the Congress during the 2004 assembly elections. However, Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa said Narendraswamy was unnecessary poking his nose in Congress affairs. Thimmappa warned Narendraswamy of legal action if he failed to apologise.

The unspoken face of Children’s Day Imtinaro Longkumer Kohima | November 13

AHEAD OF Children’s Day, November 14, a day marked to celebrate childhood, parents were seen buying gifts for their young while organizations held events and activities for students. The darker fact however remains that there is a section of children in the society left ignored, unseen and unattended to, to celebrate their existence.

These downtrodden children, instead of cheerfully making plans with friends and family, excitedly longing for the school picnic or eagerly waiting for surprise gifts, least aware, are busy cleaning hotel tables, serving costumers, selling vegetables, collecting rags or working at homes as domestic helpers.

As proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1954, children’s day was declared to encourage all countries to institute a day to promote mutual exchange and understanding among children, initiate benefiting actions and to promote their welfare. Despite the UN declaration, according to UNICEF, there is an estimated 250 million children aged two to seventeen in child labor worldwide, excluding child domestic labor.

Talking of child labor, Nagaland too has a good number in directly or indirectly promoting it, with a larger number in the form of domestic helpers while others are in hotels, market places and so on.

According to the Labor department, Nagaland, the state figures more than 10,000 child laborers, with Dimapur at the maximum with around 5,000; Kohima and Mokokchung has about 2,000. Labor Department Project Of-

ficer Yanger Aier said the exact figure of child laborers in the state cannot be ascertained as most of them are in the form of domestic helpers. Many of the employers do no cooperate with the department.

Nagas have a habit of keeping domestic helpers at home, where many presume that ‘they’ are doing good with the downtrodden child but the fact remains that “we” are sapping the prime time of an individual. While on the other hand, this ‘habit’ also has contributed substantially in the increase in childtrafficking and domestic violence, out of which many cases go unreported.

When queried, on his knowledge of children’s day, a ten year old child, who was busy selling vegetables in a local market hastily responded that he doesn’t know what it is. During the brief interaction, it was made known that he had to leave school due to poverty. Like this ten year old that is least aware of the day and is also involved in labor for survival, there are many children who are deprived and denied of their basic rights.

On children’s day, when ‘fortunate children’ enjoy privileges, many others may be abused or even pass the day unaware that it is their day to celebrate.

Taking into account this day and owing to its significance, it will be healthier if we all also try to bring a difference into the lives of underprivileged children by doing something special for them.

Fortunate ones can be reminded of their good fortune and privileges they have, and also that there are children who are barely with food, clothes and shelter, so that every child feels ‘special’ and childhood can be cherished by all.

By buying this Newspaper, you are contributing to the process of positive Social Change and supporting the non-profit activities of the Morung Foundation

C M Y K

2

Dimapur

14 November 2008

The Morung Express

NISC wants South Asian Terrorism Portal to rectify list

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The peace talks between the Government of India and the “Naga people” are on, yet the “rubber stamp approach of the Government of India needs to be criticized”, says the Naga international support center.

A note from the NISC said that the government of India needs to “instruct the management of South Asian Terrorism Portal to rectify its declaration on the NSCN and NDFB and all other organizations which have wrongly been declared”.

The government also needs to direct both the Assam Rifles commanders and the state government to immediately “reform the

troops, their commanders and those whom they receive their orders from” according to the NISC. This way, the NISC explained, in the peace talks the “creditworthiness” of the representatives of the Government of India can be restored and ‘there is no more peace talks on while they are being undermined under the table’.

The NISC argued that the South Asian Terrorism Portal, SATP, declared more than 150 Indian organizations as terrorist organizations of which the “National Socialist Council of Nagaland” and the “National Democratic Front” were also. “Yet the Government of India sponsored SATP

MEx File IGAR (N) Greets “Sema Tribe” DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Major General Jai Prakash Nehra, IGAR (North) and Brig P K Singh, Commander HQ 7 Sect along with all ranks of Assam Rifles extended warm greetings to the people of “Sema Tribe” on the occasion of “Ahuna” festival. We sincerely pray to the Almighty to keep a benign eye on the “Sumi Nagas” and the people of Nagaland to bring about peace, prosperity and tranquility in the days to come, stated a press note received here. “We wish the tribe to prosper in all spheres and endeavour to push towards everlasting peace in the region”.

Jail Colony Panchayat expels DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Jail Colony Panchayat, Kohima has expelled Thunglamo Patton, Jailor Kohima District for falsely accusing Asho Angami of raping his maid servant on October 24. The panchayat, in a statement issued by its Chairman and Secretary stated ‘n view of the gravity of the case, the panchayat has expelled Thunglamo Patton from the colony for one year.’ The judgment was pronounced on November 11.

KGOK informs KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): All Kewhimia Gazetted Officers Krotho members have been informed to compulsorily attend the Angami Gazetted Officers Krotho Silver Jubilee celebration on November 15 at IG Stadium at 10:00 am.

NCRC calls meeting C M Y K

LOCAL

Friday

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Christian Revival Church Council (NCRC) has called a meeting on November 22 next at 10 am at NCRC campus, Rüveba, Chumukedima in Dimapur.

A press note issued by its president, Rev. N Paphino and general secretary, Vangphong informed tribal council chairmen and executive secretaries to bring the name of their tribal respective executive member to NCRC and only official designated representative members to attend the meeting.

KLOU general meeting on November 17 KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Kohima Lotha Officers’ Union will hold a general meeting on November 17 at Hotel Japfu conference Hall, Kohima.

The meeting will start from 3:00 PM. Minister for agriculture Dr. Chumben Murry will grace the occasion as the chief guest. All the KLOU members have been requested to attend the said meeting positively. Dinner will be provided after the meeting at Hotel Japfu.

Tizit MLA informs DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): T Aloh Wangham, MLA Tizit has in a press statement informed that under no circumstances the 41-Tizit A/C will allow any individual or parties to execute any developmental works accorded by the State Government without his knowledge and consent. The statement is issued for the benefit of the constituency people, he further stated.

Medical camp held at Japu Village DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): A medical camp was held at Japu Village in Mokokchung District on November 8, 2008 to mark the occasion of the Centennial of the Japu Baptist Church. The medical team was led by Dr Narola, Medical Superintendent of Imkongliba Memorial Hospital, Mokokchung, accompanied by a team of specialists comprising of Dr Medem, Dr Merenla, Dr Ayangla, Dr Sunep, Dr Tali, Dr Supongmeren, Dr Wapang, Dr Mar, Dr Asangla, Dr Marina and other medical personnel. Tekadangchetba, Chairman, JVC and Rev Ayutemjen, Pastor, JBC in a release has expressed gratitude to the medical team for the free check-up of over 200 patients as well as the free medicines that were distributed to the needy.

declined to show evidence to that supposed fact and did not entertain the declaration of the Government of India that the NSCN, with which it is engaged in peace talks for over a decade, is no terrorist organization” the NISC claimed. According to the center, the conflict between India and Nagaland cannot be solved militarily and is not just a matter of law and order, but can only be solved politically. “It should be obvious then to the SATP also that no Government can be present at the negotiation table when the ‘other’ party is a terrorist organization” the NISC said.

The NISC also stated that the 41 battalion of the

Children affected by the factional violence through the death of their parents in the factional clash presenting a special number during the second reconciliation soccer match played in Nagaland at DDSC, Dimapur on November 13. (Photo/ Caisii Mao)

Nyeiwang calls for creating peaceful atmosphere Our Correspondent Kohima | November 13

MINISTER FOR school education Nyeiwang Konyak today asserted that peaceful atmosphere is required for all round development of the state.

Speaking at the 7th session of the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Union, Kohima (ENPUK) here this morning at DUDA Guest House, the minister said that a time has come for each and every individual to reason together and move forward in all fronts. The minister also stated that education policy will be implemented in the right perspective and at the same time called upon various functionaries to do their part in imparting quality education.

Also speaking on the

Yitachu inaugurates Museum, Library DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The newly constructed museum-cum-Library of Khezakeno was inaugurated by Yitachu, Parliamentary Secretary of Tourism, Art and Culture, Law and Justice on November 11.

Yitachu exhorted the Khezakeno Villagers, as custodians of Naga ancestral home and heritage, to play pro-active role so to convert Khezakeno not only as Tourist destination but also make efforts to enhance the image of Khezakeno befitting its historical importance.

Director Art & Culture, Kohima in a release said that Neiba Krono and Khekiye.K.Sema also encouraged the villagers to vigorously pursue cultural development so that the uniqueness of this place will remain an attraction to the people from within and outside the state as well.

Lost & Found

An ATM card belonging to a Mhasikhou Metha with the card’s account activation valid from April 2008 has been found.

The person in concern has been requested to produce relevant documentary proof of ownership and acquire the said card from the head office of The Morung Express, at Duncan Basti, Dimapur.

1ST NAGALAND DRUG USERS’ CONFERENCE Date : 15th - 16th Nov. 2008, State Academy Hall Technical Support : Kripa Foundation, Nagaland Sponsored by NSACS Organised by Nagaland Users’ Network (NUN)

Theme : Together we can

Chief Guest :

Assam Rifles at Wokha town under jurisdiction of the state government and with a camp adjacent to the public ground where festivities were held created unprecedented havoc among the Lotha Naga People. “Was it only because the people rose to the occasion and confronted the soldiers who shot blanks at them that their commonly known misbehavior was broadly reported in the local press?” it queried.

The inquiry authorities agreed to conduct inquiry in the wake of the protests against the Assam Rifles deflects the attention from the root cause of this and other now so well reported incidents, the NISC added.

Shri. Vikho Yhoshü, Chairman DAN & Advisor to CM for IT &TE

All Drug Users, families, and well wishers are cordially invited to come and attend the conference

ENPUK annual meeting held

Minister Nyeiwang Konyak and others at ENPUK annual meeting on November 13 in Kohima.

occasion, parliamentary secretary for transport & mechanical engineering P. Dako Phom stressed on the need to find out solution to change the society in achieving self-reliance, unity and development.

Urging upon the eastern Nagas to come forward to compete with the rest of the world, he said “Let us steps forward and remove the name backwardness.”

In his speech, parliamentary secretary for CAWD,Torechu also called upon the people to give positive suggestion to bring about advancement and unity. Parliamentary secretary for information & public relations R Tohanba was also present on the occasion.

Earlier, the programme was chaired by Y. Metchiu, vice president, ENPUK.

NSCU to observe Cooperative week DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Nagaland State Cooperative Union (NSCU), a state level Cooperative Educational institute will be celebrating the 55th All India Cooperative week (AICW) from November 14 to 12, 2008.

AICW is a yearly event which is celebrated as per the guidelines of National Cooperative Union of India, New Delhi which is the spokesman of Cooperative Sector of the Country. “The week long celebration is the occasion to introspect about this achievements and growth of Cooperatives and also at the same time chalk out future strategies for the development of the Cooperative sectors,” Imtinungba, Chief Executive Officer said in a press release. This year the theme of Celebrations is "Autonomous and Competitive Cooperatives for Bharat Nirman."

State Legislators attend Agri and Food Processing Mission to China

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Eleven Legislators from Mon, Tuensang, Kiphire and Longleng districts and a government official from Nagaland along with their counterpart from Assam, Meghalaya, Maharastra and Chhattisgarh returned to the state on November 5 last after attending the 2nd Agri and Food Processing Mission to China which was organized by India China Alliance Centre.

Among the delegates from the state includes, Minister for School Education, Neiwang Konyak, Parliamentary Secretaries Torechu Tsangmuli, E.E.Pangtean, S.Pangnyu Phom, Naiba Konyak, P.Dako Phom, S.Heno, R.Tohanba, Opposition Leader, Chingwang Konyak, MLAs, Pampha Konyak and Chuba Chang along with Thepfuzakie Angami, Project Officer DUDA. The state delegates left the state on October 19 last to join their counterpart from four other states and returned on

November 5 last. During their trip, the state delegates had visited several important places across China. Among the places includes, The famous Great Wall of China, Nest Stadium & Summer Palace In Beijing, Shangai Museum, Hong Zhou, Green Tea Processing Unit, Tibetan Ayurvedic Centre, Weifang (Shougnang), Shenyang, Beijing, Hong Kong, Agriculture products Processing Base at Zhongshan, Corn Industry Zone, Food/Fruit/Vegetable/ Meat processing Units and Liaoning Xindadi Industry Development Group. The delegates also met the Director of Shenyang Rural Economic Bureau and Rural Economic Committee and also visited the Academy of agriculture Science at Shenyang. Moreover, the delegates had visited the Department Shanghai Domestic Airport and Shanghai Hongjiao Airport.

The state delegates to China were sponsored by the DUDA Department.

Nagaland Legislators delegates to the 2nd Agri Food Processing Mission to China posing for lense during their trip at Hong Kong.

DKN celebrates Tokhu Emong festival with spirit of ‘genuine culture’ DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Delhi Kyong Naga (DKN) celebrated ‘Tokhu Emong’ festival 2008 on November 7, 2008 at Sir Shankar Lal Hall, University of Delhi with the theme, ‘Kyong Jüli Njüm’ (The Lotha genuine culture). The festival was graced by N. Thomas Ngullie, General Secretary, North East Congress Coordination Committee as Chief Guest.

In his speech he dwelt on the finest values and ethics of the Kyong Naga such as respect to elders, honesty, hospitality, warmness, fear of God and discipline of ones life and society. He further elaborated on the essence such as forgiveness, reconciliation, joy and happiness of Tokhu Emong by Kyong through and beyond the limits of memory or tradition or recorded history.

D. Stephen K. Yanthan, Advocate Supreme Court and Chairman Kyong Welfare Delhi accorded the welcome address and N.Mozhui,

which is one of the richest dialect given by God. He also emphasised on the rich varieties of Kyong attires both for male and female; and to modify and formulate for world class standard. He also dedicated the newly elected Officials of KEED. The celebration was joined by a host of representatives from civil societies, student bodies, well wishers and friends. Dances, folk songs, display of old and modern Kyong attires was presented by the Kyong Khyingro Loreden of both North and South residents and the eighty-some Kyong Jawans of the 1st NAP Bn. at Delhi .

Miss & Mr. Tokhu Members of Delhi Kyong Naga (DKN) presenting a cultural dance item during the cel- Emong were crowned to ebration of ‘Tokhu Emong’ festival 2008 on November 7, 2008 at Sir Shankar Lal Hall, Zanbeni Humtsoe and ElitUniversity of Delhi. hung Yanthan respectively.

Dy. Director, Directorate of given and new ties and bonds Dr. L. Tsanso, Pastor, Delhi The entire festival session Advertising & Visual Public- of closer confidence and love Lotha Christian Church also was directed by Nzanmongi ity Ministry of Information are forged. M. James Humt- persuaded the young gener- Patton, Lecturer Gargi Col& Broadcasting, GoI, en- soe, Dy. Commandant, 1st ations to appreciate the rich lege, DU which concluded lightened the gathering on NAP Bn. Delhi exhorted the traditions of the Kyong Naga with vote of thanks by Dr. the significant of the festival gatherings to emulate the Tribe and challenged them Benrithung Murry, Lecturof which the past resentment, work culture and value based to genuinely learn and speak er, Dptt. of Anthropology, bitterness and offences is for- life of the forefathers. Rev. Kyong yi (Lotha dialect) University of Delhi.

LOCAL|REGIONAL

The Morung Express

Friday

14 November 2008

Dimapur

3

NSCN (IM) ‘condemns act AR Conducts Dental Camp at Shamator of terrorism of any kind’ DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The NSCN (IM) today asserted to be ‘advocating’ the “protection of human rights” and so ‘condemns’ the “act of terrorism of any kind”.

Expressing ‘abhorrence’, the outfit claimed it had “have never taken the path of adventurism in terrorism”.

Stating that on October 17, 2003, the outfit committed itself to a total ban on the use of ‘uncontrolled anti-personal mines by signing the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment,’ an MIP note said “killing each other in combat is all a different matter and does not fall within the ambit of committing atrocious acts of terrorist”.

For this, the NSCN (IM)

expressed belief that terrorism is an “antithesis of human rights”. The MIP even asserted that Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of nationalism impacted the Nagas’ political struggle as the Nagas are “wedded to non-violent means” to achieve their political aspirations.

“The fact that NSCN endured the burden of political discussion with India for more than 10 years is a clear demonstration of NSCN’s faith in solving any political differences with India through negotiation across the table and not going for blood-bath in the battle field,” the MIP asserted.

In recent period some of the “revolutionary groups”

‘Nagaland House Guwahati, the best maintained’ DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Commenting on the maintenance of the Nagaland House at Guwahati, Ralanthung Yanthan, Deputy Speaker of the NLA said that “the House at Guwahati is the best maintained so far from among the houses” that he had visited. Yanthan said that the personnel, from the cook to the Deputy Residential Commissioner of the house, are very “warm, cordial and well mannered.”

The Deputy Speaker also pointed out that the saluting base with the Nagaland government’s insignia – the Mithun placed at the entrance – was very grand and suggested that the same be erected in all other Houses maintained by the state. Nzanbemo Ovung, Press Secretary to the Deputy Speaker, in a release informed that Ralanthung Yanthan, while congratulating the officer in-charge and personnel of the House at Guwahati, urged the inmates to keep up their warm hospitality. He also recommended the inmates of the other Houses maintained by the government of Nagaland to emulate the same for the good image of the state.

in the Northeast have crossed all limit of “revolutionary ethics”, the outfit stated.

“Mention may be made of the bomb blasts in Dimapur, Railway Station in 2006, Imphal bomb blast in Ragailung last month and the latest being in Assam’s Guwahati and Kokrajhar. NSCN condemn such act in strongest term,” it stated while expressing condolences or the victims and their families.

“But at the same time any act that involves victimizing innocent people should never be condone with. NSCN never believe in shedding innocent blood through terrorism. This has been our history and we shall stand by it,” it asserted.

AN (PWD) MFS informs DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The All Nagaland (PWD) Mechanical Field Staff Association has called a special joint meeting of all concerned staff of different departments on November 18 next, to discuss matters relating to demands for revision of pay work charged and casual employees in the state.

A press note issued by its conveners informed all respective members to report at Mechanical Sub-division office, Dimapur complex, at 10 am. “All respective association, unit office bearers and executive members of all departments are requested to present in the meeting positively,” the note concluded.

Annapurna rice for Dimapur district released DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Superintendent of Food & Civil Supplies, Dimapur, R Zumomo Lotha, has informed that the Annapurna foodgrains for the month of October and November 2008 for the district have been released. Beneficiaries have been requested to collect the same from their respective fair price shops from November 13 onwards.

KWADD to meet on Nov 15 DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Kuzhami Welfare Association of Dimapur District (KWADD) has informed all its representatives, advisor and concerned members of Kuzhami under Dimapur district, that a joint meeting will be held on November 15 at 2:00 pm at the president’s residence. The meeting will discuss matters pertaining to ‘Runye Festival.’ The Association has also requested affiliated Kuzhami villages under KWADD to submit their membership and picnic fee before November 15. Those villages that are yet to be affiliated have been requested to register by submitting an amount of Rs.500 at the earliest.

DREAN GM on Nov 28 KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): A general meeting of the Direct Recruit Engineers’ Association of Nagaland (DREAN) is convened on November 28 at 1:00 pm at the PWD Conference Hall, Kohima. All bonafide members of the Association are requested to attend this meeting to discuss on very important -on going- court cases and to resolve other important issues pertaining to the Association.

Craftsman’s workshop rescheduled KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Directorate of Art & Culture has informed all concerned that the craftsman’s workshop proposed to be held at Kisama from November 15 has been postponed to November 25 due to unavoidable circumstances. The participants have now been requested to report at Kisama on November 24.

