The Morung Express by The Morung Express

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The Morung Ex Express

A Daily Publication of Morung for Indigenous Affairs & JustPeace

Dimapur VOL. III ISSUE 330

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Your soul to God, your body to dust, your property to your relatives, because thus it has been found written

Former PM VP Singh dies

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Friday, November 28, 2008 12 pages Rs. 3

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NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 (PTI): Former Prime Minister V P Singh, who dethroned late Rajiv Gandhi to form the first non-Congress coalition government at the Centre in 1989 and later did some social engineering through reservations that changed India’s political course irreversibly, died here today. The 77-year-old leader, who has been battling blood cancer for over 17 years and renal failure, breathed his last in Apollo Hospital where he was admitted some six months ago. The end came at 1445 hours, a hospital spokesperson said. He is survived by wife Sita Singh and two sons, Ajeya and Abhay. Singh was the Finance Minister and later Defence Minister during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure and parted ways with Congress over the Bofors pay-offs issue, whose ghost haunted the Congress for many years. After the 1989 elections, the Janata Dal led by V P Singh came to power with outside support from BJP on one side and that of the Left parties on the other, but his National Front government did not last more than 11 months. It fell after the BJP withdrew support following the arrest of L K Advani during his Somnath to Ayodhya Rath Yatra in 1991. The BJP leader was arrested by the JD government in Bihar, then led by Lalu Prasad. Singh’s tenure as Prime Minister would be best known for the social engineering as his government accepted the Mandal Commission report on job reservations for Other Backward Classes, which virtually ‘mandalised’ the politics in many of the states.

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-Maltese Proverb

Mumbai Bleeds: Battle Rages On Naga youth injured in attack

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): One Naga youth identified as Phaningshang Vashum aged around 24-25 has been injured in the attack on Mumbai on Wednesday night. One being wounded Phaningshang was somehow able to get to the road and hail a taxi which took him to a hospital. Confirming this, family sources disclosed that Phaningshang was operated upon to remove one bullet lodged in his hips. It was informed that the Naga youth works at Leopold Café, located in between the Taj and Oberoi Hotels, both targets of Wednesday’s terrorist attack. Phaningshang has been declared out of danger and is recuperating at the Holy Family Hospital in Bandra. It may be mentioned that a stunning wave of militant attacks in Mumbai has seen Indian security forces exchange fire with gunmen in violence that has, in just the last 24 hours, left more than 100 people dead and nearly 300 injured. Not surprisingly, the country’s business capital has now ground to a halt.

India’s National Security Guard commandos take positions from an adjoining building of Nariman Bhawan, where suspected militants have taken hostage Jewish families, at Colaba, Mumbai on November 27. (AP Photo)

The wife of Balasaheb Bhosale cries at his funeral in Mumbai, November 27. (AP Photo)

MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 27 (AGENCIES): Amid fresh reports of blasts at Oberoi-Trident and Taj hotel, security forces on Thursday launched a major counter-offensive against the militants holed up in various installations across the city. Combined forces of National Security Guards (NSGs), Navy, Army, Mumbai Police and Anti-Terrorist Squad have been rushed to tackle an unknown number of militants, who were hiding in Taj Hotel, Trident (formerly Oberoi) Hotel and Nariman House, all business and leisure hot spots in the city. All the security personnel, armed with sophisticated weapons and communication equipments were put in strategic locations in all the three sites and are coordinating with each other. The operation has become complicated considering the fact that a large number of guests, including foreigners, are holed up in the hotels.

Rio calls for tough measures

Fireﬁghters, unseen, try to douse ﬁre at the Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, Thursday, November 27. (AP Photo)

PM points ﬁnger at neighbors Bush and Barack Obama condemn Mumbai attacks

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 (AFP): India’s prime minister said Thursday that those behind coordinated attacks against Mumbai were based “outside the country” and warned “neighbours” who provide a haven to anti-India militants. In a televised address to the nation, Manmohan Singh also appealed to the country to “maintain peace and harmony” in the wake of the attacks that left at least 100 dead and up to 300 more wounded. “The well-planned and well-orchestrated attacks, probably with external linkages, were intended to create a sense of panic, by choosing high profile targets and indiscriminately killing foreigners,” Singh said. “It is evident that the group which carried out these attacks, based outside the country, had come with single-minded determination to create havoc in the commercial capital of the country.

Continued on page 5

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): The White House and President-elect Barack Obama on Wednesday condemned the deadly attacks in Mumbai, India, as the U.S. government convened defense and intelligence officials and offered help to Indian authorities. “President Bush offers his condolences to the Indian people and the families of the innocent civilians killed and injured in the attacks in Mumbai,” the White House said in a statement issued after the U.S. leader left for the

Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland for the Thanksgiving holiday. It said the White House National Security Council had convened officials from counterterrorism and intelligence agencies as well as the State Department and Pentagon to discuss the Mumbai attacks. “The U.S. government continues to monitor the situation, including the safety and security of our citizens, and stands ready to assist and support the Indian government,” the White House said. Continued on page 5

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27(MExN): The Government of Nagaland condemns the terrorist attacks across Mumbai, which started yesterday leaving more than 100 dead and hundreds injured. A message from chief minister Neiphiu Rio said the terrorists must be hunted down and dealt with most severely. “The country is being attacked by terrorists with constant regularity and precious innocent lives are being lost. All sections of the society must combat this modern day menace in a united manner, rising above all considerations” the chief minister said in a message. Rio said the international community must work together so that the forces of terror are “controlled and booked”. Bloodmongers, by their spreading fear and killings, should not be allowed to hold to ransom the people, Rio said. The chief minister expressed deepest condolences to the members of the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones, and to the injured, speedy recovery. “My government and people of Nagaland join me in expressing their deepest sorrow and our solidarity to the people of Maharashtra in their hour of crisis and pray that God will grant them courage ad peace of mind in this hour of pain and grief” Rio prayed.

Jamir appeals for solidarity DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Governor of Maharashtra S. C. Jamir has strongly condemned the terrorist attacks on Mumbai Wednesday night in which about a hundred have been killed and over hundreds injured. “This is the worst-ever attack on the city of Mumbai which is the financial capital of India. Mumbai has a cosmopolitan character and is one of the most peaceful cities in the country. The terrorists have attacked and targeted innocent civilians and gallant police officers and personnel of Mumbai in a most cowardly manner”, stated Jamir in a strongly worded statement. The governor also took note of the innocent people and the brave police officers who became martyrs while discharging their duties. “While conveying my heartfelt sympathies for those who had to sacrifice their life and those who were hurt, I express the strong resolve of the Government of Maharashtra that the terrorists will be brought to justice at the earliest”, Jamir added and appealed to the people of Maharashtra to maintain peace and solidarity in this hour of crisis.

Superannuation: Govt asserts there is ‘no conﬂict’

Vice Prez to inaugurate Hornbill fest KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (DIPR): Vice President of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari will inaugurate the Hornbill Festival of Nagaland at 10:15 a.m. on December 1, at Naga Heritage complex in Kisama. The Vice President will also inaugurate the World War II Museum at the Naga Heritage complex at 9:30 a.m. Governor of Nagaland K. Sankaranarayanan will be the chief host during the inaugural programme and also deliver the welcome speech. Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio will offer the vote of thanks. President of the Southern Angami GBs’ Association, Chato Paphino, as the tribal guest of honour will also pronounce the traditional blessing for the week-long festival. Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Art & Culture Yitachu will preside over the function. The day’s festivities will begin with a traditional welcome to the chief guest, and marked by yodeling by all cultural troupes and beating of log drums from the morungs. After the formal inauguration, a cultural exposition entitled ‘Colours and Rhythms of Nagaland’ will begin.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): Asserting that there is “essentially no conflict” between the ‘stand’ of the government and the demands of the NSF, the government today made a number of clarifications pertinent to the ongoing spate over the retirement age policy. Nagaland Chief Secretary Lalhuma in a statement today said the government had earlier restrained from ‘fixing’ the maximum length of service ‘by the judgment of the Guwahati High Court by setting aside the ordinances issued by the state government fixing length of service in a previous judgment dated January 18, 1993’. The gist of the high court’s order was that the government cannot have two criteria to determine the age of superannuation of employees. This, the statement said, is namely ‘fixing’ the upper age limit as well as the length of service. “In view of the judgment, which is binding on the state government, the state government have (sic) decided that the order of the Guwahati high court needs to be vacated or reviewed before issuing fresh order fixing the length of service. Otherwise, it would amount to contempt of court” the government explained. The statement, however, clarified to the NSF that the government had already taken a decision to immediately file a reviewpetitionbeforethecourt and if necessary, approach the Supreme Court as well. The chief secretary regretted the delay in filing the said petition and subsequently, filed today itself in the Kohima bench of the Guwahati High Court.

The state also said that the NSF had decided to go ahead with the agitations when the government had already ‘agreed in principle’ to pursue the matter. Noting that the stir would even go to the extent of disallowing government vehicles from plying and also announcing a total bandh on statehood day (December 1 and also inauguration of the Hornbill festival), the statement said the government cannot remain a silent spectator. The government also mentioned that the Vice President of India would be the chief guest of the festival. In view of the ‘accommodative stand’ of the government, the NSF is strongly urged by the government to call off its agitation.

Bandh on Govt. vehicles today

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27, (MExN): To pressurize the Government of Nagaland into fulfilling the demands for a review of the “superannuation” policy, the Naga Students’ Federation is imposing a total restriction on movement of all government vehicles from 8 am to 6 pm, on November 28, across the state. The restriction of movement is imposed only on gov-

ernment vehicles, exempting paramilitary, police and medical vehicles on that day. For Dimapur, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union in a note also said movement of all government vehicles would be curbed on the bandh day. The DNSU, interestingly, said the “district administration”, “police”, medical, “fire brigade” and “power department trucks” would be exempted.

Rio expresses ‘displeasure’ to CS

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today sent a livid missive to Chief Secretary Lalhuma, expressing “extreme displeasure” at the ongoing tussle over the superannuation policy, with particular reference to the enhancement or upper age limit. In a startling disclosure, an irate CM said the affidavit for review has already “been signed about four months back but had not been filed in the court”. The CM has demanded an inquiry and as to act against

the officials responsible for this lapse. The CM reminded of the cabinet decision in November 15, last year, approving the retirement age for state government employees to be increased from 57 to 60 years. Rio stated: “The cabinet on 23rd October 2008 has also directed to examine and prepare a profile of the average length of services put in by the government employees at the time of superannuation. Continued on page 5

Bandh or not, Govt orders attendance DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The government has ordered all its employees to ‘ensure’ that they attend work on November 28, the day of the NSF’s clamp on movement of all government vehicles. The government of Nagaland has made contingency plans to ensure that government vehicles are not stopped and that, office goers moving in government vehicles are not obstructed, an office memo from the state’s chief secretary said. In view of the arrangements being made by the government all employees of the government are to ensure that they attend office on the 28th. However, the memo did not specify what the arrangements or the “contingency plans” were.

Tickets available at: Gravity, Big Bite, Dream Café, Crossword, Razhüprü. Unitex, Bible House, Central Café and at the Venue.

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Dimapur

LOCAL

Friday 28 November 2008

The Morung Express

Festival aims to bring NE women closer

Morung Express News Dimapur | November 27

THE TWO day North East Women festival organised by the Naga Women Hoho (NWH), Dimapur, began today with an objective to bring closer and ignite new hope to the women of the northeast. Through this festival, NWH President, Hukheli Wotsa, said they hope to build bridges across the northeast and bring women to a common platform and address issues of concern that affect the women of the region. Drawing attention on the already existing position of women in northeast societies, Hukheli said efforts and contributions of women’s organizations across the northeastern states have been significant and vital in shaping the growth of society in the region, and urged women to realise the importance of networking so as to enable collective strength and ideas to benefit families, societies, and the region as a whole. The president, reiterating on the volatile ongoing conflict situations in the north east, said children and women are the ones who bear the brunt of such brutal forces and therefore it is essential for women to network together to ensure their voices are heard across negotiation tables and that mothers, young girls and widows are protected. Hukheli further urged the northeast’s women to come under one umbrella and deal with common issues and bridge the communication gaps between the sister states. Chief guest Maongwati Aier, Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur, pointing out the sad realities the northeastern

states are living in, stressed on the need for people of the region to change their attitudes in order to become selfsufficient. He said honesty and integrity should guide the people of the northeast to move forward. Holding that the need of the hour is peace and unity, Maongwati said northeast people have to carry the message of peace and unity across the country and the world through music, art and culture. Following the cry for “peace, unity and development,” of the northeast people, the DC also urged all underground groups to listen to the voices of the people and stop fighting. Saying factional clashes have claimed many innocent people, Maongwati advised people to learn to live in peace and progress so that development would flow in. He also exalted the women representatives from the different northeastern states who have come to participate in the festival. Savi Leigise, Naga Council President, also saluted the women saying, “without women the world cannot run” and urged all women of the northeast to come together to uplift women of the region. He encouraged women organisations to continue working for the interest and welfare of women. The North East Women Festival has delegates from all northeastern states, except Mizoram and Meghalaya, who could not attend due to the ongoing final examination in their respective states. The festival is being organised for the first time in collaboration with the North East Zone Culture Centre at Urban Hatt, Dimapur.

United Colours of Nagaland: Hukheli Wotsa (left), President of Naga Women Hoho, Dimapur, and her colleagues wearing the “common Naga mekhla.” The mekhla brought out by the Hoho is designed with 42 colours representing all Naga tribes under the banner of the Hoho. The mekhla was worn for the ﬁrst time at the North East Women Festival on November 27. It shall also be the dress code for all future programmes initiated by the Naga Women Hoho, Dimapur. (Morung Photos)

‘33% and no less’ THE NAGA Women Hoho, Dimapur, today reiterated its demand for 33% women reservation in governing bodies in the state. In her speech at the North East Women Festival, Hoho president Hukheli Wotsa said there is need to implement the policy of reservation for women by the state. Many opinions and voices about the policy about what percentage should be implemented have been heard, but the state, she stressed, must implement the reservation policy and ensure that 33%, and “not less”, of seats be set aside for women. The president said Naga men should understand that priorities of men and women are different and it is important to ensure the priorities be incorporated into policies at the decision making level which will be possible only if women are allowed to be part of the decision making process.

Arunachali women performing a harvest song. (Morung Photos)

Nagaland State Pavilion awarded gold medal at IITF

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A child takes a moment off to soak in the beauty of the surrounding hills, from a ‘machan’ at the newly created Aizuto tourist destination. (Morung Photos/Chizokho Vero)

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Nagaland State Pavilion at the India International Trade Fair 2008 held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, has been adjudged first for excellence in display and has been awarded the gold medal. The award was presented during the closing ceremony held on November 27 by Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Commerce & Power. After the award ceremony, the Minister visited the Nagaland Pavilion and admired the work done by the Women Self Help Groups of Nagaland and put up for display. He was deeply impressed by the work done by WSHG under transformative livelihoods programme of the department of women development,

Nagaland, in partnership with NAANDI, a national level NGO which imparts consultancy for training of SHGs and marketing of products of SHGs. The Minister was accompanied by Chairman and Managing Director of ITPO, Sheela Bhide, and other authorities of ITPO. D K Bhalla, Resident Commissioner, in a press release informed that the Minister expressed his desire that the department of women development should expand the work of SHG and that NAANDI must play a much larger role in providing consultancy to the government of Nagaland for marketing of its agricultural and horticultural produce to various parts of the world.

ENPSTA highlights recruitment policy woes DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Eastern Nagaland Pre-Service Teachers Association (ENPSTA) has brought to the notice of the Education Minister the loophole in the present trend of recruitment of primary and elementary school teachers, and put

forth several demands for the same. In a letter addressed to the Education Minister of Nagaland, the association stated that there was no tangible and concrete Teacher Recruitment Policy in existence, as proposed by the National Council for teach-

ers Education (NCTE) and National Goal of Universal Elementary Education (UEE), to introduce the Pre Service Teachers Education (PSTE) training of two years’ duration under the State Board of Teachers Education (SBTE). Lamenting the inabil-

Morung for Indigenous Affairs and JustPeace

Brave New World An Art Exhibit

Temsuyanger Longkumer Iris Yingzen Jimmy Chishi Seyiekelie Tepa

2nd December - 7th December, 2008 (Private Viewing on 1st December)

The Heritage, Old DC Bungalow, Kohima 10 am to 6 pm CHIEF PATRON

A Manipuri girl performing a rigorous form of martial arts using sticks. The participants from Manipur enthralled the audience with their breathtaking warrior dance using swords. (Morung Photos)

PATRON

ity of the state government to implement the policy, ENPSTA said if the present trend continues, the standard of education will suffer and the very purpose of introducing and imparting PSTE training will hold no water. The efforts of the PSTE trained teachers will also be

deemed wasted and unutilised, the ENPSTA added. In the interest of the trained teachers, the association pointed out that in case of any vacancy within the four districts, “no outsider should be entertained to hold the same for appointment,” and the first priority

KMC on maintenance of proper sanitation

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): In order to maintain proper sanitation and solid waste, the Kohima Municipal Council has directed the public to throw their waste during the stipulate timing i.e. 7:00 pm in the evening and before 5:00am in the morning. Informing this, Keduolhoulie, convenor, Sanitation & Solid Waste Management, has directed all the shop owners to maintain one portable dust-

bin each. Further, in view of the ongoing bypass road development from Mew Market, Daklane, Naga Bazar, Keziekie to Pezielietsie, the owners of pigsties on these routes (above and below) have been requested to remove them on or before December 25. On failing to comply with this notification, the KMC warned, the authority will take its “course of action without further notice.”

should be given to professionally trained teachers, especially from the backward areas. The association has also demanded the state government to make the appointments directly without interviews for the diploma holders “provided that it will be on a regular basis.”

MEx File

BSNL landline services interrupted DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): BSNL Nagaland Telecom has informed its customers that the BSNL Land Line Telecom Service has been interrupted in the areas of Zunheboto, Aghnato and Sataka due to a technical snag in the equipment. The engineers are attending to the faults which will be rectified, and the service will be restored at the earliest within two days time, Public Relations Officer, BSNL Dimapur, assured in a press release, while expressing regret for the inconvenience caused and requesting its customers to bear with the department.

IGAR greets Rengma community DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): Brig Bhupinder Singh, Offg IGAR (North), along with all ranks of Assam Rifles, has extended warm greetings to the people of ‘Rengma Tribe’ on the occasion of ‘Ngadah’ festival. “We sincerely pray to the Almighty to keep a benign eye on the ‘Rengmas’ and the people of Nagaland to bring about peace, prosperity and tranquillity in the days to come. We wish the tribe to prosper in all spheres and endeavour to push towards everlasting peace in the region,” Maj Pallab Choudhury, PRO, HQ IGAR (North) conveyed in a greeting note.

Kohima DC directs shopkeepers KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (DIPR): In view of the visit of the VVIPs and the upcoming Hornbill Festival and the festive season, Deputy Commissioner of Kohima, Sachopra Vero has appealed to all citizens of Kohima town, especially the shopkeepers and house owners who own business establishments and residences along the highway, to “whitewash/clean/decorate and make necessary facelift work on their building.” The DC has further directed owners of shops and houses to compulsorily put up one electric bulb outside their shops/houses. This is to be completed on or before November 30, the notification added.