AR rescues bus accident victim DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The 22 Assam Rifles of 10 Sector under HQ IGAR (South) on November 12 rescued passengers of a bus (No MN 01 1209) which met an accident near Maram while making way for a truck. The Bus was carrying Manipur Police Sportsmen.

Five injured persons were evacuated to Maram Hospital and others were evacuated to unit hospital of 22 Assam Rifles and after medical treatment injured persons were evacuated to Imphal Hospital for further treatment stated a release issued by AR.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): In its continued efforts towards the uplift of health standards of the local populace the AR organised a dental camp on November 11 last at Shamator village in Tuensang District. In a press note issued by M S Dhariwal, Maj, SO-3, AR informed the camp was organised by 1 AR under the aegis of HQ IGAR (N) and under the direction and supervision of HQ 7 sector Assam Rifles. The team comprised of one doctor and two staff members who offered free dental services to 158 men, women and children. The AR utilised the services of its ultra modern mobile dental van- a hospital on wheels, to reach out to people in remote areas.

The medical camps offered by the Assam Rifles have been a boon to locals in far-flung areas of the state, especially to those who cannot afford transportation to hospitals and the exorbitant price of medicines. The village council expressed their gratitude to the Assam Rifles for the same Personnel of the AR dental team attending to a patient inside the mobile dental van, in this image released and requested for another camp in the near future, the note added. to the media, at the medical camp helt at Shamator on November 11.

Khing urges party workers to be ‘good fishermen’

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 supporters remain firm like years. The division will be led (MExN): The general meet- rock withstanding onslaughts by President Kegwasin Keping and re-organization of of corruption wave for which pen, vice president Hillo Khthe NPF Tseminyu Division they deserve a big applaud.” ing, Sukhavi Tep, Sujukha was held on November 11 last Khing also called upon Kath, general secretary Nchat Tseminyu town hall. the party workers to be good wenga Semp and Peter Himb Speaking on the occa- fishermen for the party. and treasurer- Nthonga Tep. sion, R.Khing, ParliamenYouth Wing will be led by tary Secretary for horti- NPF Tseminyu division president Wachulo Jemu, culture and co-operation vice president Solozu Kent, expressed deep apprecia- general meeting held Ashuni Seb and Kenyusintion to the party workers lo Himb and general secrefor their sacrifices and dediHe expressed his confi- tary Daniel Tep. While the cation for the success of the dence that the new team will women wing will be led by recently concluded general work hard in hand with him in president Alole Khing, vice election. order to deliver quality goods president Ruby Thyug and He also stated that the to the Rengma people under general secretary- Yhunbelu. present NPF workers are the leadership of Neiphiu Rio, The meeting concluded with “clean and corruption free Chief Minister of Nagaland. vote of thanks proposed by voters in spite of many tempThe House elected office Sukhavi Tep, vice president, tations and inducement, NPF bearers for a tenure of three Tseminyu Division.

AR guns down two UG cadres

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Combined troops of 32 Assam Rifles of 9 Sector and 23 Assam Rifles under HQ IGAR (South) gunned down suspected KYKL cadre on November 11 during operation in general area of Moidang Pok. At approximately 6:20 pm, the army spotted two suspected KYKL cadres who on being challenged tried to flee firing on to the troops, stated a release issued by AR. And in response, the force eliminated one of the terrorist however, the other managed to escape taking advantage of ‘built up area and darkness’ stated the release. A 7.62mm Pistol, 4 Live rounds of 7.62mm and 1 FCC has been recovered from the slain UG cadre. Further detail is being ascertained, the AR further added. The body of the slained cadre alongwith recov-

ered items has been handed over to Patsoi Police Station.

In another incident, troops of 29 Assam Rifles of 26 Sector under HQ IGAR (South) launched operation in general area Laiphum on November 11and gunned down one UG cadre when he tried to flee taking advantage of the darkness. The army in a release stated that during search of suspected areas, the troops came under fire from one of the abandoned huts, however, the troops chased the fleeing terrorist and eliminated him, the release stated. One 9mm Pistol, 4 Live rounds of 9mm and 2 FCC has been recovered from the slain unidentified UG cadre. The dead body of the slain UG cadre alongwith recovered items has been handed over to Tengnoupal Police Station on 12 November.

ing fund just five-six days ahead of the budget of the NACP Phase-III. However, the fund has not yet been provided to the Targeted Intervention NGO partners of MACS by the authority of MACS. It may be noted here that implementation of the Targeted Intervention Programmes under NACP Phase-III through the respective State AIDS Control Societies in other parts of India have already begun since the month of April this year.

However in Manipur, implementation of the NACP Phase-III has been pending for more than the last seven months.

Addressing a press con-

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The emergency meeting of Nagaland People’s Front (NPF) Phek Division will be held on November 14 at the residence of Thenucho Tunyi at 12:00 noon in Kohima.

All legislators of NPF Phek division, ex-MLAs, central office bearers, advisor to CM, all five president of the area constituencies including five representatives from the division led by Vehuswu working president, Chepfuzu, vice president, Veprasayi vice president, Wepe general secretary and Muzivoyi Puro, general secretary have been asked to attend the said meeting.

PUK holds annual meet

Tetso College community condoles

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (DIPR): The 22nd annual meeting of Phom Union Kohima (PUK) was held on November 8 at the residence of Union Treasurer, B.I. Angh at Bayavü Kohima. Parliamentary Secretary, Transport & Communication and Mechanical, P. Dako Phom in his speech urged the gathering to change the society through hard work and proper time management in this fast changing world. He asked the community members to be sincere in their respective professions and set good example to others.

Meanwhile a new team of office bearers for the tenure 2009-11 were nominated. C. Danted as President, A. Phongchang as Vice President, B. Chingmei-General Secretary, H. Bauong-Joint Secretary, B. Ngangba-Finance Secretary, C. Chingshen-Assistant Finance Secretary, MokyungSocial & Cultural Secretary and B.I. Angh-Treasurer are the new executive members.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Tetso College community expressed shock at the untimely demise of Shyerhünlo Kent, a BA 2nd year student, on October 31 last. Tetso college principal, Dr. P S Lorin in a condolence message noted that Late Shyerhünlo Kent was a sincere and disciplined student of the college. The college community prayed for the bereaved family members for comfort and peace in their hour of grief and also for his soul to rest in eternal peace.

ZSUK elects new team KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Zeliangrong Students Union, Kohima has elected its new team of executive members for the tenure 2008-09 under the supervision of the Union’s election commissioners, Peling Ndang and Ransilang. President – Ikedetlung Nring, vice president – Golmei Avilie Patrick, general secretary – Haigiale Kamlak, assistant general secretary – Iluna Kamlak, finance secretary – Jonathan Kamai, social & cultural secretary – Heilungyile, games & sports secretary – Rathailung Kamai, educational & statistic secretary – Haukieteing, magazine secretary – Yileutiele, treasurer – Paurengai Kamai, women coordinator – Lukin Kamai, assistant women coordinator – Alice Kamai, conveners – Ramdeu Nsa and Namdwasap Mbung, are the new executive members. It may be recalled that the new team was elected during the 32nd annual conference-cum- freshers’ meet of the ZSUK held at the State Academy Hall, Kohima.

NGOs set deadline for release of pending funds under NACP

IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Setting November 15 as the deadline to Manipur State AIDS Control Society (MACS) for releasing the pending fund for implementation of programmes under the National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) Phase-III, NGO partners of MACS have announced their decision of launching cease work strike if the demand is not met within the said deadline.

It is said that subsequent to the submission of the utilisation certificate for the NACP Phase-III by the MACS authority, National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) had given its approval on releasing the pend-

NPF Phek division meet today

ference in this connection at the office of USER Manipur at Keishampat Moirang Ningthou Leirak here today, president of USER Manipur AK Kamad informed that the required fund for implementation of the Targeted Intervention programmes under the MACS has not been released to the NGO partners since April this year.

“As the fund had not been released programmes related to prevention of HIV/AIDS has been paralysed completely.”

“Even if the release of the fund had been stalled for so long, yet after MACS authority submit the utilisation certificate of the NAPC Phase-II, NACO has given its approval

to releasing the fund for the NACP Phase-III. But MACS it yet to release the fund to its NGO partners,” he added.

Kamad further said that USER Manipur has no objection to blacklisting the NGOs which do not perform their works properly. But the required fund of diligent NGOs should not be stalled.

He also demanded to know why the Project Director of MACS is staying at the Secretariat instead of working from the his own office.

If the pending fund is not provided to the NGOs within November 15, then all the NGOs would resort to cease work strike, Kamad announced on behalf of all the NGO partners of MACS.

ZION HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE UROLOGIST FOR CONSULTATION Dr A. Sandilya MS M.Ch will be available for consultation on 16th of November 2008.

Patients requiring consultation/operation for urinary problems, prostate, kidney stone and bladder stone problems may contact the reception for registration.

 : 03862- 231864, 230889

EASTERN THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE JORHAT, ASSAM

Presents

FULLY ALIVE An Evening of Gospel Music

Also Featuring Local Favorites Dimapur: IMC Hall, Dimapur Time: 5:00 PM Date: 16th of Nov.2008

Kohima: State Academy Hall Time: 5:30 PM Date: 14th Nov.2008

STARTING LINE-UP

Your daily Meetings, Appointments, Information and Reminder column

PTMK general assembly November 15

The Poumai Tsudomai Me Kohima will hold a general assembly meeting on November 15 at the Poumai Catholic Community Hall, Naga Bazar Kohima, at 11:00 am. Election of the new team of office bearers and discussion will take place during the meeting. All the students, including advisors and well-wishers, have been requested to attend the same.

KSUK to meet November 15

The Konyak Students’ Union Kohima will hold an emergency meeting, for the forthcoming silver jubilee celebration, on November 15 at 10:30 a.m. at Union Mission Place, at PR Hill, Kohima. All office bearers, silver jubilee committee members and CRs from all the institutions have been directed to attend the meeting positively.

ENPO Diphupar Area social work November 15

The General of Eastern Nagaland Peoples Union Diphupar Area will hold a social work in Diphupar ‘A’ Naga Cemetary on November 15. All members residing within the jurisdiction are requested to participate and bring along ‘dao’, spade and gather in the cemetery by 6:00am without fail.

One arrested for extortion DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13, (MExN): One Athrongmon Pochury (34 years), from Meluri, Phek district, presently residing in New Market, Dimapur was today apprehended from Hongkong Market, at around 1:00 pm by a team of Dimapur Police . Police sources disclosed he was demanding a sum of Rs. 5 lakh from a shop. A demand note was also seized from his possession. He was said to be ‘ss’ leacy from the NSCN-k setup. A criminal case has been lodged under relevant sections and he has ben remanded to custody for further judicial enquiry.

BEAUTIFUL BOOKS- CHENNAI Invites you to its

CHRiSTIAN BOOK FESTIVAL ‘08 Date & Time Venue 12-15 November, 2008 Town Baptist Church (Wednesday-Saturday) Near Christian Hr. Sec.School 9.00am- 5pm Dimapur

Discount on all items!

NIOS ADMISSION For March-April 2009 Exam

NIOS Admissions for Cl.10 & 12 for MarAp Examinations 2009 is extended upto 20th Nov.2008. Don’t miss this special and last chance, if you are interested.

Coordinator, (NIOS) St. Peter’s School, Purana Bazar, Dimapur-9862457979, 9436808044, (O) 227041

KOHIMA EDUCATIONAL TRUST SCHOLARSHIP INVITATION

Applications are invited for award of six (6) Kohima Educational Trust Scholarships for students from classes 8-12, for the year 2009. Only students of recognized educational institutions in Nagaland in the said classes need/could apply. Some of the other conditions are: 1. All application must be prospective or part of the classes mentioned above 2. All applications must be routed through the heads of respective recognized institutions along with school reports cards of the last academic year, and attested by the nearest Church Pastor/Parish Priest. The heads of such institutions must also be willing to supervise/monitor, or otherwise conform with/to requirements of the scholarship and such willingness must be given in written, along with the application.

3. Occupation of parent(s) annual family income should be attached, at least by the resident Pastor/ Parish Priest as the case maybe.

4. Full addresses and contact numbers of applicants, their institutions etc any extra information about the applicants, including why they are deserving of this scholarship, will be considered with due seriousness.

5. Information about amount of scholarship, guardian/ guarantor of the applicant etc will be intimated on actual selection and award of scholarship.

The last date of acceptance of application by the undersigned is January 10, 2009. The decision of the selection board of the KET Scholarship is final and binding and no complaints, if any shall be entertained.

November 14, 2009

Chairman The Kohima Educational Society C/o Principal, Baptist High Kohima-797001 Phone No: 0370-2222287

C M Y K

4

Dimapur

Friday

PUBLIC DISCOURSE |BUSINESS

14 November 2008

The Morung Express

PM pitches for early conclusion of BIMSTEC free trade pact A

Statement against Terrorism

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Pitching for early conclusion of the BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said countries in Asia should give a new strategicthrust to the cooperation in the backdrop of global financial crisis.

"We should do something visible in the area of trade and economic cooperation as a manifestation of our ability to do something big together," he said while inaugurating the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit in New Delhi.

Observing considerable progress has been made towards BIMSTEC Free Trade Agreement for trade in goods, Singh said early conclusion of such an agreement would be a shining example of cooperation among the members. "We also look forward to the next stage of an agreement in the area of investment and services," he told the Summit being attended by BIMSTEC leaders from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed, Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, Bhutanese Prime Minister Jigmi Y Thinley and Thai Premier Somchai Wangsawat are attending the day-long second summit.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, center, shakes hand with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein, left, as Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, right, and Bhutan's Prime Minister Jigme Thinely, second left, looks on at the end of the second summit of second Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, in New Delhi on November 13. (AP Photo)

Areas to be covered BIMSTEC: Pact on at the Summit counter-terrorism likely

The areas to be covered at the Summit include trade, counter-terrorism, trans-national crimes, connectivity, tourism, fisheries and public health. The leaders are also expected to review the progress on the proposed Free Trade Agreement between BIMSTEC member states.

Foreign Ministers of seven Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries held a brainstorming session on Wednesday to intensify economic ties and encourage the movement of people and resources. They also explored

the possibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) ahead of the summit meeting here on Thursday which is being held after four years.

Earlier, Foreign Secretaries of the member countries met on Tuesday and considered the possibility of setting up a permanent secretariat. They also discussed intra-regional cooperation in energy, agriculture

and transportation besides trade, technology, tourism and counter-terrorism.

The summit could see the signing of four agreements, including a convention on counter-terrorism and transnational crimes and creating an energy centre.

It will also take up the issue of seamless transport connectivity, an issue on which consensus had been elud-

ing member countries due to reservations expressed

by Bangladesh. The pact on terrorism aims at closer coordination and intelligencesharing and seeks to check financing of terrorism and trafficking in drugs. The pact may be similar to the one signed at the Colombo summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation earlier this year.

s much as NSCN advocate the protection of human rights, the act of terrorism of any kind is equally condemned and abhorred. In the long year of Naga struggle, NSCN have never taken the path of adventurism in terrorism. This message became loud and clear when on 17 Oct. 2003, NSCN commit itself to a total ban on the use of uncontrolled anti-personal mines by signing the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment. Killing each other in combat is all a different matter and does not fall within the ambit of committing atrocious acts of terrorist. For this matter NSCN never believe in the use of terrorism as weapon of political message. Such practice is antithesis of human rights.

Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of nationalism have impacted the Naga's political struggle as the Nagas are wedded to non-violent means to achieve their political aspiration. The present scenario of conflict is something forced on the Nagas.

The aggressive oppression of the Naga's political rights has to be resisted in one way or the other. Otherwise, Nagas under NSCN is all for peaceful process towards Indo-Naga political conflict.

The fact that NSCN endured the burden of political discussion with India for more than 10 years is a clear demonstration of NSCN's faith in solving any political differences with India through negotiation across the table and not going for blood-bath in the battle field.

It is horrifying that in recent period some of the revolutionary groups in

Northeast have cross all limit of revolutionary ethics and run afoul of human values.

Mention may be made of the bomb blasts in Dimapur, Railway Station in 2006, Imphal bomb blast in Ragailung last month and the latest being in Assam's Gauhati and Kokrajhar. NSCN condemn such act in strongest term. We also condole the dead and offer our prayer that such acts of terrorism is not repeated. The agonizing cries of the victims of terrorist attack in Assam will never be easily erased from the human memory.

Our heartfelt sympathy goes to the bereaved family members of the victim and the injured. In such turbulent stage of combating terrorists, the public need to stay in full alert and assist the law and order enforcing agencies in all possible way. Because in fighting terrorists no visible or invisible lines of division are drawn. Significantly, political frustrations are sometimes attached for resorting to act of terrorism. The hard earned recourse to peaceful means are sometimes not responded in the manner the situation demanded, and rather sending signal across that any recalcitrant groups will not be tolerated.

This kind of treatment or attitude that undermines the political determination of the groups in question has to be taken care of by the government of India. But at the same time any act that involves victimizing innocent people should never be condone with. NSCN never believe in shedding innocent blood through terrorism.

This has been our history and we shall stand by it.

Issued by:MIP /GPRN

Honda’s Civic Hybrid cheaper by Rs 8 lakh Mukesh to become richest Indian NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Honda has slashed the price of its Civic Hybrid cars in India by an unprecedented Rs 8 lakh, as it looks to boost sales of the environmentally-friendly sedan in an unfriendly economic environment. After the price cut— the sharpest in Indian automobile history and introduced with immediate effect—the hybrid Civic will cost Rs 13.36 lakh compared to its launch price of Rs 21.5 lakh.

This is also the first time in its decade-long presence in India that Honda, which is absorbing the full impact of the price cut, is resorting to a formal price cut to sell its cars. Launched this June, the hybrid Civic had generated huge interest among customers, but its high price meant sales were few. The company had only managed to

C M Y K

O

R

D S

E

A

R

C

H

WMR T I B B A R B L Q G U U Q O S Y DW L I B R E G A Y Q

CROSSWORD # 1152

SUDOKU

The Morung Express number game

Sudoku # 1135

1

2

3

8

9

12

16

XRON S UH I QMA NU Z G 20

21

E L A HW F N T K H U I N Q V

IGUNANA LADYBUG LIONESS PARROT PENGUIN RABBIT SEAHORSE SEALION SEALS STARFISH TURTLE WHALE

22 23

24

P S T PDKDOE CGGEXO

NS L A E S ROHA E S R P R

18

17

19

YYN I OE TC S ANNGB B

A Z B S Y T T O R R A P Y UM

14

13 15

T M I S B I F Q Y S N N I WM

K C U D O G U B Y D A L C DW

6

11

NV L X C R XDO T A Y NG S

I EWO G N I MA L F H Q L E

5

10

PMA K A S X RWE P P P A K

HR J LWR P P I R I I P E A

4

7

VOE TUR T L E R E I S CZ

BIRD BUTTERFLY CHICKCHICK DOG DOLPHIN DUCK FISH FLAMINGO GERBIL GINNNYPIG HAMSTER HORSE

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani has overtaken NRI steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal as the richest Indian in the world, with a net worth of $20.8bn, Forbes said in its annual rich list for the country.

Mittal, who has moved to second position with a net worth of $20.5bn, is followed

by Mukesh's younger brother Anil Ambani, whose wealth stood at $12.5bn. Telecom czar Sunil Mittal and realtor K P Singh are ranked fourth and fifth with net worth of $7.9bn and $7.8bn, respectively. The magazine said that the combined net worth of India's 40 richest has declined by 60% due to weak stock markets amid depreciating rupee against the greenback.