Excise dept destroys huge contraband items

Darling Baby Nanen, HAPPY B’DAY! Wishing you a lots of happiness and joy on this special day and may the Almighty God bless you long and prosperous life. With lots of love, Mum and Dad

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Excise & Prohibition department, Dimapur, on November 25 at the State Stadium Dimapur destroyed seized contraband items held in the Excise Malkhana, including 273kgs of ganja, 43gms of brown sugar and 4003 bottles of IMFL/beer. The destruction was carried as per the directives of the court of District & Session

Judge Nagaland, Dimapur, and the order of the Commissioner of Excise & Director of Prohibition. This was carried out by the departmental Disposal Committee consisting of Deputy Commissioner of Excise (HQ) Chairman, Deputy Commissioner of Excise (NC), Assistant Commissioner of Excise (Enf), Assistant Commissioner of Excise (Adm) and Suptd of Excise

(Dist) in the presence of public prosecutor at Dimapur court, DMC member, Naga Council members, media persons, excise staff and other public. Pitomgse Sangtam, Suptd of Excise & Prohibition, Dimapur, in a release informed that the destroyed contraband had been seized by the district excise personnel during the period between October 2007 to 2008.

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‘Health melas’ in all districts next year Chizokho Vero Kohima | November 27

MINISTER FOR Health & Family Welfare Kuzholuzo Nienu today said ‘health melas’ will be held in all districts of the state by the early part of 2009. Speaking at the gynecological Laparoscopic surgery camp here today, Nienu announced that the National Rural Health Mission ‘has sanctioned for this purpose’ and it will be taken up by January or February next year. Saying that the State has about 15 ‘gynaes’ in government and ‘about 10 in private sectors’, the minister felt that every district hospital need to have about three to four gynecologists. All the community health centers also need at least one, he said. The minister also lauded doctors, especially the OBs and the gynecologists for what he said are their excellent performance ‘in making Nagaland the lowest (in) maternal morality rate and infant mortality rate in the country’. The minister however said “we should not be too complacent about this as we have a lot of room for improvement especially on the subject of safe delivery of child birth and to improve the health of the mothers”. “If we want to have a healthy nation, then we should have healthy children and if we want to have healthy children we should have a healthy mother, be-

Friday

28 November 2008

Accounts ofﬁcers “illegally charging money” DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): In a case of “illegally charging money” by government officials, it was brought to the notice of the Accountant General, Kohima that such illegal practices were committed by the Account Officers. In a joint letter addressed to the Accountant General, Kohima by Nikhevi Yeputhomi, Asang Ao and Hukato Chishi, the trio apprised the AG that “the account officers detailed for issuing No Demand Certificate (NDC) are illegally charging money

from the incumbent those who are in want for the same.” The letter made available to media also stated, “The incumbent those who pay their demands get the said NDC earlier than the one who cannot pay and so also the defaulters incumbent’s NDC were not issued.” The Accountant general was implored to take action upon the guilty accounts officers and further to provide for a “hassle-free” process to “the incumbent/ beneficiaries those who are in want of the said NDC”.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Kuzholuzo speaking at the Gynecological Laparoscopic Surgery Camp in Kohima on Thursday.

cause of the fact that a healthy mother and child is an asset of the nation. A nation can progress only when we have healthy people,” according to Nienu. He also said, “We cannot expect economic, infrastructure and human development to take place if the whole population is in poor health, adding that the economic and human development will fetch desirable result only when people are healthy.” Referring to today’s camp, the minister said it has moved a step forward in ‘delivering’ healthcare to the people. Appreciating the sponsors of the camp, the minister hoped that similar efforts and partici-

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The NPF Tuensang Division has informed all its area unit presidents to “submit” one area representative each from the parent body (frontal organisation), women wing, youth wing, CEC and two executives, to division office, Tuensang, on or before November 28, 2008. This was informed in a press release issued by S Lusang Khiamn, President, NPF Tuensang Division. Further, an emergency meeting of NPF Office bearers, Tuensang division, and all area unit president and general secretary will be held on November 29, 2008, at 10:00 am at the Division Office Tuensang. NPF Central office bearers Tuensang representatives have also been asked to attend the meeting.

UCOS-PDN GM on Nov 28 DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The general meeting of the Union Cooperative Societies Peren District Nagaland (UCOS-PDN) will be held on November 28 at ICAR/ UCOS Model Farm at 10:00 am sharp. Informing this in a notification, Kalannchung, secretary of UCOS informed that the meeting will deliberate on crop production, animal rearing scheme, setting up of cottage and small-scale industries, etc. All registered SHGs and cooperative societies are to attend the meeting without fail with at least five representatives from every society, the notification directed. Any society failing to attend the meeting without required representatives will be liable to necessary action as per the UCOS constitution, rule & regulation, it added.

NCSU Kohima informs DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): Nagaland Contractors & Suppliers Union Kohima has informed that Peren District Unit election shall be held on November 28 at 11:00 am. Therefore, all registered members of Peren District Unit NCSU are requested to attend the meeting positively.

pation will be made in the days to come, “which is really beneficial to the general public”. “Do keep up the good work. We the department and the government are with you,” he assured. A power-point presentation was delivered by Dr. Sukhato A. Sumi while Dr. Nandira Changkija, treasurer of the KOGSON offered the vote of thanks. The camp was organized by KOGSON in ‘honor’ of Dr. Chumben Murry, minister for agriculture. The camp witnessed 27 operations (15 major and 12 minor). The society is planning to organize similar camps in all districts of the state.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): In the event of extortions that have been taking place in Dimapur, the NSCN (IM) in a press release today said certain anti-social elements were on the prowl to fill up their pockets and threaten businessmen in the name of NSCN (IM), and exploit the situation in Dimapur. The release issued by the MIP claims that the NSCN (IM) Town Command got wind of the extortion racket and swiftly put its forces into action and within no time apprehended one Standhope Pochury of the NSCN

(K), son of Yepho Pochury of Rekui village, and his friend Shekhuyi Chakesang, son of Yevuto Chakesang of Khekho Kumo village, at Khermahal, while two other boys identified as Kheho Sumi and Tovi Sumi escaped. The NSCN (IM) claims they were collecting money after serving demand notes using the letterhead of Political Affair Committee (PAC) constituted earlier by the NSCN to look after Union Territory-1. After going through the demand note signed by ‘Central Finance Secretary’, which is not legible and reads as “To Whom It May Con-

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): One-day awareness workshop on jute diversified products (JDP), organised by the Jute Diversified Service Centre, North Eastern Industrial Consultants Limited, Dimapur was held at Sahitya Bhawan, Hojai on November 26 last. The programme was sponsored by the National Centre for Jute Diversification, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. J Barman, Branch Manager of United Bank of India graced the inaugural function as the chief guest. Barman, in his speech, while highlighting about the role of banks, said jute diversification activity was not only aimed for various productions but also providing market with natural bio-degradable and environment and eco-friendly material for mass consumption. Barman, while appreciating the Jute

Diversified Service Centre (NCJD) for conducting the awareness workshop, said it would offer full information about various facilities provided by NCJD. JP Sinha, In-charge of Jute Service Centre, Dimapur highlighted on various schemes of NCJD and expressed hope that the workshop would assist self help groups and individual artists, weavers, entrepreneurs, in the near future in this region. B Dutta, Superintendent of Textile and Handloom, Hojai and E/O Sub Divisional Office, Industries and Commerce, Hojai also presented their opinions in relation with the seminar. Dr. M Sanau Singha, Retd. Chief Medical Officer presided over the function and RKG Singh, Consultant, NECON, Dimapur proposed the vote of thanks. This was stated in a press note issued by RKG Singh, Consultant, NECON.

One dead, three injured

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) the apex body of the Catholic Church in India unequivocally condemns the terrorist attacks that took place Wednesday night in Southern Mumbai which has so far claimed more than 100 innocent lives and injured scores of others. The collective leadership of the Catholic Church pray for the repose of the souls of those who died and wish a speedy recovery to those injured in one of the most shocking human made tragedies in recent times. The Bishops also remember in a very special way

EAC Hq Bura Namsang inauguration today

EAC HQ at Bura Namsang village under Longleng District will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on November 28 at Kongshong. The people of the area are therefore preparing various traditional folk dance both male & female for the day to mark respect over the present DAN Government. RJD Nagaland executive meet November 28

The President Rashtriya Janata Dal Nagaland State Khetovi Kinny has called its executive meeting on November 28, 2008 at Tourist Lodge at 10:00 am. Mangilal Mondal, MP Rajya Sabha and North East in-charge (RJD) will grace the meeting. The president RJD Nagaland has therefore, requested all state executives, district presidents and general secretaries, mahila and frontal (Yuva) to attend the meeting without fail.

cern – we need an amount of Rs.3 lakhs for the expenditure for Christmas. And if you failed to paid the amount this bullet will shot on you. And if you expose this words a direct shot will be on you,” the NSCN (IM) said the modus operandi of the culprits is very clear. Further, on interrogating the arrested persons, the group said the arrested revealed that Shekhuyi Chakesang is an innocent public who was pulled in and asked to collect the money from a certain shop, without his knowing the reason for the use of the money. The MIP informed that

KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 start working for bringing a (MExN): The NNP+ in col- favourable environment in solaboration with NSACS and ciety and promised on behalf LFA-UNAIDS held a one day of political leaders that they Advocacy on HIV/AIDS at Tho- are aware of and always ready noknyu on November 22 last to extend their best efforts to with the objective of promoting fight against HIV epidemic. The members who atupdate education about HIV/ AIDS, effectively advocate for tended include Akhub, SDO better access to treatment and (C), Dr.Victor, and other key mobilize community support persons representing all the and social acceptance for im- concerned villages and civil proving the quality of PLHIV societies within Thonoknyu constituency, Tuensang. Some in Thonoknyu Area. The programme was of the key topics include maggraced by Mongtsua, Ex. nitude of HIV/AIDS, livMLA, 57 A/C, Thonoknyu as ing a positive life, HIV and guest speaker. He acknowl- treatment services, mobilizAllem longkumer, Addl. Dir. Art and Cul- edged the organizers for given ing community response toture has informed students and research priority in advocating the most wards HIV/AIDS. The ever challenging issues that the first Advocacy on HIV/AIDS scholars to avail the opportunity. present generation is facing. ended with pledge by congreNaga-Korean wrestlers He also challenged the gath- gation to join hands in AdvoAs in the previous years Kisama ering not to keep silent but to cacy campaign. Heritage Village will be the nerve of activity at the Hornbill festival and will witness cultural shows by various cultural troupes from within the state and also from other North eastern states. With the growing affinity of the Nagas and the Korean, wrestling is another New Distributors Training (NDT) will be area of the two coming together. Vevo conducted by overseas Elken Resource Chakhesang, deputy director Art and persons on 4th December 2008 at Go-Karting, Culture, informed that Naga and KoPadumpukhuri. Registration at 10 AM. rean wrestlers will exhibit their skills Elken family Pre-Christmas Dinner will follow during the festival. at 4:00 PM, Niathu Resort, Chumukedima. Collect Buffet Card from Elken Service Point @ Rs. 150/- per person and treat your family to a special Naga Christmas cuisine !!! Rock Bands participating at the Hornbill Music Festival (Buffet Card will close on 2nd December at 11:00 AM) 1.Angelica- Imphal (Manipur) 2.Northwind- Tura(Meghalaya) 3.Scribe – Mumbai (Maharashtra) 4. Abattoir –Ahmedabad (Gujarat) 5.Monopoly Syndrome- Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) 6.Arms of Silence -Aizawl Our beloved father Shri (Mizoram) Lt. Vihosa Neikha left 7.Nitric Dreams- Kolkata (West Bengal) for heavenly abode on 8.1833 AD- New Delhi (Delhi) 24/11/2008 at the age 9.Dark Horizon- Haﬂong of 86 years. We express (Assam) our gratitude and thanks 10.Digital Suicide -Guwahati (Assam) to all those who stood by 11.Medusa -Mumbai (Maharashtra) us during his brief illness 12.Kaivalyaa -Kolkata (West Bengal) through prayer support, 13.Pintight- Bhopal financially, materially, (Madhya Pradesh) 14.Hypnosis- New Delhi (Delhi) doctors, nurses and staff of Oking Hospital 15.24 X 7 - Pune (Maharashtra) and Naga Hospital I.C.U. Kohima, Blood do16.Allatus- Meghalaya nors and Shri K.V. Pusa M.L.A. We are also 17.Third Eye- Darjeeling thankful to those who came from different (West Bengal) places to mourn and share the burden with 18.Eximious-Kohima (Nagaland) 19.EOE- Kohima (Nagaland) us on his last day. 20.OFF- Kohima (Nagaland) It is our prayer that God bless all of you 21.Melodrama-Dimapur abundantly, you good deeds will be cherished (Nagaland) forever. 22.Dementia –Dimapur (Nagaland) From loving Children, In-laws, Grandchildren & Relatives.

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27, (MExN): In two incidents of a hit and run case within a short span of time, three sustained injuries while one person died on the spot today evening.A speeding truck in Diphubar area hit the Autorickshaw (NL07F2410) killing one person on the spot also injured two others. The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital, Dimapur. The

Preparations going on for the forthcoming “Airtel Hornbill National Rock Contest 2008” to be held at Kohima Local Ground.

will be ticket based and will be made available at these rates: fixed Rs. 30(Gallery), Rs. 300 (Admit two - Daily patron) and Rs.1000 (Admit two Seasoned ticket. This year’s event will be managed and produced by XL- who over the years have proven to be a reliable event management organization. The Hornbill Music Festival will formally be declared open by Vice president of India, Dr. Hamid Ansari in the presence of state chief minister Neiphiu Rio on December 1 at 5:00 pm.

‘Archives Week’

There is more to look forward to than just music at the Hornbill festival 2008. The department of Art and Culture as directed by the National Archives of India is organizing ‘Archives Week’ coinciding with the 7 day festive extravaganza at Kohima. It aims to create Archival awareness among the people and particularly the academic community including students and researchers. The department has made elaborate arrangements to put on display original documents including public, private records, historical and geographical maps and some rare books of private collection and will be open to public at the Heritage Building (old DC’s Bungalow Kohima) from December 1 to 7 from 10 am to 3 pm.

those who are held hostage that they may soon be freed and be able to join their loved ones, stated a note by the spokesperson, CBCI from New Delhi. On behalf of Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, President of CBCI and other office-bearers of the Conference, Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandes, secretary general of the CBCI expressed deep sympathy and serious concern over this tragedy and said “the terrorist attacks in various parts of Mumbai in which innocent people are killed, foreigners targeted and top cops killed is one of the most barbaric acts and it must be condemned in the strongest possible words by

Advocacy on HIV/AIDS held

deceased was identified as Akivito Achumi, s/o Hukiye, village from Zunheboto district. In another incident one cyclist was knocked down by a bus at T K Service, 2½ Mile, Dimapur. He sustained injuries and was brought to Civil Hospital for treatment. Both vehicles fled away . Police disclosed that further investigation in on

ATTENTION ELKENIANS ! GOOD NEWS FOR YOU !

THE COUNTDOWN for Hornbill 2008 has begun. Besides the much anticipated musical- Prodigal Son, Hornbill festival promises to be a great treat for rock music enthusiasts with the 2008 Hornbill National Rock 2008 at Kohima that kick starts from December 4. This year the festival will see 22 bands, of which 17 bands from outside of Nagaland will compete for the ‘Airtel Hornbill National Rock 2008’ and will culminate with the grand finale on December 7. The winners of the ‘Airtel Hornbill National Rock 2008’ will be richer by Rs 5 lakh, while the first runner up will take away Rs 1.5lakh and the second runner up a sum of Rs 1 lakh. Besides, individual prizes of Rs 25,000 will be given to the best vocalist, guitarist, drummer and bassist. Parikrama, one of India’s foremost rock groups will perform on December 6. The Hornbill Music Festival as an integral part of the Hornbill Festival 2008 and will also feature evening entertainment extravaganzas organised by the Music Task Force (YRS), Nagaland at Kohima from December 1 to 7. From December 1 to 3 entry will be free, however from December 4 to 7 entry

STARTING LINE-UP

Your daily Meetings, Appointments, Information and Reminder column

Standhope had revealed that the letterhead of PAC was supplied by Captain John Kuki of the NSCN (K), and added that John Kuki was a former NSCN member who had defected in January 2008. The NSCN (IM) informed that in another incident, one Lan Kamei (Lanjaingam) Rongmei, son of Aching Kamei (Numchingthei), NSCN (K) member was found extorting money from autorickshaw and other businessmen using .32 revolver, and pointed out they were currently jailed at GHQ. of the Naga Army.

Workshop on jute diversiﬁed products CBCI condemns attacks in Mumbai

‘Hornbill’ promises to be a treat

Dimapur |November 27

NSCN (IM) holds two for extortion

NPF Tuensang Division informs

Morung Express News

Dimapur

one and all. Terrorism is evil, and all those involved in any terrorist activities are people working against the very foundation of human life which is sacred in the eyes of God.” CBCI have appealed to the people of Mumbai to maintain peace and harmony at this hour of pain and grief. Further the Government was urged to take strong and effective steps to check the menace of terrorism in India. CBCI expressed the need to adopt peaceful means to sort out issues, and affirmed that violence is an unacceptable means to achieve an end, however noble and desirable that might be.

Khing extend ‘Ngada greetings’ DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): On the festive occasion of ‘Ngada’ of the Rengma community, parliamentary secretary, Horticulture and Cooperation, R Khing greeted the people of the community. Ngada in Rengma literally means ‘the greatest festival among all the 52 agrarian rituals in a year’. The festival marks the end of the harvesting year and ushers in New Year. “On this auspicious occasion, I extend my warm greetings to all Rengmas and wish each and every one a happy Ngada and prosperous new year,” a greeting note from Khing stated.

DBYC informs KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Don Bosco Youth Centre, Kohima today informed all students who have taken addmission for coaching classes (new Course, NBSE) at the Centre that classes will resume on December 1 at 9:00 am. Students absenting on the first day of the class, their names will be cancelled, the DBYC notified.

NAGALAND UNIVERSITY (A Central University Estd. by the Act of Parliament No.35 of 1989)

HEADQUARTERS-LUMAMI: CAMP-KOHIMA-797001 ADVT.No.NU/ESTT/26

Dated Kohima, the 24th Nov '08

ADVERTISEMENT Nagaland University invites applications for the post of (1) Registrar and (2) Finance Ofﬁcer for appointment for a term of 5 (ﬁve) years. For details, please visit our website www.nagauniv.org.in. Registrar

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

YEAR OF CAPACITY BUILDING Hero Mindmine Institute will be providing a 9 month training course for C3P (Call Center Certificate Programme) through the Government of Nagaland’s Capacity Building Programme. Successful candidates will also be placed after completion of course in leading MNC Call Centres across India. •Candidates should be graduates or pursuing their final year in any stream •Should be 20-30yrs of age. Interested candidates may kindly submit their bio-data, mark sheets, indigenous certificate, birth certificate and 3 passport size photographs on or before the 12th of December, 2008. CENTRAL PLAZA, 3rd FLOOR, CHURCH ROAD 03862 – 213631 / 9856767245

C M Y K

Dimapur

Friday

BUSINESS

28 November 2008

Markets shut; attack raises risk premium

MUMBAI/SINGAPORE, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): A series of deadly attacks in Mumbai forced a closure of the country’s stock and commodity exchanges and drove up its risk premium in international credit markets. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) closed the bond and foreign exchange markets but said it would continue auctions to keep cash flowing through interbank lending markets, which seized up after the global financial crisis destroyed Wall Street banks in September. The capital markets regulator said the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will be closed on Thursday after the attacks, which killed 101 people and brought the security forces into two luxury hotels in south Mumbai. Coming at a time when foreigners have been heavy sellers of Indian assets, the attacks raised fears of a steeper fall in the rupee and a further blow to market confidence. But as traffic ground to a halt in south Mumbai, where the central bank and several financial institutions are located, it appeared the earliest indications of how anxious investors were would be known only on Friday. Traders in Singapore said there were no trades in offshore rupee forwards, but Indian stock index futures fell 2.5 percent in early Singapore trade. The risk premium for top Indian lender State

Blogs feed information frenzy on Mumbai blasts

SINGAPORE, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Bloggers across Mumbai fed live updates of the action after Islamist gunmen launched waves of attacks in the heart of India’s financial capital, highlighting the emergence of citizen jouralism in news coverage. Some, including a blogger named Vinu, were furiously uploading photos of damage from the attacks that killed at least 101 people and injured 287, with scores of foreigners, including Westerners trapped in luxury hotels. Images of the attacks also surfaced on photosharing website Flickr. Some bloggers provided running descriptions and commentaries from near the action, while others vented emotions. “I’ve been tweeting almost all night, too, from Mumbai. Upset and angry and bereft,” said businesswoman Dina Mehta on her blog, www.dinamehta.com/blog. Twitter, the wildly popular “micro-blogging” Bank of India (SBI) (SBI.BO: Quote, Profile, Research) rose. The state-owned bank is a proxy in the debt market for the government, which has no sovereign bonds outstanding. Credit default swaps, which are insurance-like contracts, on the bank’s five year bonds widened 15 basis points to 435 basis points after the attacks. “Clearly, it will be negative for the sentiment towards India at this point of time, the time when the world is already looking to be highly uncertain in term of its growth prospects,” said Joseph Tan, chief Asian economist at Credit Suisse in Singapore.

site where users communicate with short “tweets” of 140 characters or less, saw intense activity on Thursday. Within five seconds at 0748 GMT, 80 messages were posted. Posts included offers of help for the media and updates on the situation. “One terrorist has jumped from Nariman house building to Chabad house - group of police commandos have arrived on scene,” one tweeter wrote. Twitter came in for some criticism as well in the blogosphere for divulging too many details that could prove helpful to the gunmen holed up in the hotels with their hostages and who may have been been monitoring blog sites. “It’s a terrorist strike. Not entertainment. So tweeters, please be responsible with your tweets,” said one blogger identified as primaveron@mumbai. Several local Indian news channels were reported to have carried a live feed of the twitter updates on the Mumbai attacks.

“When the equity market actually opens, it could probably be opening down as opposed to the rest of Asia.” By 0340 GMT, the stock futures Nifty contract was down 39.5 points at 2,710 in thin volume, off a low of 2,670.5 but pointing to a likely steep fall in domestic shares. On Wednesday, the 50share NSE index gained 3.7 percent as rate cut expectations gathered after China cut interest rates. India’s main 30-share BSE index ended up 3.8 percent. The rupee closed Wednesday’s trading at 49.48 per dollar. It figures among the weak-

Trying to aid India’s weak public services, Mumbai Met Blog, (www. mumbai.metblogs.com) posted the telephone numbers of hospitals on its website, encouraging readers to donate blood. Blogs such as Mumbai Help (mumbaihelp.blogspot.com), offered advice to those with friends and family in the city. “Suggest you avoid calling. Lines are bound to be screwed.” New media analyst Cherian George said events such as the Mumbai attacks and the London bombings have spotlighted the emergence of citizen journalism and user-generated content. “If the event is highly dispersed and affects very large numbers of people, it would be physically impossible for a very large news organisation to keep track of every development,” George said. “Those kind of events show the great potential for all these user accounts to be valuable to the mainstream media,” he said.

est currencies in Asia this year alongside the Indonesian rupiah and Korean won, having dropped 20 percent against the dollar owing to capital outflows and a withdrawal of foreign credit lines from risky markets. Foreign investors have withdrawn about $13.5 billion dollars from the Indian stock market this year, compared with a record $34 billion from South Korea and $22 billion from Japan. Currency analysts and traders expect the rupee will weaken sharply when it opens for trading, but they also suspect any weakness will be knee-jerk and

fleeting, as it has been during the scores of previous bombings and attacks in India. “This might give reason for foreign funds to hold inflow for the time being, but the immediate concern will be on the domestic and tourism spending nearing the year-end,” said Enrico Tanuwidjaja, a currency strategist at OCBC Bank. “The Reserve Bank of India is likely to guard the dollar/rupee on possible spikes.” Credit Suisse’s Tan agreed. “Such terrorist attacks do not have a lasting impact on the market -- I don’t think it will have a lasting impact on India,” he said.

‘Food subsidy will go up to Rs 50,000 cr this ﬁscal’

C M Y K

The Morung Express

1,458.83 per quintal in 2008-09 from Rs 1,214.39 a quintal in 2006-07. Similarly, the economic cost of rice has gone up to nearly Rs 1,700 per quintal from Rs 1,411 levels in 200607. The Centre calculates the economic costs by taking into account purchase price along with transport and handling expenses. The purchase prices have shot up with the rise in the minimum support prices of rice and wheat. Sirohi said while the economic cost has increased, the issue price of foodgrains remained the same since 2002. The central issue price for wheat stands at Rs 200 per quintal for Antyodaya Anna Yojna ascheme, Rs 415 for Below Poverty Line and Rs 610 for Above Poverty Line categories. In the case of rice, the CIP is Rs 300 per quintal for AAY, Rs 565 for BPL and Rs 830 for APL categories. Import duty on crude palm oil if oilseeds prices are below MSP Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the government would

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 (AGENCIES): The Centre’s food subsidy bill will go up to Rs 50,000 crore this fiscal against the Budget estimate of about Rs 33,000 crore, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said. “The food subsidy will go up to Rs 50,000 crore in 2008- 09 fiscal,” Pawar said in New Delhi at the Economic Editors’ conference on Wednesday. The Centre had provided for Rs 32,667 crore for food subsidy under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and other welfare programmes. The government has procured a record 226.82 lakh tonnes of wheat in the 2008-09 season (AprilJune) against 111 lakh tonnes in the previous year. It bought a record 284 lakh tonnes of rice in 2007-08 (October-September). Besides higher procurement, Food Secretary Alka Sirohi attributed the rise in food subsidy to higher economic cost. In the case of wheat, economic cost rose to Rs

continue with the ban on non-basmati rice export and might consider imposing import duty on crude palm oil if oilseeds prices fall below MSP. He also ruled out reduction in minimum export price (MEP) and export duty imposed on basmati rice. “For the next 4-5 months, I do not want to create a situation where wheat and rice prices go up,” Pawar told reporters in New Delhi at the Economic Editors’ Conference on Wednesday. The government banned exports of non-basmati rice on 31st March as part of measures to control inflation. On basmati rice, it fixed MEP at USD 1,200 per tonne and also imposed export duty of Rs 8,000 a tonne. On imposition of import duties on edible oils, Pawar said, “If the (oilseeds) prices fall below minimum support price (MSP), then definitely we will act.” He noted that the prices of groundnut in Gujarat and soyabean in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have come down

T X Y S N V I C T U A L S J N

W S E F E S H N I K D O B N F

D S Q Z S E I U Q E S B O O A

N O I T C E R R U S N I T N Y

X P O W W O W I O M T L I E U

D S

I K E N C O R E M A E P O S Q

G A B T E P R A C K D R U U O

D O G G E R Y I E R I M A C L

O T Y R S K F H N X R N O H I

X T A I H I S T R I O N I C L

L L B R A P S C A L L I O N S

O U O A G P R O V I D E N C E

O A R T T U K E O N I D C W O

G M E L O D E O N R F W C O H

Bodkin

Melodeon

Bray

Mire

Carpetbag

Mortification

Doggery Doxology Encore

NGADA FESTIVAL

Ngada means a festival of thanksgiving for all the blessings received during the year, and it is celebrated at the end of November every year by the Rengmas after all the harvested grains are brought home. It is a festival for feasting, dancing, singing, rejoicing, merry-making and amusement. As it is a feasting festival in a year, the villagers eagerly look forward to the celebration of this festival to come, and none of the villager will miss it in the olden days. Ngada celebrations continue for seven days. Rice-beer and meat are the main food of Ngada. Ngada is an occasion to forgive one another and thereafter to rejoice together, sing together, dance together, eat together, drink together and so on. One can display one’s talent in Ngada for singing, dancing, stamping and sound -voice singing. Ngada is very important for every person to show of his capability in culture. . Ngada marks the end of the year and New Year begins as soon as seven days ceremonies of Ngada end. When Ngada is over, preparation for cultivation of new field begin. When Ngada is celebrated, every activity will start from beginning as fresh and there is no more barred to start new work. According to our custom, unless Ngada is celebrated, it is a taboo to start new activities for next. Before Ngada is celebrated, there are some preliminary ceremonies to be solemnized first otherwise Ngada cannot be celebrated. As soon as all the villagers bring the harvested paddy from field to granary, the preparation for preliminary ceremonies begin. The three preliminary gennas which inter-link Ngada to be observed first. Crab-offering genna (Kepitikeshii Kezi): It is genna to have more abundantly even after rice is taken from granary. Everyone goes on in search of crabs in the streams, and early morning mother or daughter goes to granary without speaking to anyone and offers burnt female crab along with rice and kitchen dust to paddy in order to have more abundantly. Female crab is offered because she has hundreds of eggs. Paddy top eating genna (Asumi Ketsa) On this genna also, early next morning mother or daughter goes to granary without speaking to anyone and take a little paddy on the top, she husks the rice by herself and then cook and eat food with crab. This genna is observed to safeguards against the waste of grain.

Jungle clearing ceremony (Akezenkevi) On this day every father observes his luck. Early morning, without speaking to anyone he goes to his propose field to be cultivated in that year and clear a little jungle, make fire to observe its smoke and also observe his luck with slips of wood. If the smoke goes up straight, it is good, in that case there will be good harvesting but if his luck observation is not good, in that case, he will not cultivate that field. As soon as these three preliminary gennas are ended, the preparation for Ngada immediately begins. When preparations are ready, announcer-priest announce the date of Ngada at the advice of Anuponghankhan/

DAILY CROSS WORD

LEISURE W O

but are ruling not below MSPs. The Centre recently imposed 20 per cent import duty on crude soyabean oil, but kept duties on other edible oils unchanged. On 31st March, the Centre announced a slew of concessions including abolition of import duties on crude edible oils and cut duties on refined oils to 7.5 per cent. “If the oilseeds prices fall below MSP, the government has two options. First, enter market (by purchasing) to protect farmers’ interests and secondly withdrawal of concessions given on imports,” Pawar said, adding that he has received communication from States like Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh on the issue. Asked about import of edible oils by the government, the Minister said “We will go slow on this” because lifting from the States has gone down. In July 2008, the Centre introduced a scheme to sell cooking oils through the public distribution system (PDS) at a subsidy of Rs 15 per kg.

PUBLICDISCOURSE

Y L R Z L Y N C H E D O F Y X

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD # 1165

The Morung Express number game

Sudoku # 1148

Answers to CROSSWORD #1164

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 #1147

Nonesuch

Grit

Powwow

Harem

Providence

Histrionic

Rapscallions

Insurrection

Shekel

Kin

Soliloquy

Lynched

Victuals

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)

K. Kath Rengma President, Rengma Hoho, Dimapur

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:

Mulatto

Obsequies

patriarchs. As soon as the announcerpriest announces the commencement of Ngada, celebration begins the next day. On the first day, everyone stays at home and make ajütsa (rice-beer) for offering on the day of genna and also rice-beer for feast. It is called rice-beer making day. On the second day, it is called graves repairing day. On this day the graves of ancestors and dear ones are repaired and cleaned, and also village surroundings are cleaned for festival. Our forefather’s belief is that repairing and cleaning of graves has manifold meanings. One is to make dead persons happy during Ngada who stays at home till Ngada is celebrated, and another is to get new strength of life. Third day is called dead person’s leafcup placing day. On this day mothers put leaf-cup of ajütsa on the graves of parent, grandparents, ancestors of their husband and dear ones. Paganism belief is that ancestors have power to influence the crops and prosperity to their descendants. On this day particularly Kandinu villagers used to watch dead persons going to their dead village at Tuyi Mountain from view site at Ghatenshil. The fourth day is called the day of cleaning the cloth and weapons. On this day every grown man goes to spring well and take bath, wash clothes and weapons for next day festival. Spear and dao are washed again and again till it shines to be used in Ngada procession. And also all tradition attires are taken out from canecasket and spread them on the sunlight to wear them in the next day of procession. The fifth day is the day of procession, singing and dancing. On this day early in the morning every man goes to clan’s morung and offer pita modhu (ajiltsa) to deity and spirits. And thereafter, feasting start in every house. On this day, in-laws, relatives, family friends, villagers including unknown guests are welcomed to every house for feasting. Even the poorest of the poor feeds his in-laws, relatives and friends. Ngada feasting in every house continue from morning to noon till Ngada procession start. This is the day of wearing traditional attires for rejoicing in singing and dancing. Ngada processions start from clans morung and come to an end at morung. Procession is usually led by clanpriest or old man and when procession come to the chieftain’s or rich man’s compound, the young men do stamping and dancing. At the sunset, Ngada procession comes to an end. On the sixth day, not whole village but young men continue to wear the same traditional attires and go on singing and dancing from house to house and eat and drink the whole day. In the evening, they gather at morung and drink for an hour which is the last part of Ngada celebration. The seventh day is called Ngada closing ceremony. It is a genna to go to a field on this day but can bring firewood, thatch, house-posts etc. On this day of closing ceremony, all traditional attires are cleaned up and kept them in cane casket. In this way, the celebration of Ngada come to an end.

ACROSS 1. Just what the doctor ___ (7) 4. ___ and sweet (5) 6. To ___ is human (3) 8. ___ comic (7) 10. Pins and ___ (7) 11. ___ button (5) 12. The devil is in the ___ (6) 13. Belt and ___ (6) 16. ___ on the cake (5) 18. Time is of the ___ (7) 20. Finders ___ (7) 22. Like a red ___ to a bull (3) 23. Older and ___ (5) 24. Free ___ (7)

DOWN 1. A drop in the ___ (5) 2. It is always ___ just before the dawn (7) 3. Cease and ___ (6) 4. All at ___ (3) 5. In ___ days (5) 7. A ___ stone gathers no moss (7) 9. ___ and shovels (5) 11. Catch ___ (7) 12. Eat, ___ and be merry (5) 14. Operated by remote ___ (7) 15. The lion, king of ___ (6) 17. ___ of interest (5) 19. Rough around the ___ (5) 21. Play it by ___ (3)

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) 48.65 74.73 5.41 498.51 12.23 30.23 135.05 12.46 63.12

SELL(Rs) 51.19 78.84 7.42 551.46 15.17 35.37 146.55 14.59 66.42

REGIONAL

The Morung Express

Friday 28 November 2008

Dimapur

Church imposes own strict election code on Mizoram AIZAWL, NOVEMBER 27 (AGENCIES): With few posters and banners, no loudspeakers and a general absence of political hubbub, it is hard to say that elections in Mizoram, the mountainous state bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh, are less than a week away. This has less to do with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India than with the state’s own strict electoral code of conduct issued by the church. Television and mobile phones are the only campaign tools allowed ahead of the elections to the 40-member state assembly. In sharp contrast to the other five poll-bound states in the country, Mizoram, which goes to the polls Dec 2, is free from the hurly-burly of electioneering. “Thanks to the diktat of the Presbyterian Church, campaigning here is in a low key. Other Indian states could take a lead from Mizoram,” said Rev H Vanlalauva, president of the Mizoram People’s Forum (MPF). The church-sponsored MPF, an umbrella of NGOs, has issued a ‘code of conduct’ for parties and candidates to follow during the elections. All the parties are strictly abiding by the guidelines. Vanlalauva said: “This is possible in Mizoram as the church has an overwhelming impact and domination on Mizo society.” In view of the MPF’s strict poll guidelines, the Election Commission’s statutory model code of conduct for the parties and candidates has become irrelevant. “We did not get a single complaint of violation of the model code since electioneering began last month,” said Lalhmingthanga, joint chief electoral officer. Unlike most other Indian states, Mizoram also stands out for the fact that women voters here outnumber their male counterparts. There are 308,884 female voters as against 302,240 men, in an electorate of

611,124. But the state joins others in fielding fewer women candidates in the polls. Only nine women candidates found nominations in a total of 205 contestants. There are no women legislators in the present assembly either, since all the seven who contested the 2003 elections had lost. Since Mizoram became a Union Territory in 1972 and a full- fledged state in 1986, there have been only three women legislators Thanmawii (1978), K. Thansiami (1979) and Lalhlimpui (1987). Lalhlimpui was the only woman minister in 1987. The ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) has again nominated Lalhlimpui in the Hrangturzo constituency while the main opposition Congress has fielded its women wing supremo Zothankimi in Aizawl West. The United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a conglomeration of various regional parties, has fielded H. Lalhmingthangi in the Champhai South constituency against MNF chief and Chief Minister Zoramthanga. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) have fielded two women candidates each while two other smaller parties too have nominated two women candidates. “Mizo society in pre-modern times was strictly based as a patriarchal society,” said Sekhar Paul, a renowned sociologist. The women were largely relegated to the home and denied a public role in social and religious life, he added. Another important feature in the Mizoram polls is that more than 80 percent of the 205 candidates are relatively young, aged between 30 and 45 years. However, among the three chief ministerial candidates, UDA’s 86year-old Brig T. Sailo is the oldest candidate. MNF supremo Zoramthanga is 64 and the Congress’ Lal Thanhawla is 68.