DAILY CROSS WORD

LEISURE W

sell 60 cars till date. In contrast, the petrol version of the Civic, launched in India in July 2006, sold 5,236 units in the first seven months of the fiscal.

The company, which operates as Honda Siel Cars India (HSCI) in India, said the decision to cut the price was aimed at making eco-friendly cars more affordable. The Civic Hybrid is India’s first full hybrid vehicle. Its 1.3 litre petrol engine and an electric battery give it an average mileage of 20 kilometers per litre of petrol, making it the most fuel-efficient car in its category on Indian roads.

“We have taken a hit on the price to offer this eco-friendly technology to potential customers. There have been thousands of enquiries for the Hybrid, which had not culminated in actual sales,” Honda Siel v-p Jnaneshwar Sen told ET.

25

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.”

Yesterdays answer Sudoku #1134

ACROSS 1. Viral infection (5) 7. Theoretical (8) 8. Indian word for ‘Sir’ (5) 10. Clint Eastwood film (5.5).

12. Alkaloid-found in coffee (8) 14. Fodder (4) 16. Sugar root (4) 17. German shepherd dog (8) .20. Concerned, involved (10) 23. Cheek (5) 24. Ate (8) 25. Postpone (5)

DOWN 1. Picture of many parts (6) 2. Recompensed (4) 3. Protective ditch (4) 4. Proper (5) 5. Lively (9) 6. Frolicked (6) 9. Composer of the opera Carmen (5) 11. Potent, telling (9) 13. Nothing ,(3) 15. Athletics meeting (5) 16. Window-covers (6) 18. Roman numeral XC (6) 19. Bunch (5) 21. Ranked player (4) 22. Small river fish (4)

Answers to CROSSWORD #1151 Across: 1. Hermit, 4. Tripod, 7. Vile, 8. Sinner, 9. Ape, 10. Perch, 13. Angle,15. Inept, 17. Resin, 18. Abaft, 10. Grief, 23. Haste, 26. Sip, 27.Effort, 28. Bulb, 29. Dilute, 30.

Litter.

Down: 1. Havana, 2. Ruling, 3. Taste, 4. Tunic, 5. Parade, 6. Detest, 10. Perth, 11.

Rusts, 12. Hinge, 14. Nib, 16. Pie, 18. Absurd, 19. Appeal, 21. Insult, 22 Fibber, 24.

Alone, 25. Total.

Their total wealth is now $139bn, down from $351bn just a year ago, according to Forbes India Rich List.

"These are painful times for India's tycoons. The country's once soaring stock market fell 48% the past year, the rupee depreciated 24% against the dollar, and GDP growth is expected to slow by at least a percentage point, in part owing to double-digit inflation," Forbes Asia said in a statement.

While all 40 tycoons listed last year were billionaires, only 27 have 10-figure net worths now.

A net worth of 760 million dollar was needed to make to the list this year, 840 million dollar less than last year.

The Ruia brothers were ranked at sixth position with a net worth of $7.6bn, followed by Wipro Chairman

DIMAPUR

Civil Hospital: Metro Hospital: Faith Hospital: Shamrock Hospital Zion Hospital: Fire Service: Police Control Room Police Traffic Control East Police Station West Police Station CIHSR (Referral Hospital)

Aziz Premji, worth $7bn.

The magazine states that the combined net worth of brothers Malvinder and Shivinder Singh increased by $550m, thereby grabbing 13th place on the list. Their combined net worth stood at $2.8bn after they sold their stake in Ranbaxy Laboratories to Daiichi Sankyo. The list says the major loser was property tycoon Ramesh Chandra, whose net worth dropped by 91% to $1bn. Among the new entrants in the list are retailer Micky Jagtiani at 16th position with a net worth of $2bn, followed by Divi's Laboratories' founder Murali Divi at 36th place with a net worth of $870m. Also Akruti City's Hemant Shah stood at 37th place with a wealth of $830m.

STD CODE: 03862

232224; Emergency- 229529, 229474 227930, 231081 233044, 228846 228254 231864, 230889 232201 228400 232106 227607, 228400 232181 242555/ 242531

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

STD CODE: 0370 2244279 2244923 2242897 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202

CHEVROLET CARS PRICE LIST NOVEMBER’ 2008

CAR MODEL

PRICE

SPARK 1.0 BASE

268,648

SPARK 1.0 PS

289,992

SPARK 1.0 LS

304,641

SPARK 1.0 LT

334,123

U-VA 1.2 BASE

401,753

U-VA 1.2 LS

444,299

U-VA 1.2 LT

484,090

SRV 1.6 OPT. PACK

790,100

AVEO 1.4 BASE

606,461

AVEO 1.4 LTD EDI

661,631

AVEO 1.4 LT OPT.PACK

754,930

TAVERA 2.5 LT 9S BS3

877,748

TAVERA 2.5 SSD1 7S (C) BS3

993,249

OPTRA ROYAL 1.6 LT (PETROL)

967,686

OPTRA MAGNUM 2.0 LT ACC (DIESEL)

1,074,547

CAPTIVA 2.0 LT VCDI

1,812,688

For details contact: Urban Station, Near NSC Petrol Pump, 6th Mile Dimapur. Ph No : 240994 CURRENCY EXCHANGE

CURRENCY NOTES US Dollars Sterling Pound Hong Kong Dollar Japanese Yen /1000 Malaysian Ringtt Singapore Dollar Thai Bhat / 100 U.A.E. Dirhams Euro

BUY(Rs) 47.34 72.87 5.26 472.06 12.01 29.54 133.00 12.13 59.34

SELL(Rs) 49.88 76.96 7.24 522.80 14.92 34.60 144.50 14.21 62.51

The Morung Express

AGP joins hands with BJP in Assam

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Returning to the NDA fold, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Thursday formally joined hands with the BJP with both parties vowing to put up a united fight against the ruling Congress in Assam in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The BJP and AGP will work together in the forthcoming elections to the Lok Sabha to free Assam from the tyranny of the Congress misrule,” senior BJP leader L K Advani said here.

“Both subscribe to the view that to save India we must save Assam. To achieve that BJP and AGP have joined hands and will unite all anti-Congress forces in the state,” he added.

A decision in this regard was finalised during a high-level meeting between the parties yesterday chaired by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh. “Assam is the transit point of illegal Bangladeshi migrants to other parts of India.

Both parties will work together to find a permanent solution on the issue,” AGP chief Chandra Mohan Patwari said.

However, the party declined to comment on the seat arrangements for Assam in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

Both AGP and BJP have two seats each in the state. “The consultations are still on and no decision has yet been on the seat sharing. We will get back to you when the decision is taken,” Rajnath said.

14 November 2008

home portfolio.

The demand to bifurcate the state has been a long standing demand of the HSPDP. Syiem questioned as to how a Deputy Chief Minister can submit a memorandum to President on a political issue while he was a member of an official delegation that met the President during her recent visit to the state.

To this, the Chief Minister replied, “The ruling Meghalaya Progressive Alliance government does not subscribe to the stand of HSPDP. A view of a partner may not necessarily be a view of the coalition government.”

Roy said he was not even aware of the memorandum submitted by HSPDP. “The memorandum was not submitted when the official delegation met the president,” he clarified.

Congress slams fiscal management in Sikkim

GANGTOK, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Opposition Congress has slammed the chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling for wasteful mismanagement of central funds on nonplan expenditure during his nearly 15-year rule in Sikkim.

“Although successive central governments have been providing generous funding to the Himalayan state for development work and welfare measures, most of the public money has gone down the drains due to wasteful non-plan expenditure over the years as there was no mechanism in place to monitor the spending of the state government”, former chief minister Nar Bahadur Bhandari said in a release here.

While, the state government lacked any planning or vision for building infrastructure or permanent assets through judicious utilization of the centre funds, the Centre too has been guilty of not putting in place a moni-

toring mechanism to find out whether its funds were being properly utilized in public interest, the release said.

Bhandari urged the Centre to work out an institutional mechanism for verification of the state government’s claim for utilization of the central funds and if the need be its agencies should also inspect the develop works at the ground level in Sikkim or elsewhere in the country.

The former chief minister took potshot at Chamling’s claim about the sound fiscal health of the state and said that its finances were in dire straits due to mismanagement and quoted the annual CAG report which had highlighted gross financial irregularities committed by the state government.

Bhandari further claimed that the Sikkim government has been lavishing spending on non-productive ventures and causing loss to the state exchequer and the funds were being borrowed from the financial institu-

tions and not generated through its own resources.

The former chief minister flayed Chamling for binding the state in a debt trap in the long run as his government has committed an indiscretion to become a guarantor for the repayment of loans obtained by the hydro-electric power developers/ companies in the event of these companies defaulting on payment.

Why should Sikkim be made to shoulder huge financial liabilities if the developers failed to repay the loans to the institutions? he wondered.

He took the state government to task for derailing the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and said that it had acted against the spirit of the universal programme by closing down as many as 18 primary schools and claimed that the state government planned to shut down some more schools in utter violation of the guidelines laid down by the Centre under SSA.

AR orgainses ex servicemen rally in Chandel DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): In a path –breaking initiative and for the first time ever in Chandel District, 20 Assam Rifles of 26 Sector under HQ IGAR (South) conducted an Ex – servicemen rally which was attended by about 1000 ex-servicemen from different parts of the district and all the local government officials including DC and SP of the district. The chief guest of the function was Maj General A K Choudhary, SM, VSM, IGAR (South).

The rally was aimed to recognise the sacrifice of each one of them, give a common platform to air their grievances, motivate them to come ahead and participate in the development activities A poacher who had killed an endangered species of bird and brought to Jorhat town for of the district about which sale has been surrounded by activists of an NGO and local people at Jorhat town on No- they are so highly trained, provide social security to the vember 13. (UB Photos)

environment and encourage them to send in their young boys for an organised training at the headquarters of 20 Assam Rifles to prepare them for getting recruited in the various armed and para military forces. The warmth could be experienced as the officials of local administration openly came forward to solve the issues faced by the veterans of the district.

Speaking on this occasion, Maj Gen AK Choudhary, SM, VSM, said that the rally was an attempt by the Assam Rifles to reach out to all the gallant ex-servicemen of the district and make them aware of the new policies of the government of India post pay commission and repose our faith in their capabilities, attend to their requirements and help them settle down in their re-

tired life. He also expressed his hope that this noble initiative of AR would inspires others to emulate the same in future . He further said that Assam Rifles is committed to live up to its motto i.e. emulate “Friends of the North East People” and would do all that is possible to help the locals, trough more welfare measures.

The rally was marked by several events which included a splendid band performance by the regimental band of 20 AR and a free medical camp for the veterans including extension of CSD facilities.

The rally ended with all the ex-servicemen conveying their heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the series of welfare measures that 20 AR has undertaken and is relentlessly pursuing ever since it has come to Chandel.

VAT Amendment Bill passed Work permit system in State by mid-Dec in Meghalaya Assembly

SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 13 (UNI): The Meghalaya Value Added Tax (amendment) Bill 2008 and Meghalaya Passengers and Goods Taxation (amendment) Bill 2008 was passed in the Assembly today with an aim to streamline the taxation department.

State taxation minister J A Lyngdoh tabled the two Amendment bills.

The amendment of VAT will empower the government to decide the category of dealers who should not be benefitted by the input tax credit (ITC), while the amendment to the passengers and goods taxation would add Rs 1.40 crore to the state exchequer annually.

Later, talking to reporters after the House unanimously passed the amendment Bills, Mr Lyngdoh said the government would would soon pass a notification that industries en-

joying different kinds of incentives and paying one per cent VAT will not be benefited by the ITC. ‘’The amendment VAT Bill will enable small contractors to pay a lump sum amount of 4 per cent or 12.5 per cent as VAT without the ITC. However, they have to maintain a book of accounts,’’ he said. The contractors, however, will still need to maintain a book of accounts, he informed.On the passenger goods taxation Bill, Mr Lyngdoh said the Bill will enable the government to increase tax from 10 to 15 per cent. ‘’ The increase was after 35 years and it will not trigger price rise, but would increase the state exchequer,’’ he stated, while pointing out that the tax will be charged on the basis of turn-over at the time of assessment quarterly or yearly.

SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Faced with strong criticism from various organisations for its alleged failure to check infiltration of illegal migrants into Meghalaya, the State Government has finally decided to implement the work permit system by the middle of December this year.

The Labour Department has been given the task of implementing the work permit system under the Government of India InterState Workmen Act 1979. The work permit will be valid for 179 days, one day short of six months.

Twenty-two officers will be appointed to carry out the task with mobile vehicles. Apart from them, deputy commissioners, block development officers and officials from the Police Depart-

ment would be involved in the whole process of implementation of the work permit system.

Moreover, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of the various districts would help the Labour Department in ascertaining the antecedents of migrant workers and verifying their documents related to Indian citizenship.

Emerging from the high level meeting on influx convened by Chief Minister Dr Donkupar Roy here on Wednesday, Urban Affairs Minister Paul Lyngdoh said, “The main objective of making the validity of the work permit one day short of six months is to prevent migrant workers from being eligible for the voting right in the State.”

Mr Lyngdoh, also Chairman

of the Cabinet Committee on Influx, said an employer of migrant workers would have to register them with the government failing which he would face two years in jail and other penalties.

According to the minister, the work permit system will be initially inpmeneted in places, specially in coal mining areas, where there is large concentration of migrant labourers. It would gradually cover other areas as identified by the Labour Department.

Mr Lyngdoh also said the department concerned was expected to issue a Cabinet Memo in connection with work permit system in the coming weeks, adding the State Government was committed to early implementation of the three-tier identity card system.

Airtel Children’s Day program to touch children across NE

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Bharti Airtel NESA, under the theme, ‘peace for a better tomorrow,’ is organising Drawing, painting and other programmes for children in all the states of the North East on November 14 to mark Children’s Day. In addition, the Company is also tying up with a large number of NGOs to bring smile to the face of underprivileged children.

The Don Bosco School Guwahati, supported by Bharti Airtel, is also organising a daylong programme on the occasion which will start with a memorial service for the October 30 serial blast victims. The service will be followed by poster campaign in which primary school students will participate, stated a release by Bharti Airtel. The objective of the day’s programme is to shun

Dimapur

5

The BJP added that more parties are likely to join the NDA campaign in the near future. “While INLD joined NDA last month, I had said that more parties would join.

Today one more party has joined the combine, more are likely in the near future,” BJP chief Rajnath Singh told reporters.

The BJP and AGP will work together on basic issues like implementation of Assam Accord, sealing of IndoBangla border, issuing photo identity cards, restoration of peace through meaningful political dialogue with militant outfits and granting of ST status to six communities in the state as recommended Shayed Arshad Madani, President of All India Jaimat Ulema E Hind delivering his lecture at a convention on anti terrorism organized by Assam State

by Assembly, a release said. Committee of Jaimat Ulema at ITA Pragjyotika Machkhowa, Guwahati on November 13. (UB Photos)

No bifurcation of Meghalaya: CM SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): The Meghalaya government has no intention to bifurcate the state, Chief Minister Donkupar Roy said on Thursday.

Replying to a zero hour notice in the assembly, Roy said, “The government’s stand is clear that it has no intention to bifurcate the state.”

Congress MLA P Syiem sought a clarification from the government over a memorandum submitted by president of Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP), H S Lyngdoh, to the President of India stating the demand of the party to bifurcate the state - a Garo state and a Khasi-Jaintia state.

Lyngdoh’s party is a partner in the government and he himself is Deputy Chief Minister holding the crucial

REGIONAL

Friday

violence and promote peace, it further stated. There will be drawing/ painting competition for primary, middle and high school students in the afternoon which is being hosted

by Bharti Airtel. The Bharti Airtel is also extending cooperation to the authorities of Snehalaya in the city to organise similar programmes for their inmates.

In addition, Airtel is organising several children’s day programme in the city involving the children of their employees and customers which will register the company’s solidarity with the victims of recent serial blasts, encourage the children to appreciate the need for peace in our society and help the citizens get over the trauma of the recent calamity to rededicate themselves in the task of nation building.

Airtel is organising similar programmes involving the children in all the states of North East. During these daylong programmes, children from underprivileged sections of the community, school students, children of Airtel customers and employees will participate in drawing/ painting and other educational programmes organised by the Company.

It may be mentioned here that children’s welfare is not just a one day affair in Bharti Airtel. Bharti Foundation, the CSR wing of the Bharti Enterprises, which runs the Satya Bharti Schools in rural areas in different parts of the country continuously, explores new ways of strengthening primary education at the grass root level. It seeks to bring its knowledge and best practices in teaching to village-based schools. Its

Man from Shillong eyes record SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): India could eye a hattrick in the Guinness Book of World Records with a man from Meghalaya vying for a place in the record books with the maximum number of fingers and toes.

If Tammiki Passah of Jowai in Meghalaya’s Jaintia Hills district, blessed with 12 toes and 13 fingers, does make it to the book, he will be in the company of two other Indians who now share the honour.

Tammiki told PTI that he had contacted the Guinness Book authorities and the process was on. He said that the word ‘Tammiki’ in Pnar dialect means to surpass everybody. When he was just nine years old, Tammiki suffered from typhoid which left him with a deformity as he could barely see with his eyes, his family members said.

Thirty-year-old Tam, as he is popularly known, also has another challenge in that he is overweight and walks at a very slow pace. But these handicaps did not stop Tam from living like a ‘man’. He said he discontinued his schooling when he was in Class III and since then started earning his livelihood by carrying his basket all over the town to sell chow. To eke a living, he also tried his hand at icecream, but even that did not give him what he wanted.

Suspected HUJI cadre arrested SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): A suspected HuJI cadre was arrested from Jaintia Hills district in Meghalaya, police said here on Thursday. Acting on a tip-off from student organisations, police arrested Salim Ahmed, a resident of Bangladesh, from Lad Rymbai area on wednesday. A .99 pistol was recovered from his possession. Ahmed was working as a labourer in a coal mine.

Jaintia Hills Superintendent of Police MK Singh told PTI that Ahmed was being throughly interrogated.

AR apprehends one UNLF cadre DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): Troops of 20 Assam Rifles of 26 Sector under HQ IGAR (South), Bongyang, during checking of a Maruti car Regd No MN 01 W 0691 apprehended one UNLF cadre on 11 November. During interrogation, the cadre identified as Anthim Tholbi Singh, 28 yrs, s/o A Molledo Singh, r/o Ward No 7 Moreh revealed that he was involved in extortion, smuggling of arms and ammunitions. The AR in a press statement stated that the cadre has been handed over to Kakching Police Station on November 11.

6 more suspects arrested GUWAHATI, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Six more persons, including a Bhutanese national, have been apprehended by police in connection with the October 30 serial blasts in Assam which claimed 84 lives.

The police have so far arrested 23 people for their alleged involvement in the blasts, suspected to have been carried out by ULFA and NDFB in association with Bangladesh- based fundamentalist organisations.

Bhutanese national Tenzing G Zangpo and selfstyled home secretary of National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) Sabin Boro were picked from a rented house in Guwahati on Wednesday and arrested after interrogation.

The two were remanded in 10 days of police custody by the Kamrup additional chief judicial magistrate.

The police also entered a NDFB designated camp in Baksa district and arrested two cadres R Serja and B Pwthai on Wednesday. They are being brought here today for further interrogation.

Police had gheraoed the designated camp since Monday night but could enter the camp only yesterday. The two NDFB cadres were arrested on the basis of a list of suspects sent by the special investigating team set up to probe the blasts.

A suspected ULFA cadre was nabbed from Jalukbari area last night in connection with the blasts and two M-20 pistols were recovered from him, police said.