Mizoram wants Indo-Manmar border sealed

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 (THE TELEGRAPH): Mizoram has asked the Centre to seal the Indo-Myanmar border, adding to voices from the Northeast seeking a check on smugglers and traffickers. The Mizoram government has sent a short letter to the home ministry on this, sources said. Earlier in the week, Manipur raised similar concerns while intelligence reports sounded an alert on an increase in arms smuggling on October 31. “They want the entire border sealed by deployment

AIZAWL, NOVEMBER 27 (AGENCIES): Inspired by U.S. President-elect Barak Obama’s victory speech and his trademark slogan “change we need,” firsttime voters in Mizoram say they want the December 2 Assembly polls to bring about a change in every sphere of life in the northeastern State. “Like Obama said change we need, it is time we change. We need change in every sphere. Change for

the better. More particularly in education, we need a drastic change. We need better courses, infrastructure. We need better institutions… ,” Lalnunmawii, III year student of B.A. (English) of the Pachhunga University College here, told The Hindu. Endorsing his friend, Jonathan Lalthingpuia, a student of third year of B.A. (Sociology), says: “We need quality educational institutions like the IIT, good engineering colleges, better

courses, Internet facilities in our schools, colleges so that we can be on a par with students elsewhere in the world. We need a government in Mizoram that can bring about these changes.” The total number of electorate has increased from 5,32,462 voters in the 2003 Assembly polls to 6,11,124, and a majority of the new voters are first-time electors. R. Lalrinmawia of III B.Sc (Chemistry) said Mizoram needed a combi-

Five gunned down by militants in Manipur IMPHAL,NOVEMBER 27 (ANI):Five laborers were shot dead and some seriously injured by suspected Naga militants at Maphou dam area located near the border of Ukhrul and Thoubal districts in Manipur. The militants in army uniform gunned down five labourers engaged in the construction of the dam over Thoubal river at Maphou area under Litan police station. Equipment used in the construction of the dam were also damaged by the militants Injured people have been admitted to hospital in critical condition. Bodies of the dead have been taken to Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital in Imphal for postmortem. The militants escaped under the cover of darkness after the attack which took place at around 10 pm last night. Security has been tightened in Maphou to prevent any untoward incident after the killings. Local residents and committees Security personnel check luggage of passengers at a platform in Gauhati railway station in Guwahati on November had recently took out a procession 27. The England and Wales Cricket Board released a statement conﬁrming it had agreed to postpone the 6th one- in protest against the construction day international cricket match to be held in Guwahati following terror attacks that killed people in Mumbai, and of the dam before properly rehabilitating the affected people. that the team would remain in Bhubaneswar, near Cuttack, for 24 hours pending further talks. (AP Photo)

Mumbai Bleeds: Battle Rages On

From page 1 About 40 of them are also believed to be taken as hostages by the militants and are being shifted from one floor to the other frequently. Militants have opened fire on the eighth floor of the Trident hotel in Mumbai, which is still under their siege. Meanwhile, the National Security Guard has declared an all-clear at the Taj Mahal hotel where a fierce gunbattle was on between the forces and terrorists for the past 20 hours. The NSG says all terrorists at Taj have been killed that it will comb the premises very carefully. Earlier, a huge explosion was heard from inside the hotel at around 2000 hrs. MARCOS, the first team to enter the hotels, encountered stiff resistance from the terrorists who were heavily armed and well entrenched inside. One commando was killed two others injured in the operation at Taj in which one rucksack full of plastic explosives, eight–nine loaded AK–47 magazines, large amounts of ammunition, hand grenades, detonators, batteries, wrist watches for IEDs, foreign currencies, fake credit cards, dry fruits and cash carried by the terrorists were recovered. Around 10-12 terrorists are still holed up in the Trident hotel and have taken many hostage. Some of them are Israeli and Canadian nationals. Seven people have been rescued from the Trident, two have been brought out on stretchers. At least 125 people have been killed so far, including nine foreigners and 327 injured in a series of well-coordinated terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Terrorists, who apparently came in by boats, struck at 10 places in south Mumbai

dulge in cross-border arms deals. The matter came up for discussion between foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and Myanmar’s deputy foreign minister U Kyaw Thu in Yangon last weekend. Home ministry officials said it was not possible to give in to such requests as it is an “open border” and people of the two countries are engaged in regular trade. Moreover, “friendly” Myanmar joined the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as an observer and will take

PM points ﬁnger at neighbors

From page 1 “We will take up strongly with our neighbours that the use of their territory for launching attacks on us will not be tolerated, and that there would be a cost if suitable measures are not taken by them,” he added. India has in the past frequently accused arch-rival Pakistan of backing Islamic militants active in India, although the prime minister did not identify any country by name. “In this hour of tragedy, I appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony so that the enemies of our country

including five-star hotels, hospitals and train stations. Speaking to NDTV, Maharashtra Director General of Police A N Roy said, “There is no indication so far of the identity of the terrorists.” He said that the terrorists were highly armed, level of weapons and training suggest that they are not locals. He said, “There is hostage situation at Trident and the police were trying to capture the ultras alive.” NSG Commandos launched operations in the Nariman House building in Colaba too. This was the second place that was attacked in Mumbai. Two men came on a scooter and hurled a grenade at nearby petrol pump. Though the grenade missed the petrol reservoir, it destroyed a facade of the station. The terrorists then ran into Nariman House building behind petrol pump into a Jewish residential building.

do not succeed in their nefarious designs,” he said. “All concerned authorities are on alert and will deal sternly with any attempts to disturb public order. I am confident that the people of India will rise united to face this grave challenge to the nation’s security and integrity,” he added. He also vowed to take “the strongest possible measures to ensure that there is no repetition of such terrorist acts.” “Existing laws will be tightened to ensure that there are no loopholes available to terrorists to escape the clutches of the law,” he said. Here, the terrorists murdered two people and then went silent for several hours till early this morning. This is another place apart from the Taj and the Trident, which are under siege. Policemen were able to successfully flush out terrorists from the Cama hospital and everything seems to be calm now. Curfew has been imposed at Colaba and Gateway of India. At least 800 Army personnel have been deployed at various locations in Mumbai. At least 14 policemen have been killed across the city, including the head of the Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad Hemant Karkare, who was shot three times. Meanwhile, train services have resumed at the CST station. Lufthansa, Northwest and Air France have cancelled their flights. On their part, hotels in Mumbai have been asked not to take new guests.

over the chairmanship of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) next year. Notwithstanding the concern over arms smuggling, the two countries have finalised the opening of one more border trade point at Avakhung in Phek district of Nagaland to promote trade. On Saturday, the Manipur police chief had asked home minister Shivraj Patil at a conference of directors-general of police to review security on the international border.

First-time voters take their cue from Obama

5 labourers shot dead IMPHAL, NOVEMBER 27 (PTI): Five labourers were shot dead and another seriously injured by suspected Naga militants at Maphou dam area located at the border of Ukhrul and Thoubal districts, official sources said here. Sources said yesterday the militants in combat dress gunned down five labourers engaged in the construction of the dam over Thoubal river at Maphou area under Litan police station. A labourer who was also shot at was in critical condition in a hospital, sources said, adding that the militants escaped under cover of darkness after the attack which took place at around 10 pm. All the bodies were taken to Regional Institute of Medical Science and Hospital here for postmortem.Security have been beefed up at Maphou dam area to prevent any untoward incident following the killings. Several equipment used in the construction of the dam were also damaged by the militants. Local residents and committees had recently objected to construction of the dam before properly rehabilitating the affected people.

of paramilitary forces,” a home ministry official said. According to sources, Aizawl had become a “wholesale market” for arms dealers who criss-cross Myanmar and Bangladesh via this porous region to sell their wares. Security agencies are also worried by Chinese involvement in arms smuggling. The Centre is alarmed by feedback on the NSCN (Khaplang) having contacts across the border with Myanmarese arms smugglers. The NSCN (IsakMuivah) faction, too, is known to in-

Bush and Barack Obama condemn Mumbai attacks

Rio expresses ‘displeasure’ to CS From page 1 A decision was already been taken to file for review of the high court order dated January 28, 1993 in the WP (C ) rule number 3354/91 for which on two occasions directions have been passed to the law and P& AR departments. It is also observed that the government has also assured the NSF…that review shall be filed in the court”. Making clear that ‘there can be no excuses whatsoever, to explain the lapses away” the CM noted that the affidavit for review “have been signed about four

months back but had not been filed in the court”. This conduct, Rio said, of the erring officials tantamount to direct insubordination and undermining of the state Cabinet. “I desire that an inquiry be instituted to o into the lapses to ascertain and fix responsibility on the officials involved and also initiate disciplinary action so as to ensure that such casual approach on important and sensitive issues are avoided in future” Rio made clear. The chief secretary is told to report on the action taken, to the CM.

nation of young people with new ideas and old people with experience to run the government. A majority of the first-time voters were born after the Mizo National Front signed the Mizo Peace Accord with New Delhi in 1986 to end insurgency. The ruling MNF, however, feels that its campaign film, “Farewell to Arms” on the two decades-long underground movement would inspire the first-time voters to back the party.

“The first-time voters are sure to have their independent thought. This is the case not only in Mizoram but also in other States and other countries. “We have been screening our film in every village so that those born after the signing of the peace accord may know about their past, the sacrifices made by their parents and elders for their present future,” said MNF general secretary and party’s campaign director F. Aithanga.

TMNL, KSO reacts to non-release of post-matric scholarship DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL) (Tangkhul Youth Council) and Kuki Student Organization (KSO), Ukhrul in a joint sitting convened on November 26, 2008 at TMNL office in regards to non-release of post-matric scholarship for the session 2007-2008 to the tribals who are pursuing B.Th, M.Div etc in various institutions across the country, agreed in a consensus to spearhead various form of agitations to the concerned authorities and government of Manipur. It may be mentioned that tribal students who are pursuing B.Th, M.Div etc in various institutions across the country were denied post-matric scholarship for the session 20072008 though they enjoy PMS in the past for so many years. “Denying the scholar-

ship to the deserved students is a political game and exploitation committed to the tribals by the concerned authorities,” KSO President Th. Helun Baite and President, Zanyo Varam, TMNL (Ukhrul) said in a joint press release. They also made mention that neighbouring states like Mizoram and Nagaland are getting various support, beneficiary and arrangement for the above section of the youths. “It is really unfortunate that the state government is remaining silent about the issue intentionally,” it added. Therefore, TMNL and KSO seek the cooperation, support and suggestion from various organizations/NGOs, civil organizations and societies etc. in spearheading the issue in greater interest of tribal youths and youths of the state in general.

DEDICATED TO LATE SHUBA PHOM ON HIS 17TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY 28 NOVEMBER 1991- 28 NOVEMBER 2008 DESTINY SHATTERS DREAMS OF LOSING YOU, DAYS ARE FADING AWAY, SAT I BY THE SAME SPOT ALONE, NEVER A SUN GOES DOWN WITHOUT REMEMBERING YOU, THE SMILE THAT ONCE WAS OURS NO MORE, I’M LONELY AS AN ISLAND INHABITATED, WAITING FOR BINDING SICKLE, WISH I COULD CREOSS THE CHASM TP REACH YOU, NOTHING REMAINS BUT THE SWEET MEMORIES OF YOURS. TO CHERISH IN MY HEART FOREVER, TILL THAT CRUEL HANDS TAKE MY LIFE TO END. WHERE AGAIN WE WILL MEET IN THE HEAVENLY ABODE, NEVER TO BE DEPARTED AGAIN.

From page 1 The State Department said there were no known American casualties in the attacks, in which at least 86 people were killed and 250 wounded, but the White House said it was still “assessing the hostage situation.” U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, who takes office on Jan. 20, also condemned the FROM LOVING SON, attacks. “These coordinated WANMEI C PHOM. attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism,” Brooke Anderson, Obama’s spokeswoman on national security, said in a statement. “The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. An aide to Obama said the president-elect, who was at home in Chicago, had spoken to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to get a briefing on the situation and called India’s ambassador to the United States to express his condolences. Rice was closely monitoring the situation, a State Department official said. “The Secretary will be reaching out to officials at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and at the consulate in Mumbai. She will be reaching out to Indian government officials as well. The situation on the ground is extremely fluid,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The State Department has created a call center for Americans seeking any information on relatives or friends affected The road under construction by the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) to prepare for the 96th National Science Conby the attacks. The number gress in Shillong on November 27. The Project costing Rs 7.5 crore with 5.5 km in length from Mawiong Mcdonald road to NEHU campus is under construction with agreement from PWD and local dorbar of the area. (UB Photos) is 1-888-407-4747.

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express FRIDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2008 VOL. III ISSUE 330

Terror—Global Dilemma

n one of the most audacious terror strikes on Indian soil, Mumbai has come under unprecedented night attack as terrorists used heavy machine guns, including AK-47s, and grenades to strike at the city’s most high-profile targets including high profile hotels, transport hubs and even hospitals— killing at least 101 and sending hundreds of injured to hospital. The attacks have taken a tragic toll on the city’s top police brass: The high-profile chief of the anti-terror squad Hemant Karkare was killed; Mumbai’s additional commissioner of police (east) Ashok Kamte was gunned down outside the Metro; and celebrated encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar was also killed. The nature of the operations would also suggest that it was aimed at getting international attention as the terrorists took up to 40 British nationals and other foreigners’ hostage. It is quite clear that the terrorists who carried out these attacks had a cleat objective in mind. The target of Mumbai—the commercial capital indicates a New York 9/11 kind of motive i.e. to cripple the financial hub of the world’s largest democracy. Beyond condemnations, what should be worrying for the Indian establishment is the ease with which such attacks are being carried out, especially over the last one year with the Intelligence, Police and the Security Agencies having failed completely in undoing the terror game plan. The Mumbai incident in fact comes in the immediate backdrop of a high level security meet of DGPs called by the Prime Minister where the latter even announced the setting up of a task force under the National Security Advisor— giving a road map within 100 days for better intelligence and policing. While the Prime Minister’s new initiative is a step in the right direction—yet it comes as too late in the day. The other proposal of the Prime Minister—a standing committee of DGPs to advise the home ministry on policing—apart from recommending more policemen to man the home ministry as bureaucrats have been unequal to the task, are all creative ways to strengthen internal security from the top. But whether the clueless and hapless Home Minister is up to the task, it is anybody’s guess. The problem with Home Minister Shivraj Patil is that he is still in denial mode and as a result he has not been able to give a befitting response to such terror attacks. With the prodding from the PM himself hopefully the Home Minister will now come up with a road map on tackling terror. The latest strike in Mumbai should not be seen as an isolated incident. There is a global dimension to the emerging terror networks. Wednesday’s attack conjures up images of the strike on Madrid’s train system in 2004 that killed 191 people and the London blasts on July 7, 2005. If one was to add the 9/11 New York terrorist attack in the list of similar incidents in the last seven years, it points to only one thing—the intent of international terrorists desperate to destroy the citadels of peace and democracy in these countries. What is required is a global effort to fight terrorism. The United Nations and not Washington should take the lead because under the UN, a more concerted and apolitical global effort can be put into place and doing away with years of Washington’s ill thought-out campaigns launched for the purpose of regime change and economic self interest, which only helped fuel more acrimony especially in the Muslim world. It has to be pointed out that a successful campaign against terrorism requires other non-military elements. The Mumbai incident also reiterates the need to address political problems in a fair and just manner. A world order that encourages grievances to linger will also be a world that will have many more of New York, Madrid, London and Mumbai.

LEFT WING |

Aaron David Miller

Getting Right with Israel

f all the foreign policy issues confronting President Barack Obama, one of the most challenging will be how to deal with Israel. Will the new president maintain a special relationship with Israel (which serves American interests) or permit that relationship to continue to be exclusive (which doesn’t)? The answer may well determine how successful the United States will be in Arab-Israeli peacemaking and in protecting its interests in the Middle East. America has a special relationship with the state of Israel which is not likely to change. Sixty years on, that bond remains more resilient than ever, nurtured by a powerful pro-Israeli community that has made Israel a survival issue. Israel figures prominently in the mind of America, in its politics, culture and foreign policy. For millions of Americans, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, a strong tie with Israel, driven by shared values, sympathy for Jewish victims of historic antiSemitism and support for Israel’s perilous security predicament, has become an integral part of the American story. But President Obama will inherit more than just a special relationship that is good for American interests and values. He will also inherit an exclusive relationship with Israel that is not. Over the past 16 years (eight under Bill Clinton and eight under George W. Bush), we have, perhaps with the best of intentions, allowed our relationship with Israel to get out of whack and out of balance. This has hurt America credibility, particularly in ArabIsraeli peacemaking, and Israeli interests. Several factors drive this exclusiveness. First is our tendency to let the Israelis have too much influence over our tactics and strategy when it comes to Arab-Israeli peacemaking. What I call the “Jewish lobby of one” - the impact that a compelling Israeli prime minister can have on an American president - can be decisive. Whether it was Ehud Barak’s success in convincing Clinton to go for a make-or-break Camp David summit or Ariel Sharon’s campaign to persuade Bush to do the road map his way, we seem to be unable to say no to bad Israeli ideas. Close coordination with Israelis on matters vital to their security is one thing. Allowing the Israelis to hijack American peacemaking and undermine our credibility is another matter. Far too often we end up being Israel’s lawyer and not an advocate for both sides in a negotiation. The other element in our exclusive relationship is our refusal to call the Israelis on behavior that undermines the very negotiating process we’re trying to promote. Actually we’re an equal opportunity employer on this one since over the years we’ve not been tough enough with the other side - Palestinians and Syrians - either. Still, on settlement activity, bypass roads or land confiscation, we’ve given the Israelis a pass now for at least 16 years, imposed no accountability or transparency on policies that have nothing to do with Israeli security needs. That we don’t want to sanction the Israelis is understandable; they’re a close ally. But we should make it unmistakably clear that we won’t lend our authority or auspices to any peacemaking process in which Israeli or Palestinian behavior undermines it and destroys American credibility at the same time. If Obama wants to have any chance of succeeding in Arab-Israeli diplomacy, he needs to get right with Israel. He needs to reassure Israel, a small country living in a dangerous neighborhood. But he also needs to be tough and tenacious in guarding America’s role as an independent and fair mediator. No one will plant a tree in his honor if he succeeds in brokering a peace agreement. Just ask Henry Kissinger, Jimmy Carter or James Baker. But he’ll have done something quite remarkable for America - and in the process, despite the moans, for Israel as well. Aaron David Miller advised Democratic and Republican U.S. secretaries of state on Arab-Israeli negotiations. He is currently a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