Another person, identified as Ganesh Basumatary, was taken into custody on the basis of statements by some of the arrested persons, police said.

School Improvement Programme complements the Foundation’s big initiative towards setting up 1,000 primary schools for underprivileged children in the country.

Bharti Foundation’s scholarship scheme for the meritorious but economically handicapped children was introduced in Assam in 2006 and presently, this scheme is under various stages of implementation in different states of the North East.

Sudipto Chowdhury, Chief Operating Officer, Bharti Airtel NESA said, “The main theme of our Children’s Day programme in the North East is Peace for a better tomorrow.

We want all of us to realise that progress and prosperity can come only when there is peace. So it is necessary for all of us to join hands in this effort Children participating in an art competition at the 6th Dibrugarh Book Fair at Chowkidto promote peace in our society.” inghee, Didrugarh on November 13. (UB Photos)

6

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2008 VOL. III ISSUE 316

Delhi’s Late Call

I

n a bid to spruce up intelligence network and achieve synergy in sharing intelligence inputs, particularly in the wake of the recent serial blasts in Tripura and Assam, the Centre has decided to set up an Intelligence Coordination Group for the north-eastern region. The objective behind such a move is aimed to communicate better in the sharing of vital information among the eight north-eastern States. While such a proposal came up for detailed discussion at a high-level meeting presided over by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, the point that must be noted here is the failure to address the issue for many years now despite knowing about the problem and its ramification. The failure to act at the right time has meant that New Delhi ends up in a fire fighting mode.

At least it did not come as surprise for this newspaper when it forewarned about the emerging concern for the northeast—the ease with which terror groups and anti-social elements were able to find a haven for their activities. It has also become a major trade route for illegal arms and explosives and the northeast continues to be used as a safe corridor for inimical forces and therefore posing a major security challenge not only for the country but more so for the States in the region. Such concerns had been raised several times in these columns. Even the Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio during an earlier conference on Internal Security held at New Delhi in September 2006, had raised concerns over the influx of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Obviously the security bosses in Delhi for whatever reasons could not take note of such prior cautioning.

Hopefully, though late in the day, the Centre will now give more attention to the infiltration of illegal immigrants into the Northeastern region. But to tackle the security related problems in the region, New Delhi must also step in to help resolve the border disputes in the region. Of concern for Nagaland and Assam is intelligence reports pointing to certain ‘third party’, comprising mostly illegal migrants, which is keeping the dispute hot among the people of both the States. This is a serious matter and hopefully both the Government of Nagaland and Assam will look into this aspect while attempting to address the border problem. The Ao Students Conference (AKM) had even alerted the State Director General of Police on the threat posed by illegal migrants. Now that New Delhi has at least woken up to the problem at hand, the next step will be to act on the information based on an objective security assessment and not with an eye on vote bank politics.

This holds true not only for the Centre but the States in the region will also have to step up its security apparatus in tune with the challenge posed by the modern terror networks.

LEFT WING |

John Lee

Why China wants to Win

S

ending a man to the moon was once old news, but not anymore. A space race is occurring between Asia’s giants - China, India, Japan and even South Korea - and China desperately wants to win. For the Chinese, it is not just about boasting rights. Being the first in Asia to send a man to the moon goes to the heart of Beijing’s search for power and security.

It has been almost 40 years since Neil Armstrong led the Apollo 11 mission. Yet China and India - both countries with around 700 million people living on $2 a day or less - recently announced that they aim to have a man on the moon by 2020. Japan, which halted much of its space-exploration activities in the 1990s, has revived its ambitions and now talks about a moon mission with the same deadline.

South Korea also recently threw its hat in the ring, with the same timeframe.

All this seems bizarre. After all, the cost of successful manned missions to the moon will be upwards of $100 million, with little economic payback. But Asia’s giants have caught on that power comes in many forms. It is not just about capability. Chinese leaders have revealed that they are desperate to win this race. Why does the prestige that comes from being the first Asian country to send a man to the moon matter so much?

First, there is national pride, which can serve as a unifying force. Staying unified and “big” is a fundamental goal of China’s authoritarian regime. Being the first Asian country to send a man to the moon would be an enormous achievement; it would also enhance the reputation of the Communist Party in the eyes of the Chinese people.

Second, prestige enhances a nation’s “soft power,” which rests on the ability to influence and shape the preferences of others and is the pulling power of a country’s culture, ideals and achievements. China’s promotion of its 5,000-year-old culture is one illustration of soft power at play. The Beijing Olympics is another. Being the first in Asia to land a man on the moon would add to that. Third, the prestige that comes with success commands respect. Rising powers rarely feel secure unless they are accepted by other great powers. This is embedded in the consciousness of modern China, where memories of the country’s historic fall from power in the 19th century remain profound.

Up to the 15th century, Chinese technological know-how was the most advanced in the world. China had the largest economy in the world for 1,800 of the past 2,000 years. As recently as 1820, it produced one-third of global output, and it remained the world’s largest economy until 1885. Yet, since the 1840s, China has suffered what it sees as a series of humiliations at the hands of foreign powers: from the British, Japanese and Russians, as well as the Americans, who continue to protect Taiwan.

According to the prevalent Chinese interpretation of its history, foreign powers have stood ready to carve up China since the mid-1800s. They did so, not only because of expansionist greed, but because they had little respect for the greatness of its civilization. For many Chinese, the country’s achievements over the 5,000 years gave it a mandate to dominate Asia based on its economic, cultural and technological authority. This authority was trampled upon by outside powers, and lost from the mid-19th century onwards. Even 30 years after Deng Xiaoping decided to enter the global system, China thinks of itself an outsider. President Hu Jintao recently asserted that “hostile foreign forces have not abandoned their conspiracy and tactics to Westernize China and to divide the country.”

Growing its economic and military might - like firing missiles capable of taking down a satellite - is about demonstrating the country’s capability. But establishing more than 260 Confucian Institutes in over 75 countries to teach the Chinese language and the Chinese interpretation of history and putting a man on the moon are about something else.

Despite talk about China’s economic miracle and its great re-emergence, China remains an insecure power governed by an insecure regime. The Chinese Communist Party is seeking to convince the Chinese people that it is uniquely placed to return their country to greatness. Looking to the heavens and beating the rest of Asia by putting one of its own up there first is a key to China’s search for security.

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Gene Stoltzfus

SETTING THE TONE: Communication in Conflict

T

he tone we set in peacemaking is everything.

Without an approach of curiosity, candour, and honesty we can be assured that progress will stop. In a peacemaking conversation there is always more to communicate than the content of the contentious issue. The tiny symbols of timing, dress, place and body language all make a difference and may open or close doors. Appropriate gift giving may be a critical part of this language in some cultures. This is true in the global tangle of conflicts but it is also true at the community and institutional levels.

Listening takes into account deeper nuanced messages that are closer to the heart. This path of interested, curious, listening comes about when we trust the preconscious and semi conscious levels of our lives. We can assume other peoples have found their own ways to be at home with those inner messages. Peacemaking, sometimes called diplomacy, is possible when there is a road. Roads are built between us by adventures of nonverbal and verbal communication over a longer period of time. Nations do this on a grand scale, the rest of us do it one on one.

During a trip to Iraq I joined a CPT team member in a visit to a family in a hard to find neighbourhood on the outskirts of Baghdad. The family had contacted our team some weeks earlier because one of their sons had disappeared early in the occupation, and they were desperate to find him. The taxi driver who took us was hesitant because he was not familiar with the community. Nevertheless, we set out on our search.

After an hour’s drive we reached the neighbourhood where we repeatedly asked for more specific directions.

People were cautious. After many turns on deteriorating side roads we finally reached the street where local people pointed us to the house. The family invited us in and recalled their request for help and inquired about our work. The discussion seemed stalled for a time as tea was served. Suddenly the man of the house announced that the son had been released three weeks earlier. We were relieved but there seemed to be a continuing pall over the room as more tea arrived. Then we asked if the son was available so that he could tell us his story. They said someone would go find him. We waited.

Suddenly the former detainee burst into the room.

He began shouting at us. In his shouts he appealed to a situation in Egypt where people like him are mistreated and the Americans support the government. His voice was loud and animated. We listened in confused silence.

After a time we asked if he could tell us about his recent detention and what transpired. He replied with another diatribe on how awful things were, then paced back and forth in the room as his elders tried to quiet him down.

A third time he lashed out at us whereupon his parents prevailed upon a relative to take him from the room.

They told us that he had been inclined to these kinds of emotional responses since his release. He was not like that before, they said.

After a few more polite exchanges we left and then began the task of decoding the contrasting tones of our exchange. Had the former detainee been severely mistreated or even shamed and was his behaviour, as suggested by the parents, the result of traumatic interrogation?

Or was he communicating a rising anger and bitterness of one Baghdad community in the early stages of occupation? In dozens of meetings with Middle East families I had only once encountered an outburst like this. In Middle East society this kind of behaviour is rare in early get acquainted meetings. However expressions of anger may occur later as a part of a larger process of negotiations.

On reflection later I believe that the son’s behaviour probably reflected all of the above and more. The fact

South Koreans use binoculars to look at the North side from Imjingak, an area near the border along the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas since the Korean War, north of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, November 12. North Korea said Wednesday it will ban land crossings at its border with South Korea starting next month because of what it calls the South’s confrontational stance _ a move that could doom a joint Korean industrial complex in the North. (AP Photo)

that the family presented the son to us after a time of ambivalence suggests that they thought it would be safe for them if we met the son despite the unsettling nature of what was to come. The son’s message included revenge, fear, and hatred. My mistaken inclination at the time was to simply see his diatribes as the expression of anger over detainment. I was wrong. Although he may have carried conscious and subconscious pain, that pain had a real source in the unfolding events and deserved an interpretation by me that reached beyond the psychological. I failed to read the loud tones, and preferred to confine my interpretation of events to polite Middle Eastern coffee and tea hospitality. Had I listened more deeply I could have anticipated the enormous outbreak of violence and revenge in communities like his in the coming two years.

In real listening we don’t necessarily learn so much that is new. Actually we simply recognize much of what we already know. The catch is that we all have highlydeveloped systems of sorting, judging and eliminating information that either doesn’t fit or makes us uncomfortable. We train ourselves to do that. By listening more deeply to outbursts, to body language and the choice of words we get hints that can move peacemaking along because we know where to get started with warnings, activism and interpretation. In real listening my impatience, prejudice, and need to analyse is overcome. I let the messenger’s total communication affect me.

In my experience I know when I have listened because my energy becomes more animated with a sense of

connection to the person and the larger context. Compassion and concern are awakened. I am allowed at least for a moment to hear not just words but the intent of the person and this gives me a sense of connection to the person and also to the universal. I know that the analytical has its place and will come later. In the moment of connection my whole body including all five senses are listening.

Over the years I have had many opportunities to introduce learning tour participants and leaders to difficult situations where justice was broken and people were angry. I joined my colleagues from the West often with our trusty notebooks where I would jot down words and names that were spoken, copiously attempting to keep a perfect record only to discover later that my notes failed miserably to capture the power of the exchange that I remembered. Only rarely did our local colleagues have notebooks but often I found their memory of the encounter more reliable. Eventually I learned that my notebook was a filter that I mistakenly hoped could catch the truth.

We live in a time when the fabric of the community of nations could be thoroughly tested. We are tempted to rush in with analyses that lead to solutions of threat and force especially when we have power. When we do that we may get lucky for a time. But our luck will inevitably run out and no amount of power or threat will force the peace. We can set a different tone by listening deeply from the heart. The time has come to bring compassionate listening to fragile relationships from the community level to the palaces of the world.

People without a Country: The Flouting of Bans The Nagas and Nagalim D

T

he Nagas live in Nagalim which literally means “land of the Nagas”. It is mostly a mountainous region with some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The area’s natural beauty is reflected in their cultural folklore and traditions. There are no officially recognised borders in Nagalim because the Nagas have never had a state of their own. Nagalim is strategically located in between South Asia and South East Asian region. Nagas live in the Indian states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Burmese state of Kachin and Sagaing sub-division. The population of 4 millions or more are spread out in several thousands villages over 120, 000 sq km land area which is a little larger than the size of South Korea.

The rise of ethnic consciousness and the political demands of many minority or ethnic groups for self-determination have run against the perceived interests of the existing states.

History indicates that ethno-nationalism demonstrates politicisation of an identity coincides with the formation of the modern nation state system. Further, the end of Cold War and the process of globalisation unleashed new forces in people groups like the Nagas who were the victim of colonialism. In fact, Nagas are a people without their sovereign power over the territory in which they live.

Ethnic problems like the Nagas’ are not only an internal but also an international problem in several senses. They are divided across international borders (without their consent by the colonial powers) like many other communities of the world: Kashmiri, Punjabis, Palestinians, Baluch, and the Kurds etc. Specifically ‘Nagas’ aspirations and nationalism appear to be strengthening slowly and are likely to affect the future development of other neighbouring states in significant ways. The aspirations of a people in one country thus will directly affect the aspirations and actions of the minority within or across the border. Any pretension to ethnic unification of one of these peoples therefore, does not imply separation of territory from one country but also require a massive redrawing of the national and international boundaries. As a result of this challenge, regional states may cooperate to ensure that cross-boundary

ethnic groups are unable to exercise any resurgent nationalism or separatism.

There are certain drawbacks in the process of the Nagas’ fight for self-determination. Nagas struggle for independence reached its zenith during A.Z Phizo. Unfortunately, the 16- Points Agreement with the government of India and creation of the present Nagaland state had shattered the dream of the Nagas. In fact, this has created antagonism amongst the Nagas. Had they not signed the Agreement, Nagas status could have been in different level by now. Since then, many promising Naga leaders were hypnotised by the Indian political system. The Nagas’ political struggle is not in accord with the theories of national liberation movements. The Naga national movements have lacked peoples’ solidarity and have been dominated by tribal and parochial values. Gradually the fragmented traditionalistic political culture and tribalism has constituted the core of the Nagas forces. As a result the internecine factional clash continues unabated. In this context, the slogan ‘Nagaland for Christ’ does not seem to be justified.

For decades Nagas have suffered brutally and faced systematic assaults from the hands of Indian and Burmese military forces. Nevertheless, the Naga issue continues to stand with its own uniqueness. The Indo-Naga peace process which came into effect in 1997 has not yielded much rather it has been delayed. The delaying tactics played by government of India in the peace process is only to suppress and invalidate the political movement. Therefore, Nagas need to re-think and work out different strategies for solving the problems. It is essential for the Nagas to establish more diplomatic relations with other countries and mobilise to gain international attention.

However unless Nagas are united, the struggle for self-determination will not yield even an iota.

The sacrifice made by our forefathers and the dreams that they had for the Nagas will remain only as a hypothesis. Once again let us reason and re-think together. Are the Nagas deserved to be call as ‘People without a Country’?

Kuknalim!

Lungthui Yang Riamei Research Scholar Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi Email: loongryamei@gmail.com

oes ban of any kind really work? All indications point to the fact that people tend to treat bans with scant regard. Bans are imposed to tackle activities which are regarded as illegal or harmful.

Laws are enacted to enforce bans. However, these laws are not implemented strictly and people start flouting bans with impunity.

Now-a-days there is a ban on the use of plastic carry bags which are an environmental nuisance. These carry bags are handy and cheap. It is a common sight to see shoppers returning home with carry bags dangling from both hands. As they are non-biodegradable, they lie strewn around causing damage to the environment. Wherever one looks, one can see piles of carry bags littering the landscape. The sale of tobacco products like ghutka, pan masala etc. is banned in some places especially near educational institutions. Yet they are readily available to those who take these harmful substances. The shopkeepers sell them clandestinely asking for exorbitant prices. They fatten themselves while fleecing the customers.

Another classic case is the ban on the sale of liquor. Though Nagaland has been a dry state for a long time, alcoholism continues to be the bane of a large section of Naga youth. Bootlegging has become a cottage industry in some parts of the state. The sale of illicit liquor goes on unchecked. The police turn a blind eye while the bootleggers have a field day. It must be conceded that prohibition has failed to achieve the desired results. Those who succumb to the lure of liquor end up paying astronomical prices for a bottle of their favourite beverage. Consumption of illicit liquor can be a health hazard as it may be adulterated with harmful chemicals. Deaths caused by the consumption of spurious liquor are not uncommon.

A law has come into force recently banning smoking in public places. However, smokers have scant regard for this law. There are many who still cannot resist the urge to light up in a public place. It is not uncommon to find people puffing away blissfully in a hospital ward filled with patients or inside a vehicle packed with passengers. The awareness regarding the dangers of passive smoking is abysmally low. When challenged, some chuck away the cancer sticks reluctantly while others ignore the protests arrogantly. We are in the midst of a festive season. Durga Puja and Diwali are behind us and Christmas is in the offing. It is a common practice among worshippers and revellers to celebrate these festivals by bursting crackers and lighting fireworks. Though there is a ban on the sale of crackers, business flourishes on the black market. Blinding flashes of light and deafening noises make a mockery of this ban.

Bans are put in place with good intentions, but they hardly yield the desired results. There are a number of reasons why bans fizzle out. The chief among them is lax implementation and lack of vigil on the part of law enforcement agencies.

They receive kickbacks for conniving with those who do roaring business by selling banned substances. Secondly, it is a question of demand and supply. As long as there is a persistent demand, it will be difficult to cut off the supply. Unscrupulous businessmen will be more than willing to stick their necks out as long as they can rake in the moolah. Thirdly, there is an appalling lack of awareness regarding the harmful effects of these substances. The best way to make bans effective is to create awareness among the public regarding these issues. When people come to realise that addiction of any kind is detrimental to health and they begin to exercise self-control, bans will be effective. While enforcing bans stringently, a concerted effort must be made to launch awareness campaigns so that common people will observe these bans willingly and enthusiastically.

Ranjan Roy Mokokchung

Letters to the Editor should be sent to: The Morung Express, House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur - 797112, Or –email: editor@morungexpress.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.

7

FRIDAY

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

14 NOVEMBER 2008

PERSPECTIVE NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

LIVING ON THE OUTSIDE: The impact of diabetes-related stigma

Amit Dwivedi

"

Who will marry my daughter who has diabetes?" asks Ram Anuj, a native of Ganga Jamuni village, Bahraich district in India. Ram Anuj's 14 years old daughter Munni (name changed) has type 1 diabetes and needs daily insulin injections.

The family members stopped sending Munni to school when other children made fun of Munni when she took her insulin. In a village-setting, giving insulin injections to Munni, is a public knowledge. Munni often gets scorned for being a burden on the family. Munni's family doesn't have enough money to take adequate care of her and provide the treatment she needs.

Stigma-related to diabetes, is particularly more pronounced for girls. Stigma in response to illness is not a new issue in some parts of the world. Stigma has long been associated with mental illness, physical disability, leprosy, cancer and tuberculosis. However, diabetes-related stigma is particularly severe as diabetes is a life-threatening chronic condition. Stigma is particularly complex as it operates at many different levels and has both social and psychological aspects.

Diabetes-related stigma at the workplace or in the community and self-stigma has adverse impact on the mental health and feeling of wellness of people with diabetes.

Primary definitions of stigma usually refer to Irving Goffman (1963) whose text provides seminal critique: "Stigma can be seen as an attribute that discredits the individual, denying full social acceptance, and where notions of social inclusion and exclusion are firmly brought to the fore."

There are many factors surrounding stigma including denial, shame, blame, fear, rejection and discrimination. For any child or adolescent living with diabetes, learning to cope with it is often a daunting task.

Dealing with a chronic illness such as diabetes may cause emotional and behavioral challenges, at times, leading to depression.