C O M M E N T A R Y

THE EDIT PAGE

Michelle Roberts | Associated Press Writer

A Bomb Technician Fights Back

ary Dague hears the her life. She married Jared Tillery in cap. Dague heaved it over to the truck by seemed heavier than they ever had before. catty whispers some- 2006 about 12 hours after they decided herself while the other guys made fun of “I just wanted to see home again,” she says. times. “So ugly,” the to date - including the time it took to find her burly EOD teammate. “You’re gon- They arrived a day later at Brooke Army strangers say when a skirt and blouse at Sears and to mobi- na let that little girl carry that big heavy Medical Center in San Antonio’s Fort Sam Houston, one of the Army’s primary medithey think she can’t lize a friend ordained over the Internet. thing?” they cackled. “She can handle it,” he retorted, cal treatment complexes for war amputees. hear. The 24-year-old Dague and Tillery had been friends in has bright green eyes, a quick smile, and EOD school, where she was one of the few Dague remembers with a smile. The Dague recalls her first few days there, staron the days she gets her husband’s help, women. Some people resented that, but cap teetered when she set it down, and ing out the window of her room, seeing perfectly applied mascara and blush. But Tillery, a lanky 23-year-old who grew up instinctively, she put her hands out to people going about their lives. “They have no idea what you lose in all the gawkers really see are her arms, in Wisconsin, says he never thought much steady it. “Boom! and I went flying,” each amputated above the elbow. What about it. The pair hung out together while she says. Blood was everywhere. Oth- here, do they?” she mused to a nurse. To understand what Dague has they don’t suppose - with no lost, consider what it would fatigues or standard-issue be like to eat, dress, bathe Army T-shirt to clue them and use a computer without in - is that this chatty young the aid of your lower arms - to woman, who likes to wear a have to pick up a cup or open little black dress to fancy parthe refrigerator door with ties as much as the next girl, is your elbows. Most everyan Army sergeant whose arms thing becomes a mammoth were blown off as she dismantask or requires assistance. tled a bomb in Iraq. She was “You don’t realize how much awarded a Purple Heart. you need your fingers,” says In uniform, she’s often Tillery, now a reservist. “If I recognized as a wounded see her trying something, the veteran and thanked for best thing is to walk away and her service. Out of uniform, let her try it.” Otherwise, the she pretends not to hear the urge to step in and help her careless whispers. “At first, becomes overpowering. it kind of hurts, and then, it Dague uses her toes to makes you sad,” she says. Sad work the TV remote control not for herself, but for those and the computer mouse, and she sees wasting their youth a pair of hooks on the bedand opportunities. “I’m 24, room wall help pull clothes and I feel like I’ve lived a up and down. She clutches a full, happy life already.” It’s glass between her upper arms a life forever marred by an to take a drink. She’s practiced accident that has made even holding a pen the same way. “I the simplest task a struggle, have horrible hand writing,” and rehabilitation is slow. But she’s eagerly looking be- Sergeant. Mary Dague in the kitchen of her home in San Antonio, Wednesday, Octomebr 8, 2008. Dague, 24, she jokes, gesturing to the notebook paper on the fridge yond it, to the day she gets a lost her arms dismantling a bomb in Iraq. She was awarded a Purple Heart. (AP Photo) that reads “I (heart) Jared” in sophisticated prosthetic arm and beyond that, to a time when she’s in training and stayed friends even after er soldiers were frantically checking shaky red marker lines. At the home she she was stationed at Fort Lewis in Wash- her wounds and applying tourniquets, and Jared share in suburban San Antonio, self-sufficient. For all the talk of women on the war- ington state and Tillery was assigned to a shielding her eyes so she couldn’t see her she can feed herself, but in public it simarms, “but I already knew,” Dague says. ply draws too much unwanted attention. front, soldiers like Dague remain ex- supply unit at Fort Hood in Texas. During Tillery’s visit to Fort Lew- A piece of shrapnel was wedged in her So her husband helps her in restaurants. tremely rare. Of the roughly 840 service Many cuts after her first try, Dague members who have lost limbs since the is, their relationship moved from one sunglasses. She remembers someone saystart of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that was platonic to romantic to, within ing he couldn’t tell where all the blood can now shave her legs by holding a razor only about 20 are women. The vast major- hours, marriage. Both were deployed to was coming from and needed to cut off with her toes - not a skill rehab workers ity of those 21st century war amputees lost Iraq with their units a few months after her pants and boots. “Fine, do it,” she have to teach most other amputee vetertheir legs or feet, often in roadside bomb- they married. They began life as a mar- said, all the while asking whether every- ans. She still needs practice with a hook arm before she can be fitted for a prosings. Only about one in five has lost up- ried couple in Iraq in early 2007. Just one else was OK. “I was trying to keep everyone from thetic arm and hand. That gives her hope per extremities. The job of a bomb techni- weeks after Tillery had arrived in Iraq, cian, part of a team called in to detonate his younger brother, 19-year-old Marine freaking out, and I wanted to keep myself of “a semi-normal life,” she says. But ask or dismantle explosive devices, is open to Lance Cpl. Jesse Tillery, was killed by from going into shock or falling asleep. I her whether she has any regrets about women because it’s considered a noncom- an explosive device in Anbar province. didn’t want to die,” she says. A helicopter volunteering to be a bomb tech, and bat role, though few women enter the dan- After that, he was kept close to the base. took her to a field hospital. “Dude,” she there is no hesitation. “I love that job,” gerous line of work. Armywide, 6 percent “They wouldn’t let him go outside the said to the soldier standing next to her, she says, swaying her damaged arms. “I “this sucks.” Tillery had decided to skip miss it. I miss it terribly.” wire,” Dague says. of bomb techs are women. For now, with months of physical Dague, on the other hand, was fre- lunch that day, so his office was nearly Dague didn’t plan on being a bomb tech when she enlisted. She was weary quently out in dangerous territory with her abandoned when about a dozen officers therapy ahead of her, she relies on her of waiting tables and working as a maid teammate. They routinely blew up or dis- from his battalion walked in. “We’ve got husband for many basic tasks. He brushand just itching to get out of her tiny mantled explosive devices found by mili- some bad news,” they said. A convoy took es her teeth, and she has taught him to hometown of Superior in western Mon- tary patrols, trying to outsmart insurgents him to the hospital, where he waited as apply her makeup. “She’s trying to detana. She thought she might want to be targeting American forces. Nothing about surgeons carefully removed shrapnel and scribe to me the strokes. She says, ‘Just a military policeman, since her dad is Nov. 4, 2007, made her think the call they treated the flash burns on his wife’s face grab that mascara.’ What’s that? This?” the undersheriff in Mineral County, but got that morning would be any different. It to minimize scarring. “I was just a com- he says, with mock exasperation. “I just there were no slots for MPs. She rolled shouldn’t have blown. It was just blasting plete wreck because you don’t know what keep telling her she owes me so many breakfasts in bed.” All of it has sorely her eyes when the recruiter suggested she cap, rubber and some wires sticking out, you’re going to see,” Tillery says. What was left of her arms was covered tested their young marriage. “He’s bebecome a “petroleum distribution engi- with a bit of explosive gunk stuck to it, not in bandages, a tube held her airway open, come everything she can’t be right now, neer.” “I’m not going to pump gas for the enough to do serious damage. Dague and another EOD tech had al- and “her face was so swollen, you could and that’s a big job,” says Mike Johnson, Army, I’m sorry,” Dague said. Explosive ordnance disposal. EOD. That was more ready placed the plaster from the top of hardly recognize her,” he recalls. They were Dague’s father. “I love him dearly.” The like it. “If I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna go the device, most of the explosive mate- taken to Germany, where Dague remem- couple plans a formal wedding in June. rial and the components in separate con- bers the sedatives wearing thin enough She’s already found a dress. “She’s got all out,” she said. Dague was talking about the Army, tainers on the truck. All that was left was for her to recognize something was wrong like eight of them picked out,” Tillery but she could have been talking about the 1 1/2-foot-wide (46-centimeter-wide) with her arms. Bandaged, they somehow teases. “You have no idea.”

Letters to the Editor A Mother’s Plea to the Power dept •Sir-I am mother with three children and I speak on behalf of mothers who from morning to night work to maintain the house and to look after the children. In Duncan Bosti colony where I live, the light keeps going off and on in the mornings from 5am to 8am. This has been happening now for more than a month. For a mother the mornings are very busy because we have to feed our children and send them off to school and to do other household chores. Unluckily for me, the non-availability of lights during this peak hours for mothers make my work much more difficult. I am sure other mother in the same colony face the same problem. In this light I appeal to the power department to see that there is continuous supply of light during this morning peak hours. Even your families must be facing the same situation and just imagine how much they also suffer with out light. So I ask the power department to be more merciful and to give light in the morning so that without any problem mothers can take care of their children and sent them to school without any tension. Amongla Duncan Bosti

The Tiger Roars At White Indians

Jasbeer Musthafa M

There are lots of self-made millionaires in India now, certainly, and lots of successful entrepreneurs. But remember that over a billion people live here, and for the majority of them, who are denied decent health care, education, or employment, getting to the top would take doing something like what Balram has done: Aravind Adiga (The Booker Prize Winner)

alram Halwai is born into a family of erstwhile sweet-makers in a poor village in Bihar, the most underdeveloped state in India. Balram gets a job as a driver for an upper-class family in Dhanbad, one of Bihar’s more prosperous towns (owing to its coal mines). The family’s patriarch, called the Stooge, is a ruthless man who runs a shady coal business. From there Balram gets a “promotion” as driver for Ashok, one of the Stooge’s sons, and Pinky, Ashok’s wife. The couple lives in Gurgaon, Delhi’s swanky suburb that houses sprawling malls and glittering offices of American giants. He begins by detailing his childhood spent as the son of a rickshaw-puller in the village of Laxmangarh, which he sarcastically describes as failing to meet any and all standards set by ‘the United Nations and other organizations whose treaties our prime minister has signed and whose forums he so regularly and pompously attends’. The majority of the citizens in Laxmangarh live impoverished existences, and all of the valuable land and business is owned by just four landlords, known colorfully as the Buffalo, the Stork, the Wild Boar, and the Raven. This dichotomy had already resulted in violence, with one of the landlords’ infant sons kidnapped and killed by Naxals, Indian communist rebels. Public animosity between the politicians and the people, the haves and have nots will lead, later in the book, to the rise of “the Great Socialist” and

the defeat of the ruling party. Balram’s eyes penetrate India as few outsiders can: the cockroaches and the call centers; the prostitutes and the worshippers; the ancient and Internet cultures; the water buffalo and, trapped in so many kinds of cages that escape is (almost) impossible, the white tiger. And with a charisma as undeniable as it is unexpected, Balram teaches us that religion doesn’t create virtue, and money doesn’t solve every problem—but decency can still be found in a corrupt world, and you can get what you want out of life if you eavesdrop on the right conversations. Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, by the scattered light of a preposterous chandelier, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life—having nothing but his own wits to help him along. Here he comes face to face with the two Indias: As Adiga apt-

WRITE-WING ly puts it: The dreams of the rich and the dreams of the poor - they never overlap, do they? See, the poor dream all their lives of getting enough to eat and looking like the rich. And what do the rich dream of? Losing weight and looking like the poor. Living in a big city with bright lights on the one hand and teeming poverty on the other. Balram starts questioning many things he has taken for granted while growing up in his small village. Things get gloomy when his master attempts to frame him for an accidental murder committed by his wife. Balram is forced to question his undying loyalty. His awakening eventually turns him into a successful entrepreneur. Adiga is so good at imagining the life of the outcast that the novel is an often scary reminder of the pitfalls of overlooking the plight of the underprivileged. When Balram drives his master around Gurgaon, the sight

of scantily clad women is a shock to him — not just because women in the Darkness do not dress provocatively, but also because he is humiliated by his inability to have a slice of the “fast life.” The novel is an exhilarating, side - splitting account of India today, as well as an eloquent wail at her many injustices. It is couched as a confession from a deceitful, murderous philosopher who has the brass neck to question his lowly place in the order of things. His disrespect for his elders and betters is shocking -- even Mahathma Gandhi gets the lash of his scornful tongue. This novel is a witty parable of India’s changing society, yet there is also much to ponder. The country is invariably presented as a place of brutal injustice and sordid corruption, one in which the poor are always dispossessed and victimized by their age - old enemies. A quarter century after Salman Rushdie drew the world’s attention to the story of the midnight children, and 11 years after Arundhati Roy’s God of Small Things spurred interest in Indian writing in English, both in this country and elsewhere, Adiga’s tale of the son of a rickshaw-puller who dreams of escaping poverty and goes to seek his fortune in the big cities draws the world’s attention to a very different side of India. The problem is, there is little sense to why Indian continues to sustain this inequality. Adiga relies heavily on these correlations, the Light and the Darkness, or the chicken coop, which undoubtedly mask a greater complexity in this country of a billion people. Many of the characters Balram encounters are mere caricatures, from the landlords to the police looking for bribes to the young revolutionary who instantly converts to greedy self-interest once he tastes power. Can all of India’s ills be explained away by pointing at corrupt politicians? Even the overthrow of the ruling party simply changes the destination of the landlord’s bribes. Is the only solution an individual one, whereby the White Tigers of the world muscle their way into “the Light” by any means necessary? This seems an unsuitably narrow view, but it is all the novel offers.

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.

FRIDAY

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

28 NOVEMBER 2008

PERSPECTIVE NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

Tibetans Stick to the 'Middle Way'

O Denis Burke

f the 50 years since the Dalai Lama went into exile, few years can rival 2008 as a landmark for change in the Tibetan struggle. A year of protests, riots, fresh negotiations and strong words on all sides has culminated in a special meeting of prominent exile Tibetans to assess Tibet's situation and their strategy. The exiles devised the so called "middle way" approach in the 1980s. It was adopted by popular referendum in the mid-1990s. The strategy calls for greater autonomy within China and demands that this goal be pursued through non-violent means. Twenty years later, the "middle way" has not produced any meaningful results. The latest round of China-Tibet negotiations concluded the week before the special meeting was convened. No progress has been reported on either side. The outcome of the special meeting was general agreement to continue to support the "middle way" approach, despite earlier signals that the strategy would be reassessed. In recent months, the Dalai Lama has suggested that continuing to negotiate with the current Chinese leadership is likely to prove fruitless. He underscored these remarks after the meeting when he reminded Tibetans of the importance of not alienating the Chinese people because of the actions of their government. The Dalai Lama, apparently wishing to give the delegates room to discuss the issues at hand freely, had absented himself from the meeting. Although the meeting seemed to be a discussion aimed at the total revision of the exiles' strategy, it has served a very different purpose. The decision to retain the non-violent drive for greater autonomy is surprising considering events in Tibet this year, the ongoing failure to make progress at the negotiating table, the harder line adopted by Beijing, and - above all - the worsening situation in Tibet. For some time, young rural Tibetans have been moving into the cities in search of employment. An underclass of young, unemployed Tibetans is swelling in cities like Lhasa. Meanwhile, Han Chinese numbers continue to increase in the area and they are finding economic success where the Tibetans are not. Conditions for ethnic tension are rife, as demonstrated by the unrest in Tibet this year. It has been 20 years since unrest on the scale seen in March has occurred in Tibet. The reaction of the Chinese police was initially quite unusual in its restraint, signaling a pre-Olympic Games departure from their usual zero tolerance tactics. Ethnic tensions were clearer in the Lhasa demonstrations than in any earlier riots that gained international attention. Significantly, the rapid and zealous Western condemnation of the Chinese security response to the Lhasa riots came before the situation on the ground had become clear. Many Western media reported a harsh crackdown before it actually happened, provoking a wave of anti-Western and anti-Tibetan diatribes on blogs and news websites. However, the meeting provided a forum to seriously discuss the future of Tibet and - crucially - to practice democratic decision-making. The Dalai Lama has repeatedly expressed concern that support for the "middle way" was dwindling. The decision to continue the strategy serves to strengthen not just unity among the diaspora, but the entire political system of the exile community. The Tibetan pontiff has been pushing the Tibetan people to be less dependent on him for political guidance for a long time. It is very likely that the selection of a successor for this Dalai Lama will be complicated at best. This meeting has given the exile community a chance to engage in meaningful political discussion in his absence - including the possibility of selecting his successor in his lifetime. What has not emerged from this meeting is a timetable for the "middle way". Karma Chophel, who chaired the meeting, told Phayul news portal that there was no reason not to pursue a policy of independence if the Chinese leadership failed to respond to the "middle way" approach. But the Chinese government has recently made it very clear that it interprets the "middle way" approach as a drive for independence in disguise. Nothing that has happened this year suggests Beijing has any interest in discussing increased autonomy. Even Deng Xiaoping's late 1970s statement that everything was negotiable apart from independence has now been denied by a Chinese official. "Comrade Deng Xiaoping had never made such statement. It is a falsehood," Phayul reported Zhu Weiqun, executive vice minister of the Chinese Communist Party's Central United Front Work Department, as saying at a press conference on November 10. Deng's original statement partially explains the Dalai Lama's decision to pursue autonomy and not independence. The Chinese government insists that the Tibetan administration is still chasing independence of some sort despite persistent statements to the contrary. The Tibetan administration, for its part, will neither recognize Taiwan as part of China nor accept that Tibet has always been part of China; two conditions the Chinese government has insisted on. This stalemate has impeded any real progress for at least six years and the latest talks were no exception. Statements by Du Qinglin - minister of the Central United Front Work Department - to Xinhua suggest that the Chinese position did not move at all during these latest negotiations. Xinhua reported Du as saying "the Dalai Lama should respect history, face reality and conform to the times, as well as fundamentally change his political propositions". Several points have recurred as unacceptable to Beijing. The Tibetan proposition includes restrictions on further migration of other ethnic groups into Tibet. The Dalai Lama has designs to see Tibet as a zone of peace which would see a serious reduction of the Chinese military presence in the area. Chinese official statements so far have not ruled out the possibility of future talks, but it is clear that their patience is thinning. As the Dalai Lama has suggested, the hope now for Tibetans is to appeal to the Chinese people and not their current government. However, popular relations have also suffered badly this year. The protests that followed the Olympic torch around the world and the misreporting of the Lhasa protests by many Western media have angered many potentially sympathetic Chinese people. Nonetheless, the Dalai Lama's absence from the meeting deliberately or otherwise underscores the point that the exiles' policy is not his policy, further countering Chinese official claims that he is orchestrating "splittist" activities from abroad.

The Rights Of Women As Casualties Of War

Ramzy Baroud

urban-Bibi and Nahil Abu-Rada are two women, one Afghan and the other Palestinian, who made news with similar tragedies. But their losses also helped further delineate the plight of millions of women in war zones and poor countries. The United Nations news service reported on the troubles of QurbanBibi, a pregnant woman who simply needed to reach a hospital. Doctors had instructed that she must deliver in an equipped medical facility, considering her previous Caesarean delivery. The desperately poor husband and her brothers opted for a delivery at home, citing the unaffordable taxi ride. The woman almost bled to death. When the delivery turned for the worst, the family rushed her to Faizabad hospital in a nearby province. Her life was saved, but, evidently not that of her baby. Nahil’s story also fails to deviate from the ever-predictable norm. The pregnant Palestinian woman was joined by her family on their way to a hospital in the West Bank city of Nablus. The hospital was so close, yet so far. Between their ambulance and salvation was an Israeli army checkpoint, Hawara. “Nothing helped. Not the pleas, not the cries of the woman in labor, not the father's explanations in excellent Hebrew, nor the blood that flowed in the car. The commander of the checkpoint, a fine Israeli who had completed an officers' course, heard the cries, saw the woman writhing in pain in the back seat of the car, listened to the father's heartrending pleas and was unmoved,” reported Israeli journalist Gideon Levy in Haaretz. He added, “Nahil Abu-Rada is not the first woman to lose her baby this way because of the occupation, and she won't be the last.” The bearings of the painful losses of Qurban-Bibi and Nahil bring to mind two recently published reports pertaining to the rights of women and gender equality around the world: The State of the World Population 2008 report, produced by the United Nations Population Fund and The

Global Gender Gap Report, published by the World Economic Forum. The State of the World Population aims at development strategies that are sensitive to the uniqueness of particular cultures, for it found that culture is central to people’s lives as are ‘health, economics and politics’. As for the Global Gender Gap report, it was a largely sta-

tistical study co-authored by researchers from Harvard and University of California-Berkeley, and published by the World Economic Forum. Researchers examined definite factors, such as jobs, education, politics, health, etc, to determine how improvements, or lack thereof in these areas have affected, or failed to affect, the equality between the sexes in 130 countries, that represent 90 percent of the world population. The outcome was predicable for the most part, but with notable deviations. “Out of 130 countries, Canada ranked 31 while the United States came in at 27. Canada also ranked behind Namibia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Lithuania and the Philippines, among other countries,” reported Cana-

da’s Globe and Mail. The reports raise many questions, present many challenges, but on their own fail to address the struggles and tragedies of women like Qurban-Bibi and Nahil Abu-Rada. The Global Gender Report ignited media frenzy more appropriate for a beauty contest – winners and losers - not a pressing issue that continues to

victimize millions of women worldwide. This was hardly the intent of the report, one would fairly assume. Expectedly, it was later turned into an opportunity to settle political scores, stereotype religion and, at times, disparage entire cultures. The State of the World Population was largely sensible in its view of culture: non-Western cultures were not simply chastised as the problem, but cultural sensitivity was recommended as part of the solution. But addressing women’s rights and cultural patterns (as if these issues are not unique in time and space) without examining the underpinnings of the inequality is also a mistake. Culture is hardly the summation of rational choices made by individuals in a

specific time and easily demarcated space. It’s an innate collective response to internal and external factors, changes and events political, economic or social. Chances are Palestinian women in villages surrounded by Israeli checkpoints tend to deliver their babies at home or in an unfit local clinic, a natural response to risking losing one’s baby altogether. Such a practice could eventually develop into a cultural pattern. Many Afghan women are caught between the lethal occupation of foreigners and the extremism and vengeance of the Taliban. Early marriages are often the only available opportunity for women in some parts of the country, once they reach a certain age, sometimes as young as 9-years-old. The same can be said about Iraq, where women, who comparatively achieved high status in pre-war years; have since endured untold humiliation. Thanks to the US ‘liberation’ of their country, they now constitute a large percentage of regional prostitution, a phenomenon alien to Iraqi society of yesteryear. This hardly means that the suffering of women is always the outcome of foreign military interventions – masked as ‘humanitarian’ in some instances – nor does it render blameless local cultures, outdated customs and interpretation of religion. But what is missing from the reports, and subsequent analyses is how conflict, war and military intervention often jeopardize, more than anything else, the rights and welfare of women. The issue of women’s rights is a pressing one, not just because of the horrifying statistics. (Women and girls are the poorest, least educated and most victimized the world over.) But also because no real progress, development or sound governance can ever take place when half of the society is marginalized and mistreated. Equality between the genders is not an act of virtue, but also a sound strategy for a brighter future for any nation, rich or poor. To address the issue correctly, studies and reports must delve into the roots of women’s suffering, and not be satisfied with numerical indicators that tell half of the story.

War violates every right of the child

Mirela Xanthaki | Inter Press Service

"An AK-47 is not made for a kid. It is not made for a human being, let alone a kid," said Kon Kelei, a former child soldier from Sudan. Kelei was taken to a camp when he was four or five years old -- he is not precisely sure -- and trained to fight in battle. "What we need is to focus and advocate for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation made me who I am today and what I am saying today," he stressed. Kelei and other former child soldiers, along with youth leaders who have firsthand experience in conflict zones, this month launched a new Global Network of Young People Formerly Affected by War (NYPAW) at U.N. headquarters in New York. The group is led by UNICEF advocate Ismael Beah, who wrote the international bestseller "A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Child Soldier", where he describes his experience as a child soldier in Sierra Leone. Beah served in the Sierra Leonean army for almost two years -- a reminder that it is not only rebel groups which recruit children. The objective of the network is to demand accountability and to promote rehabilitation and empowerment of young people who are affected by armed conflict. "The reason why we believe that change is possible is not because we are idealists but because we believe we have made it, so other people can make it as well," Kelei said. With an estimated 250,000 children around the world recruited to serve in armed conflicts as soldiers, messengers, spies, porters, cooks, for sexual services or even as suicide bombers, this is a pressing social issue that needs to be better addressed by the international community, advocates say. "From the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Gaza Strip and from Afghanistan to Somalia, too many children are suffering from the consequences of conflict," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, special representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. "War violates every right of the child. Everybody has a role to play to stop these violations. We cannot let war continue to destroy childhood," she said, adding that, "The power of resilience of these children should give us the strength to continue to mobilise the international community to do more to stop this terrible phenomenon." UNICEF often conducts delicate negotiations with warlords to try to gain the release of child soldiers without putting them at risk. That is why there is a great need for a knowledge-based advocacy system like NYPAW, with sub-networks on the ground in various countries that can provide information on the needs and particularities of each individual case. Part of the network's mandate is to raise awareness and empower local communities, but also to demand accountability and contribute to the reconciliation process in countries experiencing conflict. The purpose is to send a clear message to armed groups and governments to stop recruiting children, as well as providing facilities for rehabilitation and plans for reintegration into civilian life. "When we get out of the war, our heads are filled with arms," Kelei said. "When we are disarmed, there is no room to function like a kid." "When you have effective rehabilitation that is more holistic, then you have a place that you can make so that you continue with your life," he said. Saad Houry, deputy executive director of UNICEF, also stressed the importance of education and schools as promoters of peace. "If we could maintain education during conflict, there is no doubt that we would prevent many children from becoming soldiers," he said. The techniques recruiters use vary, but they mostly rely on fear and brainwashing. "We know what you think before you say it," the rebel leaders used to tell Grace Akallo and other children forced to fight in Uganda's insurgency. "I was convinced that he could read my thoughts," said Akallo, who was captured and joined the forces of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in northern Uganda when she was 14. That left very little room for any escape plans. "Killed or be killed" was the motto they lived by, she said. Akallo also stressed the terrible position of girl soldiers. "Girls are doing a double war," she said. They are trained like boys as soldiers but they are also used as "wives" for adult fighters, she said. In many cases, they are sent to fight while pregnant, giving birth in the middle of a battle or fighting with a baby on their back. On the occasion of Universal Children's Day on Nov. 20, the U.N. also launched a photo exhibit titled "Children of War: Broken Childhood", based on a book called "Child Soldiers" that features the work of prominent war photographers. It was organised by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict with the support of the Italian government and in collaboration with the United Nations Department of Public Information.

A Special Dedication to Friends of Exceptional Children A Poem written by someone unknown to anyone of us…. perhaps he/she is/was an exceptional child or perhaps who has someone near and dear as an exceptional child, perhaps a person who has walked the extra mile… in their shoes… and knows where the shoe pinches,where it hurts most...and where the healing can begin…

The Beatitudes (For Friends of Exceptional Children)

Blessed are you who take time to listen to difficult speech: For you help us know that if we persevere, We can be understood. Blessed are you who walk with us in public places, And ignore the stares of strangers, For in your companionship, We find havens of peace. Blessed are you who never bid us to “ Hurry up,” And more blessed are you Who do not snatch tasks from our hands to do them for us, For often we need time rather than help Blessed are you who stand beside us As we enter new and untried ventures, For our failures will be outweighed By the times we surprise ourselves and you. Blessed are you who ask for our help, For our greatest need is to be needed. Blessed are you when you assure us, That the one thing that makes us individuals Is not in our peculiar muscles. Nor in our wounded nervous systems, Nor in our difficulties in learning, Nor any exterior difference. But is in our inner, personal, individual self Which no infirmity can diminish or erase. (Author Unknown but Appreciated!) To all special children, parents/care givers of special children, may you continue to draw inspiration from this poem and be blessed. A special girl helped me open my eyes, taught me some valuable lessons. I Hope this poem opens up the eyes of many who can see but are still blind, who can hear but are still deaf, who can do something but are still not doing anything. K.Ela, Prodigals’ Home

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.

C M Y K

Dimapur

NATIONAL

Friday 28 November 2008

The Morung Express

ATS chief, top cops killed in action

MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 27 (PTI): Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad chief Hemant Karkare, Additional Commissioner Ashok Kamte and encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar were among the 11 police officials killed fighting the terrorists on Wednesday night. At least 101 people, including a foreign tourist and a top counter-terror officer, were killed and about 287 injured as terrorists struck in the heart of Mumbai in planned and synchronised attacks. Hemant Karkare last night wore a helmet, talked on his cellphone and finally put on a bullet-proof jacket before he met his deathly fate in the country’s biggest terror seize. He was probing the Malegaon blasts case, suffered three bullet injuries in his chest as he was leading the offensive against the terrorists in one of the places the ultras had holed out early this morning. The last television visuals of the 54-year-old officer showed him in a light blue shirt and dark trousers surrounded by uniformed policemen armed with firearms and walkie-talkies. Karkare, a 1982 batch IPS officer, became the head of ATS in January this year following his return to the state cadre after serving seven years in Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Austria. One of the brightest officers, Karkare had solved the serial bomb blasts in Thane, Vashi and Panvel and was also credited for the stunning revelations in the investigation of the September 29 blast in Malegaon. He is known for his discipline and fair investigation. During the Malegaon investigation, Karkare had told his officers not to create false evidence, saying, “We should do our job and it is for the court to decide.” Incidentally, the Pune ATS on November 26 reportedly received phone calls threatening to blow up the residence of Karkare “within a couple of days”. In his last interview to a television channel yesterday, he referred to getting the custody of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, and said “police custody would have helped investigations to proceed faster but still we will see how best to deal with it in a legal way”. When asked about criticism levelled by BJP leaders especially, L K Advani’s outbursts against the agency, Karkare said “when allegations are made anyone (we) will feel hurt.” He rejected charges of the Sadhvi being tortured during police custody. “We are going by the copy book. We are producing the accused in court whenever orders for the same are issued by the court,” Karkare had said. Among the other police officers dead in the last night’s terror attacks is encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar, who had killed round 75 dreaded criminals in police encounters. After being out of the spotlight for quite sometime, the encounter specialist was given the plum posting of heading of the anti-extortion wing of the crime branch. Another officer, Ashok Kamte, a 1989 batch IPS officer, was the DCP, Zone 1, in Mumbai and was also the key officer in state police. He had also served as the commissioner of Solapur and was always known to be in the thick of action. Kamte was killed while fighting terrorists at Metro Cinema in the city along with encounter specialist Vijay Salaskar.

People take cover at the sound of gunﬁre outside The Taj Hotel in Mumbai on November 27. Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a popular restaurant, hospitals and a crowded train station in coordinated attacks across India’s ﬁnancial capital, killing people, taking Westerners hostage and leaving parts of the city under siege Thursday, police said. A group of suspected Muslim militants claimed responsibility. (AP Photo)

Attackers were looking for British, Americans MUMBAI/LONDON (PTI): British national Alex Chamberlain, who works for the Indian Premier League (IPL) in Mumbai, was in a restaurant at the Oberoi hotel when he heard gunfire, and barely managed to escape. When the terrorists stormed the building, he and a group of people rushed into the kitchen, Chamberlain told Sky News, adding that one of the waiters was shot in the arm. “They were talking about Britons and Americans specifically. They shot people completely unnecessarily,” he said. The group of about 30-40 people were then “marched up like sheep” by a “young guy with a sub-machine gun, who was about 2223.” The gunman then told people to stop and asked them to put their hands up. The attacker asked if any of the people were British or Americans. Chamberlain said: “My Indian friend told me ‘don’t be a hero’ and tell him you’re Italian and that kind of stuff ’.” Chamberlain said he got to about the 18th floor of the hotel Mother Sharda Janardhan Chitikar, left, is consoled by a relative as she A guest at the Taj Mahal hotel is rescued by unidentiﬁed persons in and there was a gunman below them, grieves the death of her two children in a terrorist attack while she waits Mumbai.Teams of gunmen stormed luxury hotels, a crowded train and there were gunshots above and station and a Jewish group’s headquarters. (AP Photo) for their bodies outside St. Georges Hospital in Mumbai. (AP Photo) smoke everywhere. The Briton and another person managed to sneak out of a fire door “without the gunman seeing us,” where they stayed for about 15 minutes.

Ship suspected in Mumbai attacks intercepted NEW DELHI(AGENCIES): An Indian Navy ship gave chase and intercepted a merchant vessel suspected of bringing terrorists to Mumbai, news reports said Thursday. At least 101 people, including six foreign nationals and 14 top police officials, were killed by groups of heavily armed terrorists in a shooting spree in Mumbai that began on Wednesday night and continued into Thursday. The police suspect a group of 10 to 12 terrorists reached a dock at Mumbai by a larger vessel and then dispersed in differArmy personnel stand guard outside one of the famous eateries in Co- An army personnel runs to take his position opposite the Taj Hotel ent directions using inflatable rafts. laba, near the Taj Mahal Hotel, in Mumbai on November 27. (AP Photo) in Mumbai on November 27. (AP Photo) “As of now, all that we can confirm is that the vessel has been intercepted,” an Indian navy official was quoted as saying by IANS news agency. The Indian Coast Guard had deployed two fast patrol vessels and two aircraft to look for the merchant vessel, a coast guard official said. “The coastline from Mumbai to Gujarat (which shares a maritime boundary with neighbouring Pakistan) is being patrolled to look for the MV Alpha,” the coast guard official said shortly before the vessel was intercepted. India has often accused Pakistan of allowing terrorist organizations that carried out attacks in India to use its territory.

Unidentiﬁed guests of the Taj Hotel comfort each other in an ambulance after they were rescued from the hotel in Mumbai, Thursday, November 27. (AP Photo)

A grieving relative, bottom, of a terrorist attack victim is consoled by others outside the St. Georges Hospital in Mumbai, Thursday, November 27. (AP Photo)

WORLD CONDEMNS MUMBAI ATTACKS

WASHINGTON, NOVEMBER 27 (AFP): The United States and Britain have led global condemnation of the attacks in India’s financial capital Mumbai, where blasts and shootings targeted at foreigners left up to 100 people dead. President-elect Barack Obama condemned Wednesdya’s attacks on the Indian financial centre and said the United States must work to strengthen ties with India and other nations to “root out and destroy terrorist networks.” A statement delivered by Obama’s chief national security spokesperson, Brooke Anderson, stated: “President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India.” UN chief Ban Ki-moon said such violence was “totally unacceptable”, while Britain condemned the late Wednesday attacks on its former colony as “outrageous” and the

European Union expressed its “horror and indignation”. A group calling itself the “Deccan Mujahedeen” claimed responsibility. One British guest of the Taj Mahal hotel told local Indian television that armed men had herded people, including himself, to the hotel’s upper floors. “They said they wanted anyone with British and American passports,” he said. The United States and Britain said they had no reports of casualties among their citizens, although Japan reported one of its nationals killed and another hurt, and two Australians and a European Parliament staffer were also injured. At least two foreign nationals, from Japan and Australia, have been confirmed killed and 11 others wounded in the attacks, the Press Trust of India reported Thursday. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he had sent Indian premier Manmohan Singh a message assuring that “the UK stands solidly with his government as they

respond, and to offer all necessary help”. “These outrageous attacks in Mumbai will be met with a vigorous response,” he said. Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the attacks “remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists”, and said Britain and India would “continue their joint efforts to counter the actions of terrorists”. The French presidency of the European Union said it had learnt of the attacks “with horror and indignation” and “condemns them in the strongest possible terms”. It said the EU “shares in the mourning of the Indian nation and stands by its side during this dramatic test”. In a separate statement, the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, said: “Terrorism is never justified and is no means to achieve any goal.” “This is a cowardly act. It’s indiscriminate, it’s a terrorist act, it’s an assault on democracy,” said acting Australian For-

eign Minister Simon Crean. Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon condemned the “savage terrorist attacks” and stressed his country’s ties with India. “Canada and India share a commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Among our mutual priorities is close cooperation to promote international security and to fight terrorism,” he said. Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe also voiced “tremendous sadness and condemnation of the attacks which seem to have left such a high number of victims”. Brazil reaffirmed its “strong condemnation of all forms of terrorism” and offered its condolences to the families of the victims, as did Argentina. Colombia said that it had “also suffered at the hands of terrorism and supports the Republic of India in its fight against this international scourge, recognising that terrorism is a criminal and unjustifiable action”.

Government warned of terrorists’ entry through sea ALIBAUG (PTI): Intelligence reports had warned that there could be a possible entry of terrorists into Mumbai through the sea route, a top police official claimed. “This intelligence was available six months ago and subsequently a barge was found by the locals on Shrivardhan coast in Raigad district four months back,” the official, who did not wish to be identified, said. Locals feared that the barge might have contained explosives but nothing was found when customs and naval personnel inspected it. The terrorists, who created havoc in Mumbai overnight, came by boats, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has said.

Maharastra government announces compensation MUMBAI (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil on Thursday announced a compensation of Rs five lakh to the kin of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured in the serial terror attacks in the city.

For policemen who sacrificed their lives in their fight with terrorists, there are different norms of compensation, Patil said, after visiting the injured at the G T Hospital in south Mumbai. India has lost great officials like Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Chief Hemant Karkare and others, he said. This terror act is an attack on the entire nation and it is the time to work together as Indians against the terrorists, he said.

Hotels world over a soft target for terrorists NEW DELHI (PTI): Attacks on two luxury hotels – The Taj and Trident – in the country’s financial capital Mumbai have drawn attention again to the fact that hotels are a soft target for terrorists who want to capture world attention to their causes. The Mumbai incident follows previous attempts on hotels elsewhere in the world, one such incident in the recent past in Islamabad where a deadly blast targeted the Marriott hotel near Pakistan’s Parliament, killing at least 40 people and wounded another 200. In 2005 in Jordan, Al Qaeda conducted a series of coordinated bombing on three hotels in the capital city Amman on November 9. The blasts at at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Radisson SAS Hotel, and the Days Inn killed 60 people and injured 115 others. Oen of the hotels was hosting a wedding with hundreds of guests. In October 2004, bombings at three sites on the east coast of the Sinai peninsula killed 34 people. The Egyptian government said the mastermind was Palestinian and the targets appeared to be Israeli tourists. On August 5, 2003, a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb outside the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel in Indonesian capital Jakarta killing 12 people, including one Danish, one Dutch and two Chinese and injuring 150. The hotel was viewed as a symbol of Western power and thus been the prime focus of terrorists. Another reason why hotels are being targeted is because of the kind of clientele, experts say. Mumbai being the financial capital of the country at the centre of economic decision making there are numerous important delegates checking into one of the seven or five star hotels in the city.

‘Terrorists young men in jeans’ MUMBAI (AGENCIES): A British national, who escaped from the clutches of terrorists who took guests hostage at the Taj hotel in Mumbai, on Thursday said the militants were young men of not more than 20-25 years of age. “They (terrorists) were not more than 20-25 years of age. They were dressed casually in jeans and T-shirts but were very aggressive in their demeanour. They kept screaming that they wanted anyone with a British or an American passport,” the witness told mediapersons. “There were 15 of us and I was really scared since I am a British national. Two of the terrorists, while screaming constantly, took us up the stairs – to the 18th floor. Luckily for us, the room was full of smoke and two of us escaped from the stairs,” he said. “Another three escaped after us but I have no idea about the others. I think about five to seven people are still on the roof,” he added. The terrorists, according to the witness, were carrying a machine gun and one rifle. The most audacious terror attack in Mumbai began on Wednesday night, when militants attacked high profile landmarks, including the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel, Oberoi Trident Hotel, Metro Theatre and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) railway station. At least 101 people, including a foreign tourist and four top police officers, were killed and over 250 injured. A hostage crisis continued Thursday with tourists and other guests being held by terrorists in the two five-star hotels.