The need for high-quality counseling sessions, for the people with diabetes and their family members, is paramount at the diabetes care and treatment centres, which may eventually help combat stigma. It may also help them to adjust to the lifestyle changes needed to stay healthy.

"Counseling and emphasizing that diabetes is not a disease but a metabolic condition and every person with diabetes should be referred to as a 'person with diabetes' and not a 'diabetic patient' will go a long way in reducing the diabetesrelated stigma" stresses Dr Sharad Pendsey, a noted expert on diabetes, who runs a charitable trust - Diabetes Research Education And Management Trust (DREAM Trust, www. dreamtrust.org) in New Delhi. This trust provides free insulin, syringes, blood glucose monitoring strips and complete healthcare to the poor children with Type-1 diabetes. "Our centre has an education wing where diabetes educators regularly conduct educational classes, one to one counseling with patient and the family members.

We have counselors at our centre and we have noticed a remarkable change in reducing diabetes related stigma" shares Dr Pendsey.

In addition, lack of skilled healthcare staff, apart from the treating diabetes physician, exacerbates the situation. There are not enough nurse edu-

Care for children and adolescents living with diabetes

"

Diabetes is a deadly disease, and each year, almost 4 million people die from diabetes-related causes.

Children, particularly in countries where there is limited access to diabetes care and supplies, die young", according to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) which is an umbrella organization of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries. IDF leads World Diabetes Day (www. worlddiabetesday.org) which falls on 14th November. The campaign is focusing its efforts on raising awareness of diabetes in children and adolescents.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases to affect children. Every day more than 200 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, requiring them to take multiple daily insulin shots and monitor the glucose levels in their blood. It is increasing at a rate of 3% each year among children and rising even faster in pre-school children at a rate of 5% per year. Currently, over 500,000 children under the age of 15 live with diabetes, according to IDF. Since diabetes often requires life-long monitoring, care and treatment, is hospital-based approach better than home-based care approaches or a mix of these two approaches for effectively responding to care needs of those

with diabetes?

Dr Sonia Kakar, a New Delhi based doctor, said: "hospital-based approach should be for the management of acute and/or chronic complications arising out of diabetes. But as 99% of diabetes care is self-care, empowering people with right information can make home-based care approach more feasible and economical."

She also felt that, "adolescents often have the motor and cognitive skills to perform all diabetesrelated tasks and determine insulin doses based on blood glucose levels and food intake. Thus, they must be supervised in their diabetes tasks and allowed gradual independence with the understanding that the independence will be continued only if they adhere to the diabetes regimen and succeed in maintaining reasonable metabolic control."

"During mid-adolescence, the family and healthcare team should stress upon the teenagers the importance of checking blood glucose levels prior to driving a car to avoid hypoglycemia while driving" stressed Dr Kakar.

Managing diabetes in children and adolescents becomes more effective when the entire family gets involved. Families should be encouraged to share their concerns with physicians, diabetes educators, dieticians, and other healthcare providers to get help in the

day-to-day management of diabetes. Extended family members, teachers, school nurses, counsellors, coaches, day-care providers, and other resources in the community can provide information, support, and guidance regarding skills to cope with the disease.

They may also act as resource persons for health education, financial services, social services, mental health counselling, transportation, and home visits.

"Diabetes is stressful for both the child as well as his/ her family.

Parents should be alert for signs of depression, eating disorders or an unexplained loss of weight and seek appropriate medical help.

While all parents should talk to their children about avoiding tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs, this is particularly important for parents of children with diabetes.

Smoking and diabetes both increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases and those people with diabetes who are smokers are at an increased risk of heart/ circulatory problems. Hence parents/ family members of children/ adolescents living with diabetes should refrain from tobacco use in order to avoid sending wrong signals to their wards" recommends Dr Anoop Misra, Director and Head, Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, Fortis Hospitals New Delhi and Noida.

Depending on their age and

level of maturity, children living with diabetes should be encouraged to take care of themselves.

Most school-age children can recognize symptoms of hypoglycemia and if they are over 12 years old they may be able to take insulin injections of correct dosage by themselves. They can also be involved in planning their diet chart.

Treatment of diabetes in adolescents is complex and should only be handled by experienced physicians. Also, such patients should be looked after by a team consisting of diabetologist, nutritionist, diabetes educator, and psychologist.

Educating people with diabetes about diet, exercise and drugs is the most important part of the initial management of the disease and should be accomplished in several sessions. Insulin management should be discussed and demonstrated to children and parents, so that they can take insulin injections themselves. Parents, along with their children, should be made aware about healthy eating habits, physical exercise, and dosage management of drugs/ insulin.

IDF is bringing together key opinion leaders to push for action to secure care for the thousands of children with diabetes in developing countries without access to care at a meeting in London on October 25. The meeting, Access

cators, diabetes counselors, nutritionists, podiatrists (foot experts) and other health educators to help raise awareness and understanding of unique care and treatment needs of people with diabetes in society. This not only fuels the diabetes-related stigma but also reduces the quality of healthcare for people with diabetes. The treating physician is usually single-handedly dealing with all the different responsibilities of being a counselor, educator, doctor, nutritionist, podiatrist, to name a few. "The patients' inability/ unwillingness to pay for this additional support also hinders

the treatment" says Dr Surendra Khanna, a Physician at Diabetes Centre in Kanpur .

According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF, www. idf.org), over 250 million people live with diabetes around the world. In addition, more than 200 children are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every day, requiring them to take multiple daily insulin shots and monitor the glucose levels in their blood.

Currently, over 500,000 children under the age of 15 live with diabetes. With such an enormous number of people with diabetes requiring attention, it is clearly

vital to make the treatment, care and support services for people with diabetes made available in public sector hospitals without any further delay.

"Diabetes-related stigma can block access to existing diabetescare services. If people with diabetes are felt to not be well anymore, then many mainstream systems do not want to spend their scarce resources on them, when they are fighting to have enough antibiotics and IV fluids to combat infections and diarrhoea, still the leading causes of death in children in the developing world. There are not enough

specialists in many regions who are knowledgeable of diabetes to take care of all the children," said Mr Phil Riley, Campaign Director, World Diabetes Day Campaign (www.worlddiabetesday. org).

On this year's World Diabetes Day (14 November), let's hope that governments and other stakeholders will commit themselves to invest resources in mobilizing communities in a radical scale-up of awareness programmes, health education initiatives and treatment literacy efforts directed towards not only those living with diabetes but also

History Lessons Ram Puniyani Source: Tehelka

The way the minority communities have been demonised today reminds one of Hiltler's Germany

T

he last six months have been the most disturbing in the Indian political scene. The values of integration have come under severe attack from communal forces. First, we saw the series of bomb blasts in Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Malegaon. The authorities blamed the Jehadi Muslim groups for these acts of terror. They said the police have succeeded in cracking the network. One outcome of this was the Batla house encounter in which valiant Delhi police officers killed the alleged terrorists. It put out a version that the terror ring has been busted and kingpins have been arrested. It is another matter that later, the police were not comfortable answering relevant questions raised. Satisfactory answers to these were not forthcoming. The theory that the Malegaon blast was carried out

by SIMI was proven wrong as the investigations revealed ABVP/Bajrang Dal links.

Meanwhile, two Bajrang dal activists were killed while making bombs in Kanpur, two activists of Hindu Jagran Samiti were found to be behind the explosion in Thane which injured seven people. Again in Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu, after the bombs went off near a RSS office the usual theories and allegations followed but most of those planting the bombs turned out to be Hindus. No prizes for guessing their affiliations.

The anti Christian violence was orchestrated in Orissa to begin with, later on spilling to Karnataka. The pretext, first, was that Christians had beaten up Swami Laxmananand in.

Later, Christians apparently killed the swami too. Interestingly, a Maoist group claimed to have killed him but the RSS and its affiliates stuck to its stand as if it was their right to decide who the real culprit was.

There was violence in Burhanpur, Dhulia and few other places. Muslims were attacked, the Hindus claiming that posters were torn up. It is

indeed disturbing the way things are shaping up in the country. The anti Muslim hate propaganda, which has been sustained through various myths have gradually helped form deep-rooted perceptions. Earlier, lot of planning and a bigger pretext was needed to unleash violence, now even a small one suffices. Some of the properties are well marked in advance for destruction. The loss of lives among the minorities is disproportionately large compared to their population.

The superficial reporting of acts of terror has served to stereotype the Muslim community and enhance its negative perception. The feeling of insecurity in the society has deepened with a distrust in the laws. The does not seem to affect the ruling coalition. For a Muslim it has become impossible to have faith in the government.

Christians have become the target, of late.

The rhetoric of forced conversions, allurement with foreign money seems to silently sanction attacks on the community. Violence against the community seems to flare up even at the slightest provocation.

This is a clear case that a social mindset has been created, through word of mouth and the media, whereby the minorities are demonised to the point that violence against them has become the norm. Global terrorism has contributed to this. 'All terrorists are Muslims' has been made the fodder of social thinking. One should keep in mind the fact that the demonisation of minorities is consistent with Golwalkar and RSS's theory that Muslims and Christians are a threat to Hindu nation.

There are questions now being raised about our democracy. Democracy should not only ensure that citizens are treated equally, it also stands for affirmative action for weaker sections of society. As such the litmus test of democracy is the welfare and security of minorities. Hindutva groups like the RSS, have moved from the margins of the movement for independence, to successfully manipulating the democratic space to abolish, precisely the values which gave it a space to stand. Defamed following Gandhi’s assassination by one of its ideologues, it gained an acceptable face after Jayapraksh Narayan gave it the charge of the movement, which led to emergency and later formation of Janata Party.

RSS also planted its swayamsevaks in different walks of social and political life—in education, media, police, bureaucracy. Its political wing, Jana Sangh became part of Janata party.

This ensured that large number of swayamsevaks become part of media establishment. And later during the NDA regime, they had a field day. Capping these efforts was Vanvasi Kalyan

Ashram, intensifying social engineering in Adivasi areas. With US administration coining the term 'Islamic terrorism' and spreading the propaganda that Madrassas are there for training terrorists, RSS completed its indoctrination.

It first spread hate and divided communities, encouraging 'hating the other’—the basis of communal violence. Communal violence has been facilitated by the communalised state apparatus, sections of police in particular, leading to polarisation of communities No wonder a party which managed two seats in parliament in 1984 elections has become a formidable force today, knocking off democratic values and imposing their religion-based nationalism.

Though not in power in the Centre, its machinations are polarising the society all over, creating divisions in the society, trampling the rule of law and paving the way for creeping fascism. What is happening today is a reminder of how things happened in Germany, with Hitler leading the carnage. Beginning with hate-theJews and, later, hate-the-Christian-minorities campaigns, and then, targeting the communists and trade unionists it created the stifling atmosphere of fascism. Today we seem to be helplessly watching a similar situation emerge. While RSS is behaving like a bull on a rampage, Bajrang Dal is planting bombs, its workers openly flaunting arms and distributing trishuls. The so-called UPA alliance at the helm seems to be a helpless observer, the whole machinery having come down with the communal virus.

Where do we go from here? Opposition to this fascist politics, fighting it tooth and nail cannot be postponed by a single minute. It is high time that all those believing in democractic values and welfare of all came together and put an end to the politics of hate. A popular front at social and political level is the need of the day.

The power-seeking politicians may not look beyond their personal gains but this shouldn’t stop social movements from putting pressure on them. It is not just a question of opposing a political party. The question pertains to allowing the RSS version of Hinduism taking over Kabir’s and Gandhi’s Hinduism. Do we keep watching, as mere spectators, innocent minorities being made scapegoats of fascist politics?

Do we let the democratic space be usurped by those wanting to name the nation state after a religion?

Whether India will nurture the values of freedom movement and strive for human rights for all depends on us as never before has the concept of democracy been in such a grave danger of losing its essence.

CEMETERY OF FOOLS TY Hear me if you want to I will not mind it if you don’t For I will speak my mind out I will let out my anguish I will let out my pain I will let out my fear I will let out my anger I will let out my hatred For long I have but been a mute spectator I have justified your wrong doings I have lived the life of a blind man For you and your cause Do not take me as an enemy Do not take me as a traitor For I am not And I will never be For I am a free man A son of this free land that we call our own I stand for what you stand for ‘To be free’ ‘To be left alone’ You, my brothers and sisters I know knows more than me Our forefathers and our fathers gave their all for us They have sacrificed more than they should have…

But I will say ‘in vain’ If this is what it was supposed to come to!

Do whatever you want to do This is your land These are you people But do not touch my brother Do not touch my sister Don’t you dare hurt my mother Don’t you dare make my father cry Remember when you fall Non except you people will bear you Non except you sisters will mourn for you Non except your children will bid you farewell Then why?

Why do you hurt me?

Why do you hurt your brother?

Why do you hurt your people?

Why do you let cry your very own sister?

Don’t you think this is too much!

I know that you will think of me as a fool Who has spoke without knowing the whole story And I know I might have But please do also know this I will consider you the same As long as you spill your own brother’s blood Who except a fool can think of spilling his own brother’s blood?

Can make his sister a widow?

Can make his children an orphan?

Let this be enough!

Lets this be it!

For if we continue this way If we still lives on like this We will never go far Do not let God curse our land and our people Do not put to waste the deeds of our forefathers Do not make this land a cemetery of fools!

to Essential Diabetes Medicines for Children in the Developing World will focus on ways to help keep more children alive and healthy with diabetes. Ministries of Health from various developing countries, leaders from the pharmaceutical industry, philanthropic foundations, leading supply-chain management firms, diabetes associations, as well as professional societies in paediatrics and diabetes education have been invited to the meeting.

Close to 75,000 children in low-income and lower-middle income countries are living with diabetes in desperate circumstances. These children need lifesaving insulin to survive. Even more children are in need of the monitoring equipment, test strips and education required to manage their diabetes and avoid the life-threatening complications associated with diabetes.

"We are bringing together the people and the organizations that can provide not only the interim humanitarian response to save lives but can lay the groundwork for sustainable solutions that will benefit all children with diabetes," said Dr Martin Silink, President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).

Amit Dwivedi (The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS). Email: amit@citizen-news.org)

their family members and people in the community. To reduce the diabetes-related stigma, and to create an enabling environment where people living with diabetes can live a normal healthy life, it is crucial to spread the message that often with appropriate lifestyle modifications type 2 diabetes is preventable, and that proper, affordable and accessible treatment, care and support programmes for people living with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes exist.

(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS).

Email: amit@citizen-news.org)

Birthday Greetings Dearest Helen, Bunches of wishes I’m sending Especially for you, “I have a place reserved Just for you in my heart Because in my life You'll always be a part Wherever you are What ever you do Remember there is someone Who cares for you.”

I send this greeting With it best wishes too And I hope that this day Is a happy one for you.

Happy Birthday and Many, many. many happy returns of the day.

From, Obang (Tubelite)

INKED WORDS ON CARCASS OF A ROSE Once more silence is rippled By fragments of fractured freedom, Reciprocity of hearts lie crippled Framed beneath a painted fantasy.

Nights stars are laid stepping stones Yet footprints still vanishes beneath the waves Of blood canaled from the mother’s bones.

Yet, freedom is still untouchable as the virgin bride.

For decorated epitaphs does not veil history, Extorted sacrifice do not seduce freedom.

The ladder against the other wall still is a mystery Yet the wise man still speaks of a glorious fall.

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.

Anichar Dimapur

C M Y K

8

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Friday 14 November 2008

NEWS FILE 125 crude bombs found in Kannur, Kerala

KANNUR, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Police on Thursday unearthed 125 powerful crude bombs from a vacant plot at north Poilur, about 45km from here, in this politically sensitive district. The bombs, kept in four gunny bags, were found concealed in a bush at Maliyad Kunnu under the Kolavalloor police station limits by a raiding police party led by Thalassery Dy SP Prakashan, a senior police official said. Top police officials have rushed to the spot. Police had intensified raids in the area following the death of two RSS activists in a bomb explosion at nearby Cheruvanchery on Nov 10 as the youth were suspected to have been engaged in either making or shifting the crude bombs. A day after the death of RSS men on Monday last, Police had recovered 18 crude bombs from a private plot, some 100 metres away from the site of the powerful explosion.

Chennai cops fail to stop students’ clash, suspended CHENNAI, NOVEMBER 13 (CNN-IBN): Tamil Nadu Government has initiated disciplinary action against six Chennai police officials for standing by and watching as two groups of students clashed with each other on Wednesday evening at a college in the city.

An Assistant police commissioner and an inspector have been suspended while four sub inspectors have been transferred. The officials were held responsible for being mute spectators during the violent clash between two rival groups at Dr Ambedkar Government Law College in Chennai on Wednesday evening. Three students were seriously injured in the incident. The principal of the college, too, has been suspended as he failed to take appropriate action to stop clashes between students. Police officials said that they did not act as they were waiting for the college principals’ permission. Meanwhile, Opposition AIADMK staged a walk out in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday protesting denial of permission to speak about the clash between the students.

When AIADMK deputy leader O Panneerselvam sought to raise the matter, Speaker R Avudaiappan denied permission and said it would be taken up after the Question Hour. Law Minister Durai Murugan intervened and said he had already visited the injured law students, who had been hospitalised. He also said the issue could be taken up after the Question Hour. However, AIADMK members shouted slogans against the Speaker’s decision and walked out of the House.

disturbed by rise State votes to show where ofIndia intolerance worldwide India political winds blow

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (REUTERS): India kicks off a month-long period of state elections on Friday that will test the political waters as signs grow that an economic slowdown is emerging as a major voter worry.

The elections, mostly in central and west India, come before a general election in early 2009 that will pit the ruling Congress-led coalition against the main opposition alliance led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Voters may also pass judgment on a government criticised for rising prices and for failing to prevent bomb attacks by suspected Islamists, issues that have helped the BJP win a string of state elections in the last year. For the first time, India may also see the political impact of a global credit crunch that is already pinching poor farmers and aspiring middle class voters once enjoying an economic boom.

India’s economy is reeling, with car factories on three-day weeks, soy farmers hit by drops in commodity prices or revenue outlooks by software exporters cut. “We’re looking at these elections from the threat of terrorism, and economic threats,” said Sudheendra

ing. If Congress does well, the government may use the momentum to call early elections in February. A poor showing could see the government wait until April or May, the end of its term. Whoever does best in the states may find it easier to secure alliances with regional parties before the general election, crucial when either side build a postelection coalition.

“Naturally, everyone loves a winner,” said political analyst Amulya Ganguli. “It will all help coalition building. The BJP faces a tough challenge in states where it is the incumbent -- Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Incumbents in India often do badly in elections, and when the BJP held on to Gujarat earlier this year, it was a huge morale boost. Congress hopes to reverse recent state election defeats with this incumbent factor. Congress is also strong in Delhi, with a chief minister who gained some plaudits with projects like an expanding metro as the capital prepares for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Chhattisgarh, one of IT’S ALL IN THE TIMING The elections could influ- the states most hit by Maoence the general election tim- ist rebels, could test whether

Kulkarni, a BJP election strategist. “People feel unsafe from multiple sources.” The economy may still grow at around 7.5 percent this year, but it’s a far cry from 9 pct or more in the last few years and the trend is south. Some experts predict industry, which accounts for about 20 percent of the economy, may be near recession. “These are dress rehearsals for the two major parties,” said political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan.

“The elections will be looked at as a verdict on (Prime Minister) Manmohan’s Singh’s economic policies and the effect of the slowdown.”

Four of six elections - Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and Delhi -- will be a straight battle between Congress and BJP, votes largely devoid of the strong regional parties. Kashmir, facing its biggest antiIndia protests in years, also faces a vote that will test the Indian government’s claim on the disputed region, while in Mizoram, a local regional party is fighting Congress.

GAYA, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Police seized 70 kg of ammonium nitrate, an explosive, 52 detonators and 15 pieces of gelatin sticks during a raid at a village in Bihar’s Naxalite-affected Gaya district on Thursday. Acting on specific information that explosives were kept at Bodhchak village under Wazirganj police station limits, police raided the house of Ashok Singh early this morning, Superintendent of Police R Mallar Vizi said.

Led by Wazirganj Deputy Superintendent of Police Saurabh Kumar, police seized the explosives allegedly meant for supply to the Naxalites from the house. The police also seized six drums of diesel and one motorcycle, the SP said.

India to mark entry on Moon BANGALORE, November 13 (PTI): The Indian flag is all set to mark its presence on the lunar surface for the first time on Friday as a moon probe with the tri-colour painted on it will detach from Chandrayaan-1 and descend onto the earth’s natural satellite. “The Moon Impact Probe is expected to be detached (from Chandrayaan-1) at around 10pm tomorrow,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) spokesperson S Satish said. Miniature Indian flags are painted on four sides of MIP. “It will signify the entry of India on Moon,” Satish said. “During its 20-minute descent to the moon’s surface, MIP will take pictures and transmit these back to the ground,” he said.

MIP is one of the 11 scientific instruments (payloads) onboard Chandrayaan-1, India’s first unmanned spacecraft mission to Moon launched on October 22. The spacecraft yesterday reached its final orbital home, about 100 kms over the moon surface after ISRO scientists successfully carried out the last critical orbit lowering operation. Developed

by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of Thiruvananthapuram, the primary objective of MIP is to demonstrate the technologies required for landing a probe at the desired location on the moon. The probe will help qualify some of the technologies related to future soft landing missions. This apart, scientific exploration of the moon at close distance is also intended using MIP.

Injecting drugs threaten India’s AIDS fight: UN NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (REUTERS): HIV/ AIDS infections will spread like “bushfire” in parts of India if the country fails to check a spike in the number of intravenous drug users, the United Nations AIDS agency said on Thursday.

India has the world’s third highest caseload with 2.5 million infections. It has an estimated 200,000 intravenous drug users, many of whom are in the remote northeast region which borders the opium-producing Golden Triangle of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. “If we don’t prevent new infections in new emerging populations like injecting drug users, it can go up as bushfires. We may see a major

surge in infections,” Peter Piot, the executive director of UNAIDS, said.

He also raised concerns about the spread of drugs in India. “Drug use is moving a bit everywhere, we can see it in Bihar, UP (Uttar Pradesh) and in Kashmir, it is kind of moving across the northern part of the country,” Peter Piot, head of UNAIDS told Reuters. “I was really shocked to hear what was going on.” Official figures show that more than 10 percent of intravenous drug users in India are infected with HIV, a higher prevalence than among prostitutes. The country’s overall HIV/AIDS prevalence rate is about 0.9 percent for those aged between 15 and 49.

voters punish Congress on what many Indians see as lax security policies, or punish the incumbent BJP. Aside from the economy, the BJP is campaigning on the need for a tougher government, and harsher antiterrorism measures to combat suspected Islamist bomb attacks and Maoist insurgents. In play in nearly all the states will also be the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a regional party that won power in Uttar Pradesh state with a base among “untouchables” or Dalits. Its leader, Mayawati, is seeking to make her party a national force.

A good BSP showing could eat into Congress’s traditional support from lower castes and set Mayawati up as a possible king maker after a coalition emerges from the general election. All these parties will look at how voters, from jewellery makers in Rajasthan whose wages have been halved, to airline stewardesses facing sackings, react to a quietening economy.

“These elections are not just about the loss of jobs,” said Swapan Dasgupta, a political analyst. “More than anything else, it’s about the fear of losing your job.”

UNITED NATIONS, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): India was disturbed by the rise of intolerance worldwide and troubled by the resources being made available to groups that misuse religion to “propagate their extremist agenda”, Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said here. Addressing an inter-faith meeting of the UN General Assembly, Ahamed said Wednesday that modern society should not tolerate extremism and violence.

An initiative of Saudi Arabia, the meeting is being attended by some 70 heads of state and high-level officials.

These include Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Israeli President Shimon Peres, US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Stressing that interreligious and inter-cultural dialogue was not new in India, the minister said the historical tradition of dialogue in the country had drawn upon respect for knowledge, willingness to question as well as a desire to learn. Emphasising the significance of dialogue among different culture and religions, Ahamed said it was in the absence of such dialogue and understanding that intolerance, bigotry and violence flourished.

“This is one reason why extremist ideologies, violence and terrorism have grown in a world in which we seem to be moving away from dialogue and understanding. There can be no disputing that terrorism, which is a manifestation of extremism, intolerance and violence, is the antithesis of all religions,” he said. Asserting that India was disturbed by the rise of intolerance worldwide, Ahamed said: “We are troubled by the increase in resources, financial and otherwise, that are being made available to violent and intolerant groups that misuse religion to justify and propagate their extremist agendas.” The effort to counter such tendencies diverts attention and much needed resources from development efforts in a country like India. Moreover, the destructive activities of such groups can have potentially serious consequences to social stability, peace and tranquility, he argued.

Stating that countries of the world must come together to tackle such evils, Ahamed said: “Modern societies cannot and should not tolerate extremism and violence.

Those who consciously or unconsciously abet extremism and terrorism would be well served to remember that these are monsters that may not easily go away.”

VHP announces nationwide agitation after Malegaon arrests

Huge cache of explosives seized

C M Y K

The Morung Express

Activists of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, walk past a KFC outlet with a giant replication of a crippled chicken on wheelchair to protest against KFC's alleged abusive treatment of chickens, in Calcutta, November 13. (AP Photo)

JAMMU, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): The VHP on Thursday announced a countrywide agitation against the arrest of religious leaders in Malegaon blast case, accusing the UPA of a hatching a conspiracy to implicate “nationalist organisations and Hindu seers” in false cases to appease minorities.

The outfit, however, asserted that it had no links with Dayanand Pandey, arrested on Wednesday in connection with Malegaon blast case.

“VHP and Bajrang Dal have no connections with Swami Amritanand (alias Daynand Pandey) or his activities and we respect him like any other saint who comes to this state for attending religious functions including giving discourses on different subjects,” state VHP president Ramakat Dubey told reporters. He said Swami, who was earlier known as Dayanand Pandey, often came here. “We did not find him indulging in any suspicious activity,” he said.

Accusing UPA government of hatching a conspiracy to implicate “nationalist organisation like VHP, Bajrang Dal and their affiliates”, Dubey said “even religious gurus and saints are not spared”.

UP religious leader an NDA dropout

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 13 (CNNIBN): Self styled spiritual guru Dayanand Pandey alias Swami Amritanand Dev, who was arrested on Wednesday by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in Kanpur in connection with the September 29 Malegaon bomb blast, has been taken to Mumbai for further investigation.

The ATS has got threeday transit remand for Pandey to take him to Mumbai.

Pandey, the head of a math in Jammu, is a National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, Pune dropout. Pandey was for NDA in 1989 and was in training for five-six months and then ran away. He was training at the Air Force Wing. Police also raided a temple in Faridabad on Thursday for evidence

against Pandey in the blast case. Police sources say that Pandey made frequent visits to the Chakradhar Mata temple situated in Anagpur village in Faridabad. According to people in the village, Pandey was a self-styled Shankarachraya and his last religious camp in the temple was held three months ago. ATS has also been claiming that those arrested in connection with the Malegaon blast could be connected to the Parbhani, Jalna and Nanded blasts.

Police also indicate there might be more arrests in the Malegaon blast case. So far, police say they have traced financial transactions worth Rs 20 lakh used in the Malegaon blast. Reports also claim that Pandey actively backed the Amarnath land agitation in Jammu earlier in the year.

The ATS has already arrested sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur in Surat and then Sham Lal Sahu and Shivnarayan Singh were arrested from Bhopal and Indore respectively On October 28 a member of Abhinav Bharat, Sameer Kulkarni, was arrested followed by the arrest of retired Major Ramesh Upadhyay - the first Army link in the blast case. Pune was next on the radar from where two people - Ajay Rahirkar and Rakesh Dhawade - were taken into custody while Jagdish Mhatre was arrested from Mumbai’s Dombivili.

But the biggest shock came on November 5 when for the first time ever a serving Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Prasad Purohit posted in Panchmarhi, Madhya Pradesh was arrested.

“All this is being done to appease minorities just for the sake of their votes during the parliamentary elections,” he said. “Implicating Hindus and army in false cases has become a habit of the governments,” Dubey said. Taking a

dig at the government, he said “the Centre does not dare to take such swift action against terrorists or separatist leaders in J&K and Assam”.Asking all Hindus to unite against the UPA government’s “harassment of spiritual gurus,

Hindu leaders and army”, Dubey said the VHP will stage a “democratic peaceful agitation” against oppression and victimisation. Dharnas will be held all over the country, besides an SMS campaign, he said.

NHRC team begins probe into Orissa communal violence

BHUBANESWAR, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): A seven-member team of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday started investigations into the Orissa communal violence that left 38 people dead and thousands homeless earlier this year.

The team visited several riot affected areas, met victims and senior district police and administrative officials, said superintendent of police S. Praveen Kumar. The team during its stay in the state till Nov 18 will also tour other part of the state rocked by the communal riots following the murder of a Hindu leader and four of his aides in the Kandhamal district Aug 23.

“The NHRC team toured several affected areas and met the

victims there,” Kumar said. There has been no violence in the district since over a month and peace has returned to all the areas after spate of religious stirs in August and September, the police officer said.

Kandhamal district, some 200 km from the state capital Bhubaneswar, was the worst hit. Officials say at least 38 people were killed and over 23,000 Christians were forced to flee their homes after the murder of the Hindu leaders in Jalespata Ashram. While some have returned, more than 10,000 are still living in government-run relief camps in the district. Sajan K. George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians alleges that the num- Sikh volunteers offer holy morsels prepared from wheat and butter to devotees during celebrations to ber of people killed in the violence mark the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev, at a gurudwara, or Sikh temple, in could be more than a hundred.

Jammu, November 13. (AP Photo)

Maharashtra bans film on migrants

MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 13 (REUTERS): Maharashtra has banned a film on hardships faced by migrants in Mumbai for fears it could stoke fresh attacks on immigrants in a city often swept up in violent regional rivalries.

The film “Deshdrohi” (Traitor) revolves around the often violent confrontation between immigrants and Mumbai locals who resent being overrun by job-seekers from poor northern and eastern states for whom the city holds hope for a better life. “Some of the scenes in the film are such that they can provoke a law-and-order situation, so the police had recommended a ban for 60 days,” said a police spokesman in Mumbai.

“The state has agreed with our view.” The low-budget film, a departure from the typical Bollywood fare of racy thrillers and lavish musicals, was scheduled to be released on Friday. The Mumbai police had watched a special screening last week, the spokesman said, after promotional ads sparked concerns it might incite a fresh wave of violence in the city which last month witnessed some of the worst antiimmigrant attacks. Job-seekers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were attacked by local right-wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena party, whose leader was then arrested.

Protests against the arrest flared through the state and sparked titfor-tat attacks and protests in Bi-

har, where about 100 people were injured and one boy was killed.

Local Marathis make up less than half of Mumbai’s population of more than 17 million, and rising anti-immigrant rhetoric is widely seen as a sign of the strain of lopsided economic development.

Producer and lead actor of “Deshdrohi” Kamaal Khan, who has been criticised for seeking to cash in on the controversy, had earlier complied with a directive from India’s Censor Board to cut the word “Marathi” from some parts of the film’s dialogue. Khan told CNN-IBN TV channel he would seek legal recourse. “I’ll go to court ... (and) try my best to get clearance for my movie’s release in Maharashtra.”

Bay of Bengal being used by terrorists to smuggle arms: Lanka NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): Sri Lanka on Thursday sought cooperation of BIMSTEC nations in combating terrorism in the region saying the sea lanes of Bay of Bengal were being used by terrorists to smuggle arms and drugs.

The resolution, adopted by the BIMSTEC nations, “fully reflects our concern” over growing terrorism in the region, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa said at a joint press conference with leaders of BIMSTEC countries. He said maritime surveillance was required in Bay of Bengal as its sea lanes were being used by terrorists

to transport arms and ammunition and drugs.

“We discussed it (at the meeting). All countries and societies of the region are affected by terrorism,” Rajapaksa said. Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said all BIMSTEC leaders had stressed that terrorism posed a major threat to the societies and economies and “we need to combat this threat collectively.” He said the BIMSTEC leaders would soon finalise a convention on fighting international terrorism, trans-national organised crime and illicit drug trafficking.

The Morung Express

INTERNATIONAL

Friday 14 November 2008

Dimapur

9

World leaders plead for religious tolerance Peres lauds Saudi King peace plan

Shimon Peres said there is a will to bring peace in the Middle East

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 13 (BBC): Israeli President Shimon Peres has praised the king of Saudi Arabia for his Middle East peace initiative.

At an interfaith meeting at the United Nations,

Mr Peres told King Abdullah he hoped his would be the “prevailing voice of the whole region”.

The Saudi plan, proposed in 2002, calls for Israel to withdraw from occupied land in exchange for Arab recognition.

He told the meeting of world leaders that it was time to learn the lessons of the past. When Mr Peres took to the floor, he broke off from his prepared speech to address King Abdullah directly.

“Your Majesty, the king of Saudi Arabia,” he said. “I was listening to your message. I wish that your voice will become the prevailing voice of the whole region, of all people. It’s right. It’s needed. It’s promising.

“The initiative’s por-

trayal of our region’s future provides hope to the people and inspires confidence in the nations.”

Diplomats described it as a highly symbolic moment, the BBC’s UN correspondent, Laura Trevelyan, said. The question is whether it means anything for the Middle East peace process, she adds.

Mr Peres told reporters afterwards that he believed they were a step closer to that goal, while acknowledging there were still significant obstacles to overcome. “I don’t deny there are open and difficult questions, but if there is a will - as the Arabs are saying there is a way. What was today demonstrated was the will. We know that we have to work for the way.”

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, right, shakes hands with the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, at United Nations headquarters in New York on November 12.

The king is one of the world leaders attending a two-day U.N. conference to promote a global dialogue about religions, cultures and common values. President Bush is speaking on Thursday. (AP Photo)

UNITED NATIONS, NOVEMBER 13 (AFP): World leaders pleaded Wednesday for religious tolerance at a UN conference sponsored by Saudi Arabia, but displayed their own rifts on the sensitive issue.

The meeting at UN headquarters in New York of representatives from 80 countries targeted religious and cultural divisions dubbed the "clash of civilizations."

Saudi King Abdullah -who heads the ultra-orthodox Wahhabi branch of Islam and allows no other form of public worship -- called for

"peace and harmony."

Speaker after speaker echoed these words, insisting that the world's major religions all back tolerance.

But anger over the Israeli-Arab conflict, as well as resentment at Western economic and social policies, soon surfaced. Barely discussed, but also haunting the conference, was the divide between the West and Islamic countries on whether tolerance should also extend to individual freedoms.

Some 20 heads of state or government were due to speak, including US Presi-

dent George W. Bush on Thursday. He was represented Wednesday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

In the opening speech, the president of the UN General Assembly, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, lashed out at "unbridled greed" in the West.

Jordan's King Abdullah II also criticized Western policy, saying "ignorance" had subjected Islam to "injustice."

"Millions of people, especially young people, question whether the West means what it says about equality, respect

and universal justice. Meanwhile, extremists -- Muslim, Christian and Jewish -- are thriving on the doubts and divisions," he said.

But if King Abdullah II, like other Muslim leaders, saw intolerance and stereotyping against Islam as the problem, Western representatives were mindful of the lack of personal freedom in the Islamic world.

The issue was doubly sensitive given that Saudi King Abdullah, who allows almost no religious or political dissent in his oil-rich kingdom, was sponsoring the

conference.

In Washington, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Bush believed that "the king of Saudi Arabia has recognized that they have a long way to go and that he is trying to take some steps to get there."

Representing France, former premier Alain Juppe echoed his Arab colleagues in urging "tolerance and building and consolidating peace."

But he laid a very Western emphasis on human rights, especially "recognizing unrestricted freedom of

faith in all its forms."

Juppe also touched on free speech, an especially sore point given Islamic outrage at European newspapers' printing of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that devout Muslims found offensive. "Freedom of religion cannot be achieved without freedom of speech, even if it is sometimes used to express derision," Juppe said, without mentioning the cartoon controversy.

Carina Christensen, the culture minister for Denmark, where the cartoon row first blew up in 2005, also

highlighted the importance of individual liberty.

"The setting today reminds us that principles such as freedom of expression and freedom of religion or belief should be the basis of all initiatives aimed at promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue," she said.

Human Rights Watch and others were critical of King Abdullah's prominence at the tolerance conference.

But Israeli President Shimon Peres welcomed the king's initiative as "unprecedented," saying this would have been impossible just

a decade ago. "What we are witnessing today is a new beginning," Peres said at a press conference. "What was today demonstrated was the will.

We now have to work for the way."

King Abdullah pushed for the conference as a follow-up to efforts at promoting inter-faith dialogue in the "World Conference on Dialogue" held last July in Madrid.

It was not clear whether the session will end with a UN resolution or a lowergrade declaration -- or no statement at all.

Barack Obama is asked to focus on Darfur US soldier, 18 civilians die in Afghan suicide attack

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 13 (CNN): Human rights groups are asking President-elect Barack Obama to pay early attention to the crisis in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, where government forces have waged a bloody war against militias that some international critics have characterized as genocide.

"We've seen the military surge in Iraq. We've seen the development surge that NATO's announced for Afghanistan," said Darfur activist John Prendergast.

"What's really needed in Sudan and the broader Horn and East Africa region is a peace surge."

Prendergast's ENOUGH organization to combat genocide is a project of the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank run

by Obama's transition cochairman, John Podesta.

Prendergast and other Darfur activists penned a recent letter to Obama, asking him to designate a team to focus solely on the Darfur issue within the first 100 days of his administration.

"It's about putting a few people, a team of people, on the case with the objective to end the crisis in Sudan, not simply manage the symptoms through massive amounts of humanitarian aid and peacekeeping support," he said.

Fighting in the western region of Darfur started in 2003, when rebels began an uprising and the government launched a counterinsurgency campaign.

The Sudanese authorities armed and cooperated with Arab militias that went from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents, according to the United Nations, Western governments and human rights organizations. The militias targeted civilian members of tribes from which the rebels draw strength.

In the past five years, an estimated 300,000 people have been killed through direct combat, disease or malnutrition, the United Nations said.

Another 2.7 million people have been forced to

flee their homes because of fighting among rebels, government forces and allied Janjaweed militias.

During the presidential campaign, Obama called the crisis in Darfur "a collective stain on our national and human conscience" and said he would make ending it a priority on "day one."

Obama has promised to appoint a special envoy to deal with the Darfur issue and implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended the decades-long civil war between the North and South.

That agreement could be a model for a peace process in Darfur, Prendergast said.

Although the United States does not have to lead the peace process, it could be an active partner in the global effort to develop a strategy for getting the various parties in Sudan together, he said.

"There will be much bigger issues, much bigger fish to fry in the kitchen for the new Obama administration.

No question," he said. "But part of governing is walking

and chewing gum and eating crackers and doing all this stuff at the same time. And we think the administration can make the creation of a sustained serious peace process for Darfur a top priority."