INTERNATIONAL

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Friday 28 November 2008

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Thai PM tells army to stay in barracks BANGKOK, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat urged the army to stay in its barracks on Thursday amid rumours of an imminent coup after increasingly violent anti-government protests in Bangkok. Government spokesman Nattawut Saikuar denied rumours that Somchai planned to sack army chief Anupong Paochina a day after the general called for a snap election to defuse the country's political crisis. "Troops should stay in their barracks and the prime minister is not going to sack anybody," Nattawut said. Pressure has built on the military to intervene to avert widespread civil unrest after Somchai rejected calls to quit. Somchai held an urgent cabinet meeting in the northern city of Chiang Mai as local media reported that he was considering imposing a state of emergency and rumours that the army was preparing to launch a coup swept the capital. "They are 100 percent on standby," a high-ranking former military officer, who declined to be named, told Reuters. Thailand's three-yearold political crisis has intensified since the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) began a "final battle" on Monday to unseat a government it accuses of being a

pawn of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a 2006 coup. A PAD blockade of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport, a major Asian air hub where all flights were cancelled, entered its third day, stranding thousands of tourists. Protesters also laid siege to the old Don Muang airport, shutting what is a big domestic hub and severing air links to the city of 8 million people. "We appreciate this has affected private business, but the cause of the problem is this government," PAD leader Somsak Kosaisuk told reporters at Don Muang. "We know this government is nearing its end," said Somsak, whose group defied a Wednesday night court ruling ordering it to cease the airport protests. Somchai said the cabinet would consider unspecified "measures" against the PAD, fuelling speculation he will declare a state of emergency in Bangkok. However, as with the last emergency rule in September, the army appears reluctant to move against the PAD. "If the government insisted on dispersing the crowd, the army will meet again to find new measures. We already have a contingency plan," Colonel Sunsern Kaewkumnerd told reporters. Addressing the

nation on Wednesday night, Somchai said his government was democratically elected and would continue to work for the "good of the country" despite PAD claims he is simply a front-man for his brother-in-law, Thaksin. Somchai's refusal to call a snap election, as army chief Anupong Paochinda said he should on Wednesday, intensified speculation of an imminent coup. Anupong has repeatedly said he would not take over, arguing the army is powerless to heal the fundamental political rifts between the Bangkok elite and middle classes who despise Thaksin, and the rural and urban poor who love him. But one military source said army, navy and air force top brass were locked in talks late into the night, debating whether to launch what would be the 19th coup or attempted coups in 76 years of on-off Anti-government protesters cheer during a rally at the Suvarnabhumi airport, Thursday, November 27, in Bangkok, democracy. There were signs Thailand. Thai authorities shut down Bangkok's second airport Thursday after it was overrun by anti-government that the latest surge in vioprotesters, completely cutting off the capital from air trafﬁc as Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat rejected their lence could backfire against demands to resign, deepening the country's crisis. (AP Photo) the PAD, with newspapers that have indulged it in the past appalled by the airport disruption. "This is not civil disobeBANGKOK, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Thai Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat declared a state of emergency dience. It's the PAD holding at two Bangkok airports besieged by anti-government protesters, a deputy minister said on Thursday, as rumours of travellers hostage," the Naan imminent army coup swirled through the capital. Deputy Agriculture Minister Thirachai Sankaew said that police tion said in an editorial. "With would be in charge of the Suvarnabhumi and the old Don Muang airports blockaded by the People's Alliance for Dethe military caught in the mocracy. "The cabinet agreed to use the emergency decree at the two airports to bring the situation back to normal," he middle and reluctant to use told Reuters after a cabinet meeting. force either to end the airport

Emergency at airports

blockade or remove the current government, Somchai Wongsawat's administration is looking like a bigger lame duck by the hour," it said. A rival pro-government group has threatened to hit the streets against the PAD, and there were reports of gunfire during the night near Government House, the prime minister's compound occupied by the PAD since August. No injuries were reported. In Chiang Mai, a progovernment gang shot dead an anti-government activist after dragging him from his car. The long-running unrest has paralysed government decision making, stirring fears it could exacerbate the impact of the global slowdown and tip the exportdriven economy into recession. Tourism, a key sector that lures nearly 15 million visitors a year, is particularly under threat. At Suvarnabhumi airport, tourists turned up only to find yellow-shirted PAD supporters milling around and few airport officials in sight. "I'm worried because our visas expired yesterday and I don't want to go into town because we have no money and we might get arrested," said South African backpacker Deon Bunding, who also had his wallet stolen on the bus from the island of Koh Samui.

female Castro open to ‘AIDS can be eliminated in 10 years’ Eighteen Qaeda ﬁghters give up talks with Obama

HAVANA, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Cuban President Raul Castro is open to meeting U.S. President-elect Barack Obama on neutral ground to try to resolve the island's four-decade-old feud with Washington, according to an interview with a U.S. magazine. Havana's latest overture came in a rare interview for The Nation conducted by U.S. actor Sean Penn, who traveled to Cuba after meeting Castro ally Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and before Obama won the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 4. "You asked if I would accept to meet with (Obama) in Washington. I would have to think about it. I would discuss it with all my comrades in the leadership," Castro tells Penn in the interview published on The Nation's website. "I think it would not be fair that I be the first to visit, because it is always the Latin American presidents who go to the United States first. But it would also be unfair to expect the president of the United States to come to Cuba. We should meet in a neutral place." He suggested the two could meet in Guantanamo Bay, where the United States maintains a naval base, which Cuba considers a violation of its sovereignty. "We must meet and begin to solve our problems, and at the end of the meeting, we could give the president a gift ... we could send him home with the American flag that waves over Guantanamo Bay," he said. Raul Castro, 77, elected as president in February after his brother Fidel fell ill, has offered twice over the last two and a half years to hold

talks with Washington. Obama has said he will reverse the Bush administration's policies that restricted Cuban Americans visiting Cuba and sending cash to their families there. He is willing to talk to Castro but would keep the 46-year-old trade embargo as leverage to influence democratic changes in the one-party state. "While both Raul Castro and Barack Obama have repeatedly expressed a desire to initiate a dialogue between the U.S. and Cuba, they clearly aren't interested in discussing the same issues," said Dan Erikson, an analyst at the Inter-American Dialogue policy group in Washington. A spokeswoman for the Obama transition team declined to comment. The president-elect said during his campaign said he would seek "direct diplomacy" without preconditions with "friend and foe" alike. Asked by Penn about priorities for any talks, Castro replied: "Normalize trade." He suggested in the seven-hour conversation that U.S. oil companies could be invited to explore for petroleum reserves in offshore projects should the trade embargo be lifted. Raul Castro has rarely given interviews during Cuba's revolution and the sit-down with Penn over dinner was one of his first since he took over governing the island in 2006 after his brother became sick. He became president in February. "Good relations would be mutually advantageous," Castro said. "Perhaps we cannot solve all of our problems, but we can solve a good many of them."

LONDON, NOVEMBER 27 (AP): The virus that causes AIDS could theoretically be eliminated in a decade if all people living in countries with high infection rates are regularly tested and treated, according to a new mathematical model. It is an intriguing solution to end the AIDS epidemic. But it is based on assumptions rather than data, and is riddled with logistical problems. The research was published online on Tuesday in the medical journal, the Lancet. "It's quite a startling result," said Charlie Gilks, an AIDS treatment expert at the World Health Organization and one of the paper's authors. "In a relatively short amount of time, we could potentially knock the epidemic on its head." Gilks and colleagues used data from South Africa and Malawi. In their model, people were voluntarily tested each year and immediately given drugs if they tested positive for HIV, regardless of whether they were sick. Within 10 years, HIV infections dropped by 95%. Other initiatives like safe sex education and male circumcision were also used. The strategy would cut the estimated number of AIDS deaths between 2008 and 2050 by about half, from about 8.7 million to 3.9 million, leaving only sporadic HIV cases. Experts think the strategy's cost would peak at about $3.4 billion a year, though expenses would fall after an initial investment. "This is certainly beyond the bounds of the current infrastructure for many countries, but that is not a reason not to think big," said Myron Cohen, of the University of North Carolina, who has done similar research. Only 3 million people are currently on AIDS drugs. Nearly 7 million people are still awaiting treatment, and about 3 million more people were infected last year. Worldwide, WHO guesses that about 33 million people have HIV. Increasing ac-

cess to testing and drugs would stretch already weak health systems in Africa, which has most of the world's HIV cases. WHO emphasized that the study findings do not signal a policy change. "This

is only a theoretical exercise," said Kevin De Cock, director of WHO's HIV/AIDS department. He said WHO would hold a meeting next year to study the idea more closely.

‘Universal HIV tests would have big impact’ LONDON, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Near-universal HIV tests and immediate drug treatment for people who test positive would almost eliminate transmission of the deadly virus within a decade, a computer model showed on Wednesday. Doing this would cost more initially but then save money down the road because there would be fewer HIVinfected people to treat, Reuben Granich and colleagues at the World Health Organization wrote in the journal The Lancet. The researchers emphasized their findings do not represent new WHO policy or any other guidance but rather stand as a call for discussion on how to better tackle the AIDS epidemic and the role of so-called antiretroviral drugs. "Although other prevention strategies, alone or in combination, could substantially reduce HIV incidence, our model suggests that only universal voluntary HIV testing and immediate initiation of antiretroviral drugs could reduce transmission to the point at which elimination might be feasible by 2020 for a generalized epidemic, such as that in South Africa," they wrote. Granich and colleagues used data from South Africa as a test case for a generalized epidemic in their model, which assumed all HIV transmission was through heterosexual sex. This showed that voluntary screening in which at least 90 percent of the population took

part, and immediate drug treatment for those testing positive, could reduce HIV transmission by more than 95 percent within 10 years. The AIDS virus infects an estimated 33 million people globally, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, and has killed 25 million. There is no cure. The advent in the 1990s of combination drug therapy called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART, has extended the lives of many HIV-infected people, particularly in developed countries. About 3 million people worldwide had received the drug cocktails by the end of 2007, far short of the estimated 6.7 million infected people still in need of treatment, the researchers added. There are, of course, drawbacks which the researchers and other scientists pointed out. One is how health systems in poor countries can cope with widespread testing, and whether people can stick to the drugs they must take for life. "At its best, the strategy would prevent morbidity and mortality for the population, both through better treatment of the individual and reduced spread of HIV," Geoffrey Garnett, a researcher at Imperial College London, wrote in a commentary in The Lancet. "At its worst, the strategy will involve over-testing, over-treatment, side effects, resistance, and potentially reduced autonomy of the individual in their choices of care."

BAGHDAD, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Eighteen female al Qaeda fighters in northern Iraq turned themselves in to U.S. forces rather than conduct suicide bomb attacks on behalf of the militant group, the U.S. military said on Thursday. A U.S. military statement said local clerics and relatives of the women had persuaded them to give themselves up on Wednesday and sign a pledge to reconcile with their communities. It did not say where in northern Iraq, exactly. This year has seen a sharp rise in the number of suicide bomb attacks by women, a favourite tactic of Sunni Islamist al Qaeda because they more easily evade detection by male police unwilling to search them for explosive vests. At least two dozen female suicide bombers have struck this year, mostly in Iraq's volatile Diyala province, north of Baghdad, killing scores of people. "The fact that so many potential women suicide bombers turned themselves in ... shows remarkable solidarity as the people of Iraq continue to turn the tide against Al Qaeda and their barbaric methods," said Major-General Mark P. Hertling, the commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq. Many female bombers are motivated by a thirst for revenge for family members killed or captured by U.S. and Iraqi troops. Others come under pressure from male relatives to show allegiance to the Sunni Arab insurgent cause. U.S. officials were not immediately able to comment on what would happen to the women next. A programme exits to pardon insurgents who give themselves in, if they are not wanted for major crimes, in exchange for information on insurgent groups. In August, a teenage Iraqi girl who was strapped with explosives turned herself into Iraqi police rather than carry out a bombing against them in Diyala's capital, Baquba.

Israel’s Ehud Olmert under pressure to quit

JERUSALEM, NOVEMBER 27 (AFP): Israel's acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday faced pressure from his own government to step down following a decision to indict him in one of several graft cases over which police questioned him. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was among the officials who urged Olmert to quit the government. "The prime minister has to take a leave of absence, there's no other choice," said Livni, who hopes to become prime minister after February 10 elections. "Israel cannot tolerate a situation where he is acting as prime minister after a decision to indict him. This is a moral test, this is a question of values and a practical test," Livni said at a meeting of the governing Kadima party in Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv. Should Olmert declare himself incapacitated, Livni who heads the centrist party, would take over as head of the caretaker government until a new government is formed after the elections. Several other officials urged Olmert to quit the caretaker government. Olmert presented his resignation in September but remains acting prime minister. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz had notified Olmert on Wednesday that he "envisages pressing criminal charges over suspicions of

wrongdoing." The charges relate to allegations of multiple-billing of foreign trips at the time when Olmert was mayor of Jerusalem and then trade and industry minister before he took office as prime minister in 2006. Olmert is alleged to have used the ill-gotten gains to pay for private trips. "It is a tragic day for the state of Israel," said Labour MP Ophir Pines Paz. "It is not acceptable that a person accused of a crime against the state should continue to hold the post of prime minister," he told journalists. Olmert's office made it clear he did not intend to leave his position at the head of the caretaker government, stressing he already quit as prime minister. "In these circumstances, there is no legal reason to announce a further resignation," his office said in a statement. Mazuz's announcement came just two months before the snap elections that were called after Livni failed to garner enough support to form a government following Olmert's resignation. Olmert's camp was furious over the timing of the announcement, which came just as the caretaker premier was getting off his plane following a farewell visit to US President George W. Bush in Washington. "This is a planned ambush under the auspices of the law enforcement authorities," said Olmert's spokes-

man Amir Dan. Olmert's lawyers described the prospect of charges in the case as "strange and even unreasonable." Olmert could face charges of fraud, abuse of confidence, falsification of documents and making ill-gotten gains but no date has yet been set for him to be charged, the attorney general's office said. He has faced police questioning 10 times since May over a number of different allegations. In September, police recommended that Olmert face charges in the multiple billing case as well as in another case in which he allegedly accepted tens of thousands of dollars of illegal funds from US businessman Morris Talansky. The prime minister is also suspected of steering tens of millions of dollars worth of state funds towards a company owned by his former law partner, Uri Messer, while he was trade minister. The allegations, all of which Olmert denies, only surfaced earlier this year even though they concern events that took place in the 13 years before he took office in 2006. The political turmoil that followed Olmert's resignation in September and Livni's inability to form a new governing coalition has dealt a major blow to the already slow-moving Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that were relaunched one year ago.

In this ﬁle photo, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is seen during a special cabinet meeting to discuss a plan for an economic stimulus package, at the Prime Minister's Ofﬁce in Jerusalem, Wednesday, November 19. Israel's attorney general says he's considering indicting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in a corruption case, another step toward putting him on trial. The Justice Ministry released a statement saying that the next stage is a hearing for Olmert to explain why he thinks he shouldn't be charged. Then an indictment could be issued. (AP Photo)

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SPORTS

Friday 28 November 2008

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Barca crush Sporting to win group LISBON, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Barcelona clinched top place in Group C when they crushed Sporting 5-2 in an action packed Champions League match on Wednesday. With the two teams having already qualified for the knockout stage, unbeaten Barca took their points tally to 13 with one game still to play, four points ahead of the Lisbon team. Thierry Henry opened the scoring for Barcelona, champions in 2006, in the 14th minute from a fine pull-back by Lionel Messi on the right and three minutes later they doubled the lead with a goal by defender Gerard Pique in a scramble at a corner. The ever-dangerous Messi converted a quick free kick taken by Daniel Alves four minutes into the second half to take his Champions league tally to five goals, top equal with Liverpool's Steven Gerrard. But Barcelona's dominance suddenly came under serious threat when Sporting scored twice in two minutes. They pulled one back with a brilliant curling free kick by midfielder Miguel Veloso in the 65th and this

was followed within a minute by a breakaway goal by striker Liedson. Sporting's revival was nipped in the bud, though, when defender Marco Caneira, under pressure from substitute forward Pedro Rodriguez, scored an own goal a minute later. Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola said that despite the high score, "it's never easy, it helped scoring two goals early. "In the second half we lost control of the game, we had a lot of luck with the fourth one," he told reporters. Sporting's quick goals got the fans at the Alvalade stadium behind the team again after they had booed their players throughout the first half. Substitute striker Bojan Krkic added a fifth for Barca with a 73rd-minute penalty after he was brought down by keeper Rui Patricio who was sent off for the foul. "A great penalty and the expulsion killed the game for us," said Sporting coach Paulo Bento, adding that his side reacted well in the second half. "They (Barcelona) have great technical ability," Bento said. "Our defence had to work hard, Barcelona's Lionel Messi, from Argentina, shoots to score their third goal during their Champions League Group C soccer which was a problem." match against Sporting Lisbon on November 26, at the Alvalade stadium in Lisbon. (AP Photo)

Gerrard winner sends Liverpool into last 16

Liverpool's Javier Mascherano, centre, dives in for the ball against Marseille's Ronald Zubar during their Champions League, Group D, soccer match at Anﬁeld Stadium, Liverpool, England on November 26. (AP Photo)

LIVERPOOL, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): England midfielder Steven Gerrard's first-half goal secured Liverpool's place in the last 16 of the Champions League as they beat Olympique Marseille 1-0 at Anfield. The Liverpool skipper scored with a far-post header in the 23rd minute from Xabi Alonso's deep cross to settle the Group D clash. Gerrard, who was hit

by a cigarette lighter thrown from the section occupied by the French side's supporters later in the game, has now scored five goals in this season's Champions League, a feat only matched by Barcelona's Lionel Messi. "We know Gerrard is an offensive midfielder with a very good attacking quality and can score goals. We are pleased with him," Liver-

pool manager Rafael Benitez told reporters. Marseille failed to repeat the surprise 1-0 victory they recorded at Anfield last year that would have kept their hopes of qualification alive. The French side did create plenty of chances and, despite falling behind to Gerrard's header, they took the game to a Liverpool side unbeaten in eight ties in

Europe. Defender Taye Taiwo had keeper Pepe Reina scrambling at the foot of his post to save in the opening half. Then after Mamadou Niang failed to make the most of a shooting chance, the Liverpool keeper produced the stop of the night to turn away Hatem Ben Arfa's fierce freekick. Despite the chances, Liverpool always looked capable of stepping up their game if Marseille, on a run of six defeats in seven away Champions League games, had managed to score. Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, who have also qualified for the knockout phase, have 11 points with one match remaining. Marseille will battle it out with PSV Eindhoven for a place in the UEFA Cup. Both sides have three points going into their final game, with Marseille hosting Atletico and PSV hosting Liverpool. "Our young players have learned a lot from playing in the Champions League this season," said Marseille coach Eric Gerets. "We have come to Liverpool and I was pleased with the way we played. But there is a difference between the really top class sides and the sides one step down. There is always a little thing lacking that makes that difference.