Obama could have an opening to make a difference in Darfur. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has agreed to an immediate, unconditional cease-fire with Darfur's rebels, which could pave the way for international talks.

Activists have called on the incoming Obama administration to strengthen the current arms embargo and continue to support investigations by the International Criminal Court into war crimes by al-Bashir, leading Sudanese officials and certain members of rebel groups.

More pressure, Prendergast said, should be brought to bear on countries like China, which has vast oil interests in Sudan. During the campaign, Obama said that if elected, the crisis in Darfur would be elevated to a major issue in the bilateral U.S. dialogue with China.

KABUL, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): A day after a fierce suicide bombing in southern Afghanistan, insurgents struck Thursday in the east of the country when an American military convoy was attacked in a crowded market, killing one soldier and 18 civilians, according to United States military and Afghan police officials. One of the dead was a 12year-old boy, who died when a suicide car bomber in a Toyota

Corolla approached an American military convoy and then swerved into a weekly market at around 8 a.m., according to U.S. and Afghan accounts. Dr. Ajmal Pardes, the director of public health in the area, said 74 people were injured. The l strike was in the Bati Kot district of eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Province.

An Associated Press photographer said that an American military vehicle, two civil-

ian vehicles and two rickshaws were destroyed.

U.S. Navy commander Jeff Bender, an American military spokesman in Kabul, said the civilian death count, initially put at 10, had risen to 18. On Wednesday, a tanker truck packed with explosives detonated outside the provincial council office in Kandahar, Afghanistan’s largest southern city, killing the driver and at least six other people and wounding more than 40 others.

The blast shook the entire city, caused at least five houses to fall and left a crater near the council building, which housed an office of a national security service.

“The enemies of Afghanistan and peace once again put us in mourning,” Gen. Rahmatullah Roufi, the provincial governor, told reporters. He announced a “purification” operation to arrest insurgents in and near the city.

In a separate incident reported on Thursday, two soldiers from the American-led NATO alliance were killed in an explosion in the south of the country in an explosion

on Wednesday, the alliance said, but did not specify the soldiers’ nationality.

The Defense Ministry in London later identified the two soldiers as members of Britain’s Royal Marines who were taking part in a joint patrol with Afghan soldiers in the Garmsir district of Southern Helmand Province.

The American contingent is the largest foreign force in Afghanistan but Britain has about 8,000 troops there. A survey broadcast Thursday by the BBC said more than two-thirds of those questioned believed Britain should withdraw its soldiers over the next year while less than a quarter favored their continued deployment. This year has been the bloodiest since the American-led invasion of late 2001 that toppled the Taliban regime, whose supporters have revived their campaign to drive out foreign forces.

The latest American fatalities brought to around 148 the number of American military deaths so far this year, compared to 111 in the whole of 2001, the A.P. reported.

envoy condemns Cultural practices can be harmful: UN Population Fund UN killing of Christian women

GENEVA, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): A new report finds that some cultural practices can be harmful and lead to violations of basic human rights. The "State of the World Population 2008" report, produced by the United Nations Population Fund, finds development strategies that are sensitive to cultural values can reduce harmful practices against women and promote human rights.

The report finds culture is as central to peoples' lives as are health, economics and politics. While cultural values can unite societies for good, the U.N. report says they often can lead to harm.

It says women frequently are denied basic rights in the name of culture. They often are victims of coercion, which make them powerless to resist practices that can cause great distress. In the name of tradition, the report says, many societies practice child marriage, which is a leading cause of obstetric fistula and maternal death.

Siri Tellier, U.N. Population Fund Director in Geneva, says female genital muti-

lation is a common practice in many countries. She says this tradition is considered necessary to protect the honor of the girl and the social status of her family. Tellier says the practice is often wrongfully perceived as having a religious foundation.

"And actually a number of religious leaders, particularly Muslim religious leaders in countries as diverse as the Netherlands and Somalia have issued statements against it, saying it is against Islam and saying it has important health consequences - adverse health consequences," she said. "To give an example, recently a number of communities in Uganda, together as a community, decided to abandon the practice and they were encouraged by a resolution, which was passed last year in the U.N." Tellier says human rights can have practical applications at the community level and that religious leaders can help promote human rights.

The U.N. report acknowledges that religion is central to many peoples' lives. But it notes that reli-

gion can be used to justify blatant human rights violations such as so-called "honor killings," when women who are believed to have dishonored their families are killed by a relative.

The report says cultural norms and traditions may perpetuate gender-based violence, and both women and men learn to turn a blind eye toward these practices. The United Nations says about one-half-million women die each year from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these maternal deaths occur in Africa.

The report says many of these deaths occur because of cultural reasons that promote home deliveries. It says these births often take place in unsanitary conditions, rather than in a hospital. The report notes that cultural sensitivity can lead to better reproductive health and rights. It recommends getting men involved in the design, implementation, and delivery of reproductive health programs to help overcome cultural resistance to contraception and family planning.

BAGHDAD, NOVEMBER 13 (AP): The main U.N. envoy in Iraq on Thursday condemned the killing of two Christian sisters in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Staffan de Mistura "expressed his shock and outrage at the continued targeting and killing of religious minorities" in a statement.

Iraqi police say the two women were killed Wednesday as they were waiting in front of their house for a ride to work.

Their mother was wounded in the attack.

The U.S. military has confirmed the killings and says the Christian family's house was then destroyed by bombs planted inside.

The attack came after about 13,000 Christians fled Mosul last month in the face of threats and attacks from extremists. De Mistura noted that the killings followed a report by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees that some recently displaced Christian families were starting to return as the security situation in Mosul showed signs of improvement.

He also called on Iraqi authorities at the national and local level to protect Chris-

tians and other minorities in Iraq and to ensure those behind the attacks "are swiftly brought to justice." Tensions are running high in Mosul, where U.S. and Iraqi troops have been trying since last spring to rout insurgents from Iraq's third largest city.

On Wednesday, an Iraqi soldier opened fire on a group of U.S. soldiers at an Iraqi military base in Mosul, killing two of them and wounding six others before dying in a hail of bullets, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. There were conflicting accounts about what provoked the attack, which remained under investigation. Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, said it was "premeditated" and occurred in an Iraqi military base's courtyard as the soldiers waited for their two lieutenants to finish a meeting with an Iraqi commander.

But Iraqi military officials, including Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Askari, said the shooting followed a quarrel between the Iraqi soldier and the Americans at an Iraqi base in a volatile Sunni Arab neighborhood in central Mosul.

10

Dimapur

SPORTS

Friday 14 November 2008

The Morung Express

Burnley knock Chelsea out of Carling Cup on penalties note before the game went to penalties and Jensen became Burnley’s hero. Bridge had his penalty saved by Jensen before Wade Elliott smashed his spot-kick off target when he had a chance to win the tie for the Clarets.

However, after Michael Duff had rammed home his effort from 12 yards, Jensen produced a flying save to deny Mikel and secure a famous win for Owen Coyle’s Championship side against all the odds.

FA launches Drogba probe

Burnley's players celebrate after beating Chelsea on penalties during their English League Cup soccer match at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge Stadium in London on November 12. (AP Photo)

LONDON, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Goalkeeper Brian Jensen was the Burnley hero as Chelsea crashed out of the Carling Cup on penalties at Stamford Bridge after a night of drama.

Jensen saved from captain Wayne Bridge and John Mikel Obi to put the CocaCola Championship side into the quarter-finals with a 5-4 shootout win following a 1-1 draw in extra-time.

Returning striker Didier Drogba put Chelsea in front in the 27th minute

but Burnley substitute Ade Akinbiyi equalised with 20 minutes remaining.

Both sides ended the game with 10 men after Burnley’s Steve Caldwell was sent off for a second bookable offence late on, while Franco Di Santo was forced off injured with all Chelsea’s substitutes already used. But Jensen sparked scenes of celebration when he saved Obi’s sudden-death spot-kick to put the second-tier side into the last eight.

Chelsea has taken the

lead on 27 minutes when Drogba surged past a defender into the box and curled a fine right-footed shot beyond Burnley keeper Jensen. Frank Lampard’s introduction as a 25th minute substitute for Juliano Belletti had clearly helped Chelsea to get on top of their game, with the England midfielder at the heart of all their best moves.

Branislav Ivanovic was given a rare start in the Chelsea side and the Serbian stopper almost increased the lead before half-time, but

his near-post header came back off the bar.

In the 55th minute Ivanovic put another header over the bar after Kalou and Malouda had combined to get the ball into the penalty area. Kalou was then thwarted by Jensen when Drogba put his Ivory Coast teammate through on goal.

Burnley, sensing that they were still in with a chance, replaced Martin Paterson with Akinbiyi on the hour. And Burnley stunned the home crowd with an equaliser on 69 minutes as

Tevez tug-of-war between ManU and Madrid LONDON, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): There are currently serious concerns within the walls of the Bernabeu about striker Ruud van Nistelrooy's knee problems and, as such, forward reinforcements are seen as vital to maintain their challenge for the La Liga title.

Van Nistelrooy could be sidelined for months and Tevez has emerged as Real's top choice, despite the fact he would not be eligible to play for the Spanish side in the Champions League.

Tevez's advisors know of the interest from Spain,

and are hoping it will increase pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson to pick the Argetine more often in his starting XI. The 24-year-old is currently having to play second fiddle to Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov at Old Trafford, and recently spoke of his frustration in Manchester to national team coach Diego Maradona.

Maradona said: "Tevez is worried about not being in United's first-choice team.

He's got a challenge ahead of him to win himself a place among lots of extremely

Akinbiyi pounced on the rebound after Carlo Cudicini had parried Chris Eagles’ fierce shot. Di Santo missed two gilt-edged chances to restore Chelsea’s lead as the game finally petered out into extra-time.

But Chelsea’s misery continued when an injury to Di Santo reduced them to 10 men three minutes into the first period of added time. Alex missed a golden chance for Chelsea before Clarets captain Caldwell was sent off on 116 minutes.

That was the last event of

DIDIER DROGBA could face a Football Association charge after throwing a coin back at Burnley fans. The Chelsea striker opened the scoring in Wednesday’s Carling Cup clash but was prevented from celebrating when the object was thrown on to the pitch. Drogba, who also appeared to gesture to the away fans, threw the coin back into the crowd and his actions are now being investigated by the FA. The 30-year-old has issued an apology but that may not be enough to save him from a possible misconduct charge. “This is something I want to make clear.

I tried to celebrate the goal and I received some things at me,” said Drogba, who was shown a yellow card. “The big mistake I did was to throw it back so if someone was hurt, I just want to apologise for it. This is not something I should show in a football match and I want to apologise. It was an incident in the heat of the moment and I regret it. It was just a mistake and nothing more.”

Chelsea will now await the referee’s report before commenting further but Burnley manager Owen Coyle and Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari both denied seeing the incident. Scolari said, “I have not spoken with Didier about any problem. The referee gave him a yellow card but I did not see what happened.” The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they will also be investigating the incident. The big mistake I did was to throw it back so if someone was hurt, I just want to apologise for it. Didier Drogba

Abu Dhabi offers to host Indo-Pak series KARACHI, NOVEMBER 13 (PTI): The Abu Dhabi Cricket Council has offered to host the Pakistan and India cricket series early next year if it is not held in Pakistan due to security reasons. The chief executive of ADCC, Dilawar Mani, said his organisation was always keen to host international matches especially if they involved Pakistan and India. "If Pakistan is not able to host the Indians for some reasons at home we would be willing to stage the matches free of cost," Mani told Geo News channel. He, however, didn't specify whether the ADCC would be willing to host both the Test and one-day series. Doubts have crept in over whether India would tour Pakistan next year following the last minute cancellation of the Indian junior hockey team's tour to Pakistan this week, after the Indian Ministry of External Affairs didn't give clearance for the hockey series. Mani said that Pakistan and India series could be hosted in the Emirates as besides Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah also have international standard grounds. "The Dubai sports city ground is also ready to be launched soon so we have three venues right now," he added. He pointed out that international cricket was a viable proposition in the Emirate states because of the large concentration of people from the sub-continent particularly in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah.

Holyfield to meet Valuev for WBA title GENEVA, NOVEMBER 13 (AP): Evander Holyfield, at the age of 46, will seek to win back a major heavyweight title when he fights Russian giant Nikolai Valuev for the WBA crown next month.

The fight will take place Dec. 20 in the Hallenstadion in Zurich, Switzerland, arena management announced. Holyfield has not fought since losing an unanimous decision to then-WBO champ Sultan Ibragimov a year ago. The fighter from Atlanta known as the "Real Deal" has a 49-9-2 career record and insists he wants to keep fighting until the regains the title again. He also has been suffering from financial problems. Holyfield agreed in October to give his 10-year-old son a $100,000 college fund while facing the threat of possible jail time and an auction on his home. In the summer he failed to make three straight $3,000 monthly child-support payments. Holyfield last held a major heavyweight title after winning a decision over John Ruiz for the WBA belt in 2000, subsequently losing and then drawing a bout against the same opponent in further title fights in 2001. He challenged Chris Byrd for the vacant IBF belt in 2002, losing a unanimous decision. The 7-foot, 330pound Valuev - once referred to as the 'Beast from the East' but now preferring 'The Russian Giant' - won a unanimous decision over Ruiz in August to claim the vacant WBA crown. He told the Zurich tabloid Blick on Thursday that he was excited to face Holyfield. "I'm taking this fight very seriously," said the fighter with 49-1 record and 34 knockouts. "Holyfield is a strong opponent ... Ten years ago I would not have dreamed of getting into the ring with this champion." The fight will be the biggest in Zurich since 1971, when Muhammad Ali knocked out Juergen Blin of Germany in the 7th round. Holyfield's late bid for the title is not unprecedented. George Foreman was also aged 46 when he last defended the IBF heavyweight title in 1995.

19th Senior National Sepaktakraw C'ship Man & Women

Manchester United forward Carlos Tevez has become Real Madrid's No 1 transfer target in the January window. good players, including Rooney and Berbatov.

"But I saw he was in good shape and told him that the best way of showing his ability is to win the arm-wrestle against all the other players.

"I believe in his ability and I know he features in Sir Alex Ferguson's plans."

United will not want to lose Tevez, who has scored some invaluable goals for Ferguson's men.

However, having paid £10m to the player's owners, MSI, to secure Tevez on a two-year loan, there has been little movement in the way of a permanent deal, which could cost United up to £25m.

Real, meanwhile, have a history of courting United players - Cristiano Ronaldo being the most notable - and will move swiftly if Tevez expresses a desire to join (Left) Nagaland Sepaktakraw Coach with the trophies saying “I Bernd Schuster's men.

Dr. T. Ao Trophy 2008

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The organizing committee and all sub- committees members of Dr. T. Ao Trophy 2008 (the 18th Nagaland Inter District Football Championship) will have a meeting on November 18 at 3:00 PM at Hotel Japfu, Kohima. All the concerned members have been requested to attend the said meeting positively.

WANT MORE”. (Right) Players and Coach along with Shri. Nongthombam Biren, Minister, YRS & IFC, Manipur and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of 2nd East Zone & 19th Senior National Sepaktakraw Championship.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The Nagaland Sepaktakraw team which participated in the 2nd East Zone & 19th Senior National Sepaktakraw Championship from November 3 to 9, 2008 at Imphal brought home 1

Silver medal and 5 Bronze medals. The team consisted of 27 players and 5 officials.

This is the highest haul of medals ever bagged by the Nagaland Senior Men and Women team in different events.

19th Senior National Sepaktakraw C'ship Man & Women Sl. No

Event

No of Players

Position

1

Women Team event

14

Silver

2

Women Regu Event

5

Bronze

3

Women Double Event

3

Bronze

4

Men Team Event

13

Bronze

5

Men Double Event

3

Bronze

1

Men Regu Event

2nd East Zone Sepaktakraw Championship 5

Bronze

Davydenko seals Masters semi spot

SHANGHAI, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): Nikolay Davydenko swept past Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-2 to book his place in the Masters Cup semifinals. With a win apiece in the Gold Group, there was all to play for and the pair swapped breaks in a slug-

vanced as the Group winner though he lost his final game 1-1 7-5 6-1 to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Davydenko was playing in the season-ending Masters Cup for the fourth consecutive season and he used all his experience to see off his 20-year-old op-

Nikolay Davydenko swept past Juan Martin del Potro 6-3 6-2 to book his place in the Masters Cup semi-finals. gish first set. But Davydenko soon took control, breaking Del Potro again to take the opener before a double break in the second saw him stroll to victory.

England's cricket players Stephen Harmison, left, and StuNovak Djokovic ad-

ponent. The Russian was relentless as the pair traded shots from the baseline, breaking Del Potro at 3-1 in the opening set.

The Argentine, who has risen from number 50 to

eight in the world rankings this year, relied on a slice of luck at the net cord to help him break back at 4-3.

But from then on it was one-way traffic, Davydenko unleashed another flurry of powerful forehands to break again at 5-3 as Del Potro's serve deserted him.

The Russian comfortably served out the set and raced through the second, winning five straight games, before serving out the match to love.

Del Potro was let down by his inconsistent first serve and unforced errors and will now return to Argentina for the impending Davis Cup final against Spain.

art Broad look on during a practice session in Rajkoton November 13. The first of the seven-match one-day inter- Nikolay Davydenko of Russia gestures, as he wins the match against Juan Martin Del Potro national series between India and England begins here of Argentina, in the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup, in Shanghai on November 13. Davydenko won in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. (AP Photo) Friday. (AP Photo)

C M Y K

Ent/Tabloid

11 Exult this season with I would never default on PRIME TIME ‘Bamhum Celebrates Christmas’ my work: Sushmita Sen The Morung Express

Friday

14 November 2008

06:00 - Fashion House; 07:00 Friday Night Lights; 08:00 Seinfeld; 08:30 - Friends; 09:00 - Less Than Perfect; 09:30 Samantha Who?; 10:00 - Grey’s Anatomy; 11:00 - The Moment Of Truth; 12:00 - Jimmy Kimmel; 13:00 - Ghost Whisperer; 14:00 The Ellen Degeneres Show; 15:00 - Fashion House; 16:00 - Cold Case; 17:00 - Grey’s Anatomy; 18:00 - Friday Night Lights; 19:00 Friends; 19:30 - Seinfeld; 20:00 - How I Met Your Mother; 21:00 The Moment Of Truth; 22:00 - Blood Ties; 23:00 - The Unit; 00:00 FrieNds; 00:30 - Seinfeld; 01:00 - The Simpsons; 01:30 - My Wife And Kids; 02:00 - Grey’s Anatomy; 03:00 - The Ellen Degeneres Show; 04:00 - Cold Case; 05:00 - The Unit

M

‘BAMHUM CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS’ the latest album released by Arenla M. Subong of Abiogenesis, is truly a melodious Christmas album with six Christmas hymns which are played on the Bamhum. This album is indeed special with the whole album being instrumental, cutting across barriers of different dialects of all the Naga tribes and at the same time creating a feeling of oneness through the unique tone of the bamhum. Arenla M. Subong who plays the Bamhum is also the vocalist. She is the lead Bamhum player of Abiogenesis in all the tracks while also doing all the parts. The backing music is played and arranged by Moa Subong who has edited and mastered the recordings at Soul Speak Studios in Nuton Bosti, Dimapur.

The album was released by APH Records on November 13, 2008 and is priced at Rs. 100/- per CD and available in all leading music stores in Nagaland. Enquiry for wholesale or other details at mobile no. 9436003009 or email: Abiogenesis@rediffmail.com. Minus one track (soundtracks) for all the songs in the album will be available on request for bamhum players wanting to play along with the sound tracks.

odel-turned-actress Sushmita Sen seems to be courting rumours - first, she was dealing with false reports on her marriage and now about missing a shoot for a shampoo ad.

"What do I do with false stories about me? Let them spoil my day? No way! I leave the rumour mongers to deal with their own conscience.

That's how well the media knows me," Sushmita said.

Sushmita says she no longer endorses the product whose ad shoot she's supposed to have ditched.

"I'd never default on my work. And party while work waited?...This is toooooo outrageous to be funny. I had no contractual obligation. My contract with the product ended in July. In fact, the last shoot for the product took place in July.

"The best part is I don't endorse that product any longer. My deal with them ended long back. So which Sushmita Sen were they supposed to be waiting for? But then this is small compared with marriage plans that are made for me every month."

"I couldn't allow my life to be spoilt by such absurd reports. First, they say I couldn't attend the shoot for the ad because I was partying the previous night. Then they say the people who were supposed to shoot the ad kept trying to reach me. Anyone who knows me would know I

06:00 - Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous... ; 07:00 - Teleshopping; 08:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Animals; 08:30 - Young And Wild; 09:00 - Animal Planet Personalities; 10:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Animals; 10:30 - Lords Of The Animals; 11:00 - Planet Wild; 11:30 - Up Close And Dangerous; 12:00 - Wild Africa; 13:00 - Life Of Mammals; 14:00 - Austin Stevens: Most Dangerous...; 15:00 - O’shea’s Big Adventure; 16:00 - Big Cat Diary 4; 17:00 - Animal Planet Personalities; 18:00 - The Planet’s Funniest AnImals; 18:30 - Young And Wild; 19:00 - Planet Wild; 19:30 - Up Close And Dangerous; 20:00 - Wild Africa; 21:00 - O’shea’s Big Adventure; 22:00 - Equator; 23:00 - Big Cat Diary 4; 00:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Animals; 00:30 - Young And Wild; 01:00 - Teleshopping; 02:00 - Petsburgh Usa; 03:00 - Monkey Business; 04:00 - Petsburgh Usa; 05:00 Monkey Business 05:15 - Laawaris; 07:45 - Global Tele Mall; 08:00 - Jhankaar Beats; 09:00 Apaharan; 13:00 - Jai Dakshineshwar Kali Maa; 16:30 - Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai; 20:00 - Movie; 23:45 - Bloodstone; 03:15 - Apne; 03:45 – Farz 06:00 - Telebrands; 07:00 - Wildest; 08:00 - The Beauty Of Snakes; 09:00 - Raging Planet; 10:00 - Life In Cold Blood; 11:00 - Into Alaska With Jeff Corwin; 12:00 - Rhodes Across India; 13:00 - Wild Discovery; 14:00 - Life In Cold Blood; 15:00 - Discovery On Demand; 16:00 - The Beauty Of Snakes; 17:00 - Into Alaska With Jeff Corwin; 18:00 - Futureweapons; 19:00 - Life In Cold Blood; 20:00 - Diabetes: A Global Epidemic; 21:00 - The Alaska Experiment; 22:00 - A Haunting; 23:00 - Giant Of The Skies: Building THe Airbus A380; 00:00 - Wild Africa; 01:00 - Telebrands; 02:00 - Giant Of The Skies: Building The Airbus A380; 03:00 - Futureweapons; 04:00 - A Haunting; 05:00 - Giant Of The Skies: Building The Airbus A380

never switch off my cell. And why would they try to get in touch with me? Wouldn't getting to me via my manager be much easier?

The actress is currently busy with her home production "Rani Laxmibai" in which she will play the title role.

Boris Becker’s heartbroken I’m a Jet-Lagged Mom! former fiancée speaks out

T

he former fiancée of Wimbledon legend Boris Becker says he broke her heart when he called off their romance. Sandy Meyer-Woelden, 25, says that she now only communicates with 40year-old Boris via SMS messages.

'I really fought for our love,' said Sandy, who has known Boris all her life - her late father was his trainer who took him to worldwide glory on the tennis circuit. I really believed to the end that Boris and I would make this work.

I am really saddened that this relationship, which I believed in so much, was torn up. Our engagement was no PR gag. The people who know us knew how much we cared for one another. Love and engagement – these things are holy to me, not something I would play around with.' Asked if there was any chance of a reconciliation Sandy said: 'Not between him and me there isn’t.'

Boris and Sandy announced their engagement in August after being seen at top European resorts together in the spring and early summer. Boris lost his wife Barbara - and a 12 million pound chunk of his tennis fortune in 2001 after a broom cupboard romp with a woman in London that also produced another daughter for him.

03:55 - The Lost City; 06:15 - Underdog; 08:00 - Chestnut; 09:50 - Bridge To Terabithia; 11:45 - Madagascar; 13:35 Dreamer; 15:40 - The Invincible Iron Man; 17:25 - Ice Age; 19:10 - Children Of Heaven; 21:00 - Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer; 22:55 - Chapter 27; 00:40 - Fargo; 02:15 - 54; 03:45 - On The Line; 05:15 - A Good Year

06:00 - Curious George;07:45 - Max Knight: Ultra Spy;09:30 - The Making Of Norbit;09:45 - The Hunt For Eagle One: Crash Point;11:30 - Hollywood’s 10 Best;12:00 - My Dog Skip;14:00 - Greedy;16:15 - The Making Of The Da Vinci Code;16:45 - The Assignment;19:00 - Charlottes Web;21:00 - The Avengers;22:45 - Perfect Stranger;00:45 - Painkiller Jane;02:30 - Touch The Top Of The World;04:15 - Wallace And Gromit - The Curse Of The Were – Rabbit

A

ngelina Jolie can seem like a superwoman – dashing around the globe with her impossibly cute kids (not to mention Brad Pitt!) in tow. But some feats – like her recent humanitarian trip to Afghanistan followed, just days later, by a high-profile awards show appearance – can exhaust even her.

"I woke up at 3 in the morning with four kids with jet lag and two babies," a weary Jolie, 33, told the Los Angeles Times recently, hours before she presented an award to Clint Eastwood. "I put myself together for a few hours and go out.

And then I go home. This is my job."

Akshay set to do duet with Naomi

A

J

06:00 - Seva Ganga; 06:30 - Vignan Shashwat Sukh Ka; 07:00 - Sangam; 07:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 08:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi; 08:30 - Baa Bahoo Aur Baby; 09:00 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 09:30 - Nach Baliye - 04; 12:30 Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 13:00 - Kumkum; 13:30 - Hamari Devrani; 14:00 - Karam; 14:30 - Grihasti; 15:00 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 17:30 Saibaba; 18:30 - Hamari Devrani; 19:00 - Kasturi; 20:00 - Nach Baliye - 04; 22:00 - Star Voice Of India; 23:30 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 00:00 - Kis Desh Mein; 00:30 - Jahan Pe BaSera Ho; 01:00 - Tvc Sky Shop; 01:30 - Bidaai; 02:30 - Kayamath; 03:00 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 03:30 - Kis Desh Mein; 04:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi; 04:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 05:00 - The New Adventures Of Winnie Pooh; 05:30 - Little Einsteins

06:00 - Adventures Of The Ladies Tailor; 06:30 - Feast India; 07:00 In The Lap Of Luxury; 08:00 - 100 - 0 Places To See Before You Die; 09:00 - Dream Hotels; 09:30 Indian Rendezvous; 10:00 - A Makeover Story; 10:30 - Big Boutique; 11:00 - Superhomes 2; 11:30 - Amazing Vacation Homes; 12:00 Wheels Of Imagination; 13:00 - I Do, Let’s Eat!; 13:30 - Take Home Chef 2; 14:00 - Indian Rendezvous; 14:30 - Finest Hotels In The World; 15:00 - Seven Wonders; 16:00 - In The Lap Of Luxury; 17:00 - Dream Hotels; 17:30 - Feast Bazaar Year 2006; 18:00 - Vegas Vegas; 19:00 - 1000 Places To See Before You Die; 20:00 - Hotel By The Bay; 20:30 - I Do, Let’s Eat!; 21:00 - Europe’s Richest People; 22:00 - Nigella Express; 22:30 - Samantha Brown: Passport To Great Weekends; 23:00 - A Model Life With Petra Nemcova; 00:00 - Vip Weekends With Ian Wright; 00:30 - Getaway 2006; 01:00 - Europe’s Richest People; 02:00 - 1000 Places To See Before You Die; 03:00 Surf And Snack; 04:00 - A Makeover Story; 04:30 - Big Boutique; 05:00 - Monster House

Aniston Reconciles With Mum

ENNIFER ANISTON is slowly patching things up with her estranged mother, after the pair spent years at loggerheads. The former Friends star stopped talking to mum Nancy Dow when she published the 1999 book From Mother and Daughter to Friends: A Memoir.

Aniston refused any sort of relationship with her mother, until she split from ex-husband Brad Pitt in 2005 - when tensions between the pair cooled. She tells U.S. Vogue magazine, "She's changed. She's humbled with age. She fell in love. At 73years-old. I'm like, 'No, no, no, no! I don't want to hear how great the sex is'."

And the actress reveals she often falls back on their shaky mother-daughter relationship for roles that involve her arguing with people: "That is so funny. I just mimic my mother. That woman, when she got mad, was scary. I don't know if I ever really get mad in real life."

Dimapur

kshay Kumar, who’s acted with Hollywood’s Sylvester Stallone, Brandon Routh and Denise Richards and done the bhangra with international rapper Snoop Dogg, is now readying to do a jig with the sexy supermodel Naomi Campbell.

The earlier two feats were pulled by Sajid Nadiadwala for Kambakkht Ishq and Vipul Shah for Singh in Kingg respectively, by Akshay’s latest coup is the work of Shailendra Singh for the animation film Jumbo.

“We are trying to match the dates of these two stars,” Shailendra said, because Akshay is in Cape Town shooting for Nagesh Kukunoor’s 8x10. BT learned that joining Akshay and Naomi in the promotional video will be Bollywood stars like Lara Dutta and the action star’s wife and mother-in-law, Twinkle and Dimple Kapadia respectively. The two have lent their voices to a cute Hindi song which has a few English words, a source said.

Still, she shows no signs of settling down in Hollywood. "I don't dislike it here," the Oscar-winner told the newspaper. "I just really do love to travel. I love other cultures. And I love raising my kids in the world. I'm so fortunate that I get to do that." The actress also opened up about her emotionally wrenching performance as a mother in The Changeling – a role, she thinks, that helped her get pregnant with twins Knox and Vivienne. "I got pregnant right in the middle of [filming] and I think partially because of it," she explained. "I was so emotional about children that I think something in me kicked into gear."

06:00 - Shakti Yug; 06:30 - The Faith Show; 07:00 - Enjoying Everyday Life; 07:25 - Ek Nazar; 07:30 - Amritwani; 07:55 - Exposure Jhalak; 08:00 Teleshopping; 08:25 - Ek Nazar; 08:30 - Jai Jai Tridev; 09:00 - Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009; 12:00 - Dulhann; 12:30 - Kahani Ab Tak; 13:00 Chhoti Bahu; 13:30 - Rakhi; 14:00 - Teen Bahuraaniyaan; 14:30 - Kahani Ab Tak; 15:00 Dulhann; 15:30 - Maayka; 16:00 - Kahani Ab Tak; 16:30 - Betiyann; 18:30 - Chhoti Bahu; 19:00 - Vivaah; 19:30 - Parrivaar; 20:00 DulhaNn; 20:30 - Maayka; 21:00 - Naaginn; 21:30 - Aladdin; 22:00 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009; 23:30 - Kahani Ab Tak; 23:55 - Ek Nazar; 00:00 - Asian Sky Shop; 00:55 - Exposure; 01:00 - Asian Sky Shop; 02:00 - Shabhash India - Childrens Special; 02:30 - Parrivaar; 04:30 - Urja; 05:00 - Ramayan; 05:30 - Narseva Narayan Seva 06:00 - Hum Ladkiyan; 06:30 - Jai Hanuman; 07:00 - Telebrands; 07:30 - Teleshopping; 08:50box Office Muzic Hitz; 09:00 - Comedy Circus; 10:00 - Meet Mila De Rabba; 12:00 - Hum Ladkiyan; 14:00 - Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna; 18:00 - Boogie Woogie; 18:30 - Hum Ladkiyan; 19:00 - Cid; 20:00 - Boogie Woogie; 21:00 - Indian Idol 4; 22:30 - Cid; 23:30 - Boogie Woogie; 00:00 - Telebrands; 00:30 - Teleshopping; 01:00 - Boogie Woogie; 02:00 - Cid; 03:00 - Aahat - 3; 04:00 - Comedy Circus; 05:00 - Boogie Woogie 6:00 - The 4400; 7:00 - So You Think You Can Dance; 8:00 - Chuck; 9:00 - The 4400; 11:00 - Early Edition; 12:00 Afterworld; 12:00 - World’s Most Amazing Videos; 1:00 - Video Zonkers; 2:00 - The Amazing Race Asia; 3:00 - Ultimate Guinness World Records; 5:00 - So You Think You Can Dance; 6:00 - The 4400; 7:00 - Afterworld; 7:03 - Chuck; 8:00 - World’s Most Amazing Videos; 9:00 - Mondo Magic Singapore; 9:30 - Ebuzz; 10:00 - Dawn Of The Dead; 12:30 - Afterworld; 12:33 - Ultimate Guinness World Records; 1:00 - Axn Xtreme: India Vs Pakistan; 2:00 - So You Think You Can Dance; 3:00 - Early Edition; 4:00 - Chuck; 5:00 - Axn Xtreme: India Vs Pakistan 05:20 - Modigliani; 07:30 - Infomercial; 08:00 - The Recruit; 10:30 - Three Men And A Little Lady; 12:45 - Stuart Little; 14:35 - Free Willy; 17:00 - Inspector Gadget; 18:45 - Tarzan 1; 20:45 - Tarzan Ii; 22:30 - Spider-Man; 01:15 - Tarzan 1; 02:45 - Tarzan Ii; 04:00 - Inspector Gadget; 05:40 - The Motorcycle Diaries 06:00 - Dream Hotels; 06:30 - Indian Rendezvous; 07:00 - Europe’s Richest People; 08:00 - Globe Trekker 10; 09:00 - A Matter Of Taste With Vir Sanghvi; 09:30 Uttaranchal; 10:00 - Trinny And Susannah Undress; 11:00 - Monster House; 12:00 - Biker Build-Off - The Series; 13:00 - Cooking It; 13:30 Take Home Chef 2; 14:00 - 1000 Places To See Before You Die; 15:00 - Hotel By The Bay; 15:30 - I Do, Let’s Eat!; 16:00 - Europe’s Richest People; 17:00 - Nigella Express; 17:30 - Passport To Europe With Samantha Brown; 18:00 - A Model Life With Petra Nemcova; 19:00 Adventures Of The Ladies Tailor; 19:30 - Feast India; 20:00 - Nigella Feasts; 20:30 - British Biker Build Off; 21:00 - Highlife Unlimited; 22:00 - Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations; 23:00 - La Ink; 00:00 - Beach Blast; 01:00 - Highlife Unlimited; 02:00 - Globe Trekker 10; 03:00 Nigella Feasts; 03:30 - Madhur Jaffrey’s Flavours Of India; 04:00 Trinny And Susannah Undress; 05:00 - While You Were Out 3 06:00 - Global Tele Mall; 07:00 - Body And Soul; 07:30 - Tvc Sky Shop; 08:30 - Instant Khichdi; 09:00 - Hatim; 10:00 - Shaka Laka Boom Boom; 10:30 Son Pari ; 11:00 - Ssshhhh Phir Koi Hai; 13:00 - Dill Mill Gayye; 14:00 Mile Jab Hum Tum; 15:00 - Movie; 18:30 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 19:00 - Dill Mill Gayye; 20:00 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 21:00 - The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Iv; 22:00 Ssshhhh Phir Koi Hai; 23:00 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 00:00 - Siddhanth; 01:00 - Tony B Show; 01:30 - Ankhiyon Ke Jharokhon Se; 02:30 Mile Jab Hum Tum; 03:00 - The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Iv; 04:00 - Ssshhhh Phir Koi Hai; 05:00 - Mile Jab Hum Tum

C M Y K

C M Y K

The

Morung

SPORTS

P 12

Reconciliation Football Match Civil Society held to a 3-3 draw by United Nationals

dle

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 13 (MExN): The 2nd Reconciliation Football Match between the United Nationals and Naga Civil Society was played here today at DDSC Stadium amidst thunderous cheers from the spectators.

The game had its exciting moments in a closelycontested match, and the ‘Naga Civil Society,’ who trounced the United nationals by 3-1 in the historic 1st Reconciliation Football Match at Kohima, had to settle for a 3-3 draw after Hopeson (jersey No. 21) scored an equalizer in the

last minute of the match.

Despite taking an early advantage of the game when Sangti Konyak (jersey No. 11) scored a goal just after minutes of kick-off, the United nationals could not utilize the opportunities that came their way to take complete control of the game. The civil society players were also provided with a number of opportunities in the early minutes of the game but it was only in the 21st minute of the game that they found an equalizer through the boot of Yenbemo (jersey No.12).

The civil society players

also failed to materialize a penalty shoot out which was awarded to them after a United National player was caught hand ball.

Rev. Dr.Wati Aier (jersey No. 25) was the only player who was shown a yellow card but he also gave the civil society team the lead in the 30th minute of the game.

With just few minutes play in the second half, the Civil Society scored another goal giving them complete dominance of the match.

Gentleson Vashum (jersey No. 6), with a long pass from Akum Longchari (jersey 7),

scored the 3rd goal from the D Court to give a 2 goal lead.

However, a never say die United nationals players scored their second goal in the 52nd minute, minimizing the goal gap with the confident civil society. The goal was scored by Hopeson (jersey No.21).

In the dying minutes of the match, the United National players mostly dominated the game making repeated attempts to find an equalizer. However, it was only just before the final whistle of the game that the United National players was relieved of

their stress when the late equalizer was scored by Hopeson (jersey No. 21).

The players of United

national team also, amidst thunderous applauds from the audience, created a record in the football history

by having made as many as 13 changes before the half time. It was also a very special picture to witness

the members of different group enjoying, laughing and cheering and supporting their team.

Maradona stays as Argentina boss

C M Y K

BUENOS AIRES, NOVEMBER 13 (AGENCIES): The Argentinian Football Association have denied that Diego Maradona is set to quit his new job as coach of the national team less than 10 days after his appointment. Maradona, who was installed as coach on November 4, has reportedly been in dispute with Argentina FA boss Julio Grondona, who does not approve of the choice of Oscar Ruggeri as an assistant coach. But Argentina FA technical secretary Car-

los Bilardo said: "He won't resign. "I have spoken to Diego and told him he has to go slowly. There are 500 people he can choose to assist him. "When I coached the national team (between 1983 and 1990) I had to change my whole staff after four or five months of work. But Diego wants them all at once." Grondona would not reveal the reasons for his dislike of former Argentina defender Ruggeri. "It's my problem," he said. "I don't want to talk about this."

Published, Printed and Edited by Aküm Longchari on behalf of Morung for Indigenous Affairs and JustPeace from House No. 4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur at Themba Printers and Telecommunications, Padum Pukhuri Village, Dimapur, Nagaland.

Email : editor@morungexpress.com/newsdesk@morungexpress.com, morung@gmail.com. RNI No : NAGENG /2005/15430. House No.4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur 797112, Nagaland. Phone: Dimapur -(03862) News Desk- 281043, Admin -236871, Fax: (03862) 235194, Kohima - (0370) 2291952

For advertisements and circulation, please contact: (03862) 236871, Fax-235194 or email : morungad@yahoo.com

PO Reg No. NE/RN-722