English Football Fixtures

Upcoming fixtures in English football (home teams listed first): Saturday, Nov. 29 Premier League Aston Villa vs. Fulham Middlesbrough vs. Newcastle Stoke vs. Hull Sunderland vs. Bolton Wigan vs. West Bromwich Albion League Championship Burnley vs. Derby Charlton vs. Southampton Crystal Palace vs. Queens Park Rangers Ipswich vs. Sheff United Nottingham Forest vs. Barnsley Plymouth vs. Blackpool Preston vs. Bristol City Shefﬁeld Wednesday vs. Norwich Watford vs. Doncaster Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Birmingham Sunday, Nov. 30 Premier League Chelsea vs. Arsenal Manchester City vs. Manchester United Portsmouth vs. Blackburn Tottenham vs. Everton League Championship Swansea vs. Cardiff Monday, Dec. 1 Premier League Liverpool vs. West Ham League Championship Reading vs. Coventry Tuesday, Dec. 2 League Cup Quarterﬁnals First Leg Burnley vs. Arsenal Stoke vs. Derby Wednesday, Dec. 3 League Cup

Quarterfinals First Leg Manchester United vs. Blackburn Watford vs. Tottenham Saturday, Dec. 6 Premier League Arsenal vs. Wigan Blackburn vs. Liverpool Bolton vs. Chelsea Fulham vs. Manchester City Hull vs. Middlesbrough Manchester United vs. Sunderland Newcastle vs. Stoke League Championship Barnsley vs. Reading Birmingham vs. Watford Blackpool vs. Charlton Bristol City vs. Swansea Cardiff vs. Preston Coventry vs. Nottingham Forest Derby vs. Crystal Palace Doncaster vs. Plymouth Queens Park Rangers vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers Sheffield United vs. Burnley Southampton vs. Sheffield Wednesday Sunday, Dec. 7 Premier League Everton vs. Aston Villa West Bromwich Albion vs. Portsmouth League Championship Norwich vs. Ipswich Monday, Dec. 8 Premier League West Ham vs. Tottenham League Championship Crystal Palace vs. Southampton

Rahul Dravid under scrutiny ahead of England tests MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): Rahul Dravid's test future looks uncertain as a wind of change sweeps through Indian cricket, stirring up debate over the batsman's form and age ahead of next month's two home tests against England. Dravid has been the key to India's batting for more than a decade but at 35 the player, who has looked tentative since he gave up the captaincy last year to focus on his batting, is under scrutiny after faring poorly in his last seven tests. Dravid, one of the greats of his generation, managed just 268 runs in 13 completed innings spread over two series against Sri Lanka and

Australia, prompting questions about whether it was time for him to make way for someone younger. One of four batsmen in the world to score more than 10,000 runs in test and one-day cricket, Dravid looked in particularly woeful form against Australia, scoring just 120 runs in four tests, even as India won their first series in seven years. The talented Rohit Sharma from the successful oneday set-up and Cheteshwar Pujara, who scored back-toback triple centuries in the premier national competition, are spoken of as possible successors. India host England in Ahmedabad from Dec. 11 and in Mum-

bai from Dec. 19. Dravid, along with four other veterans, came under increasing pressure following their poor performance in the 2-1 test series defeat in Sri Lanka in July and August. A board official said last month that Anil Kumble, Saurav Ganguly, Dravid, Vangipurappu Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, all well into their 30s, had been told to plan their retirements by December. Ganguly and Kumble announced their retirements during the Australia series. Ganguly ended his colourful career in a blaze of glory, scoring a century and a fifty as India recorded a 2-0 victory in the four-test series, after an-

nouncing at the start of the series that it would be his last. Dravid's continued poor run has left him open to criticism, however. In 17 tests since he gave up the captaincy following the tour of England last year, the No. 3 batsman has averaged 30.13, compared to his career average of 52.61, and scored one century. Dravid lost his place in the one-day side last year when the selectors decided to pick younger players following India's first-round exit at the World Cup in the Caribbean. He has, however, scored 83 for Karnataka in a domestic competition this week, giving the selectors food for thought ahead of the England tests.

ICL cancels today’s match, decision on rest of tour AHMEDABAD, NOVEMBER 27 (PTI): The Indian Cricket League has called of today’s Twenty20 World Series League match between Bangladesh and Pakistan in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai and said the decision on the rest of the tournament will be taken by the evening. “Today’s match between Pakistan and Bangladesh has been cancelled in view of the deadly Mumbai terror attacks,” ICL Executive Board member and tournament director Kiran More told PTI. The former India stumper added that the overseas players are little disturbed by the developments and the a decision on the remainder of the tournament will be taken after taking into consideration all possible sides of the scenario. “The ICL board members are all arriving here by afternoon and we will have a detailed meeting on the issue and come to a decision on the rest of the tournament by the evening,” he said. The ICL T20 World Series is at its fag end and was scheduled to conclude on Saturday, with just two league matches, considered as virtual semi-finals, and the final remaining. Mumbai witnessed large scale terror strikes at high-profile hotels and establishments since last night in which already more than 100 people have been killed and several injured.

Ponting backs India travel ban NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 27 (AGENCIES): Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed a decision by Cricket Australia (CA) to ban players from travelling to India for next week’s Champions Twenty20 League following Wednesday night’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai. Terrorists killed at least 101 people, wounded at least 287 and took Westerners hostage in attacks across Mumbai, where the tournament was to start next Wednesday. One of the luxury hotels in flames, the Taj Mahal, was where English side Middlesex planned to stay. Ponting told ABC News that the attacks were of massive concern to the Australian players. “They (CA) have said that any cricket travel has been cancelled at the moment,” he said from Adelaide, where Australia is preparing for tomorrow’s second Test against New Zealand. “I think that’s definitely the right decision right now. “It’s a horrible thing to have happened. Matty (Hayden) is supposed to be going there at the end of this game. “We would hope that it can all be sorted out as soon as possible.” Ponting flagged the possibility of the tournament being moved to a nearby country. “Everyone who’s playing in the event or wants to see the event do well would like to see it go ahead,” he said. “So if that means moving it to a different country, then I guess I’d support that.”

Chelsea v Arsenal tops dynamic Sunday double bill LONDON, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): When Arsenal were flailing three weeks ago they hit back by beating Manchester United and now, after another domestic setback, they have to find another big performance at leaders Chelsea to stay in the title race. The Stamford Bridge clash (4 p.m.) is one half of a heavyweight Sunday double bill as Manchester United also visit Manchester City (1:30 p.m.). Liverpool, on the same points as the leaders but with an inferior goal difference, are at home to West Ham United on Monday night. Chelsea and Liverpool have 33 points with United on 25 but with a game in hand. After last week’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Arsenal have slipped to fifth on 23. Defeat on Sunday would leave them 13 points adrift of Chelsea, and by Monday Liverpool too could be almost out of sight with United right behind them. Manager Arsene Wenger has, for pretty much the first time in his 12 years at the club, started to attract grumbles. His failure to add significantly to the squad in the close season has left fans frustrated and, starved of league success for the last four years, the undefeated championship season of 2003-04 is becoming a distant memory. Wenger can point to a crop of promising youngsters highlighting their talents in the League Cup but it will take a while for most of them, if they make it at all, to become first-team regulars. Two exceptions, however, seem to be 16-year-old midfielder Jack Wilshire, who had his first taste of European football in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev, and Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who is improving with every game. The midweek victory propelled Arsenal safely into the Champions League knockout phase with a game to spare and brought some much-needed good news to the club. “That was the first step, what the team needs is a bit of reassurance and it will give us that,” Wenger said after Nicklas Bendtner’s late strike. Cesc Fabregas, installed as captain after William Gallas was stripped of the role for criticising his team mates, said: “We showed we are united. The attitude was spot on.” Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri and Bakary Sagna could return from injury against a Chelsea side who absorbed their home defeat by Liverpool last month to surge back to the top of the league. Chelsea were made to wait, however, for a berth in the last 16 of the Champions League when they were held 1-1 away by Girondins Bordeaux on Wednesday. Chelsea are without suspended Didier Drogba on Sunday but are buoyed by the hot form of Nicolas Anelka, whose opener at Bordeaux took his tally to nine goals in his last seven games.

Chelsea made to wait with draw in Bordeaux

BORDEAUX, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): A late Alou Diarra goal held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw at Girondins Bordeaux on Wednesday and denied last year's runners-up an early ticket to the Champions League first knockout phase. France midfielder Diarra headed home from a Yoann Gourcuff corner with seven minutes remaining to cancel out Nicolas Anelka's 60th-minute opener. Chelsea, who had England midfielder Frank Lampard sent off in the 86th minute, are now second in Group A with eight points from five matches, one point behind AS Roma, who won 3-1 at CFR Cluj. Bordeaux are third on seven points and Chelsea's midﬁelder Joe Cole, center, challenges for the ball with Bordeaux's midﬁelder Alou travel to Roma in two weeks' Diarra as Wendel, left, follows play during the Group A Champions League soccer match time with Chelsea hosting against Bordeaux in Bordeaux, southwestern France on November 26. (AP Photo) Cluj. The hosts, who looked

more lively in the opening stages of the game, had the first real chance when a Matthieu Chalme attempt from the edge of the box was parried by Petr Cech on 20 minutes. France playmaker Gourcuff was in a class of his own and had a 20-metre shot well saved by Cech six minutes later. Bordeaux's superiority in the midfield frustrated the Premier League leaders and the Londoners had Ashley Cole, Lampard and John Terry already booked as the clock ticked past the half hour. At halftime, Chelsea had yet to muster a shot on Mathieu Valverde's goal while Bordeaux had already made seven attempts at the other end. However Chelsea showed more composure when it mattered and went

ahead in the 60th minute when Bordeaux defender Franck Jurietti missed a back pass, allowing Anelka to intercept the ball and race to the area before flicking the ball past Valverde. Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc added steel to his front line when he replaced midfielders Yoan Gouffran and Wendel with striker Fernando Cavenaghi and Gabriel Obertan respectively. In the 83rd minute, Bordeaux captain Diarra nodded in a Gourcuff corner at the near post to keep his side's chances of going through alive. The home side had even more hope in the dying minutes of the game after Lampard was shown a red card for a second bookable offence. But Chelsea regrouped in their half and held on.

Denver Nuggets guard Dahntay Jones drives to the basket past Los Angeles Clippers guard Mike Taylor, left, in ﬁrst half of an NBA basketball game on November 26, in Los Angeles. The Nuggets won 106-105. (AP Photo)

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E n t / Ta b l o i d

The Morung Express

Friday 28 November 2008

‘Our oriental features describe us differently’

Dimapur

Pataudi gets to meet its Bahu, Kareena!!!

Hunt for Mega Model Search 2008 begins 20 ASPIRING wanna be models turned glamour world of fashion and modeling,” up for the first audition of the Mega Model they added. Search 2008 organised by the Star.ex GroomThis modeling agency with the theme ing School and Modeling Agency held to- “To Bring out the Star in You” aims at creday at Aroma Eatery, Dimapur. However, ating the much needed platform, wherein the last count was reduced only to six. The interested individuals with potential will candidates were judged by Vili G. Chopy, be groomed in every aspect, to be more conMiss Dimapur 2005, Cathrine Imtila Long- fident, to have the poise and charm to face kumer, Trainer the challenges, and in Herominto have the experemine and Asu tise at handling the Mr. Dimapur pleasures of star2003. dom. Another The courses audition for offered includes the same will Ramp presentation, be held on Catwalk, Wardrobe December 5 selection, Fashion next at Aroma shows manageEatery Kherment, Choreogramahal Junc- From left:Asu Mr. Dimapur 2003 ili G. Chopy, Miss phy, Camera postion, Dimapur Dimapur 2005 and Cathrine Imtila Longkumer, Train- ing, Beauty contest from 12 noon er in Herominemine. (Morung photo) preparation, Social onwards. The etiquette, interacdress code will include western casuals for tion with Fashion Photographers and Admale and skirts above knees for female. The vertising agencies, hair styling/skin care/ finale of the model contest will be held on show makeup and many more. In short, all December 13, 2008 at Town Hall, Dima- aspirants will be guided in all areas to sucpur. The contest is open to both male and cessfully create one's own niche in the comfemale, all local and non-local community petitive world of glamour. of Nagaland. The organisers also added that ‘at Star. The organisers of the model hunt be- ex, we can assure all our potential students a lieve that Nagas are people known for the successful career in the glamour world, and exotic beauty which is quite different from to be at par with the mainstream people at the mainstream Indians. “Our oriental fea- national level. A mélange of professionals tures describe us differently from the rest will be recruited as trainers, to enhance true of the country. At present it is not the lack grooming and professionalism.’ of talents or good looks, but a lack of the Interested designers, models, artist can platform from where to kick-off, that we contact the team with Vili G Chophi, DirecNagas fail to make an appearance in the tor at 9615082932 or 9856319424.

ollywood Gossip : Kareena Kapoor is all set to take her relationship with Saif to another level. She’ll be visiting his ancestral village Pataudi in Haryana. A privilege that none of Saif ladies from the past have been given. Confesses Saif, “Yes, Kareena has been invited to Pataudi. It’d have been earlier. But it’s too hot right now. Winter is when our family reunions happen every year. And Kareena is now part of the family. My parents are extremely fond of Kareena.” Sighs Saif, “This relationship is ‘IT’ for me. Today I feel very settled and very happy. Though a bit lonely. And when I’ve bad days I feel I’m being ungrateful. I’m now looking forward to settling down with Kareena. Our marriage will happen very shortly as soon as we both have a little less work on hand and we can give the marriage quality time. Also, her family has to be ready for our marriage.” Saif is very happy with Kareena’s mom. “We’re very close. She has been really gracious in inviting me into her family. She’s made sure I’m part of her family. I’ve also met Daboo Uncle a few times, shared friendly drinks with her. As for Karisma, I think she’s the sweetest girl ever in the world. I’m deeply fond of both Karisma and her husband Sanjay. They’re truly wonderful people. Kareena’s family has taken to me as warmly as my family has taken to her.” Saif has a lot to be thankful for. “My lifestyle has changed completely after the heart attack. Looking back it’s hard to believe I went through such a health scare. If it wasn’t for that life-changing experience I wouldn’t be in a relationship with Kareena right now. I hardly drink. Don’t even look forward to drinking any more. I don’t smoke or party.”

Beckhams join Cruises to celebrate Thanksgiving

he Cruises were among the first to welcome the Beckham clan to America, but for more than five months the two families have not been photographed together. But any rift between Hollywood's biggest celebrity families appears to be healed as the couples celebrated Thanksgiving eve. David and Victoria Beckham and their three sons were pictured with Tom Cruise and his older children Connor and Isabella. Tom's wife Katie Holmes and their two-year-old daughter Suri were absent from the gathering. But after meeting Tom in downtown

Nicole Kidman’s Baby Made Fergie Feel Broody

he Black Eyed Peas singer - who insists she isn't pregnant - says helping to look after Nicole's baby Sunday Rose has made her think about starting a family. She says, "Working on the movie 9 I was with Nicole Kidman who brought little Sunday Rose to the set and Kate Hudson brought her son Ryder to the set. It was lovely. It made me think of babies. I did get broody. I had to gain 13lbs for the movie but I am not pregnant. I have just gained weight. But seeing those babies did make me feel a bit broody. They are so cute."

New York the Beckhams left their sons with a babysitter while they went to watch Katie in her hit Broadway play All My Sons. Along the way David gallantly stepped in to help up a female photographer who had fallen over while walking backwards to take the couple's photo. Victoria, stylishly dressed in a close-fitting pencil-skirted dress, waited patiently as her husband assisted the woman. Later, the whole clan - Katie included - headed off for dinner at Il Cantinori. Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays in the American calendar, traditionally marked by a family celebration, so to be spending it to-

gether perhaps marks a resurgence of the close friendship the Beckhams once enjoyed with the Cruises. After initially being pictured constantly together - be it shopping, eating out or publicly supporting each other's work - the relationship between the two families apparently soured. This was rumoured to be because

the Beckhams had refused to consider joining the Scientology religion - a subject close to Tom's heart. But there were also reports that after months spent helping Katie develop an interest in fashion, Victoria became jealous when the former Dawson's Creek actress was asked to appear on the front cover of Vogue magazine.

10:15 - Storm Catcher 12:15 - A Life Less Ordinary 14:30 - Mansﬁeld Park 17:00 - Hollywoods 10 Best 17:30 - Dark Water 19:45 - Epk 20:00 - House Guest 22:15 - Get Shorty 22:30 - Shall We Dance? 01:00 - Mansﬁeld Park 02:50 - Storm Catcher 04:20 - Venom

10:35 - Signs 12:45 - Kiss of the Dragon 14:40 - Marvin’s Room 16:45 - Species 18:50 - The Illusionist 21:00 - Casino Royale 23:45 - Goal II: Living The Dream 03:40 - Dear Frankie 05:30 - Hollywood Shootout

AussieactressnarrowlyescapesMumbaiattacks

vision on Thursday. Satchwell said she, along with other guests, hid in a hotel bathroom. Satchwell locked herself inside a small cupboard, while other guests hid in cubicles until being escorted out by staff. “Next thing I knew I was running down the stairs and there were a couple of dead bodies across the stairs. It was chaos,” she told Australian media. Satchwell is best known for playing Anne Wilkinson in Neighbours, which is screened in many countries around the world. She is currently starring in another Australian drama and had been in Mumbai on holiday and for some filming.

ustralian actress Brooke Satchwell, who starred in the successful Neighbours television drama, said she narrowly escaped the gunmen behind the Mumbai attacks by hiding in a hotel bathroom cupboard. Satchwell, 28, was staying with friends at the Taj Mahal Hotel, where the attackers are still holding hostages. She said she was heading back inside the building after smoking a cigarette when she heard gunshots. “There was people getting shot in the corridor. There was someone dead outside the bathroom,” the shaken actress told Australian tele-

PRIME TIME TV GUIDES 04:00 - As You Like It 06:30 - The Making Of Gladiator 07:15 - Walker, Texas Ranger - Trial By Fire 09:15 - Message in a Bottle 12:00 - Living with the Enemy 13:45 - The Making Of Mr. Bean’s Holiday 14:00 - Flags Of Our Fathers 16:45 - Trespass 18:15 - Entourage 19:15 - Hollow Man II 21:00 - Snakes On A Plane 23:00 - Second in Command 00:45 - Hideaway 02:45 - Any Given Sunday 05:45 - The Making Of Happy Feet

06:00 - Equator 07:00 - Teleshopping 08:00 - The Planet’s Funniest Animals 08:30 - Young And Wild (S.2) 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 - Equator 15:00 - O’shea’s Big Adventure 16:00 - Big Cat Diary 17:00 - Animal Planet Personalities 18:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Ani-

mals 18:30 - Young And Wild (S.2) 19:00 - Planet Wild 19:30 - Up Close And Dangerous 20:00 - Wild Africa 21:00 - The Crocodile Hunter 22:00 - Animal Planet Safari 23:00 - Big Cat Diary 00:00 - The Planet’s Funniest Animals 00:30 - Young And Wild (S.2) 01:00 - Teleshopping 02:00 - Petsburgh USA 03:00 - Monkey Business 7 04:00 - Petsburgh USA 05:00 - Monkey Business 7

9:30 - eBuzz 10:00 -The Exorcism of Emily Rose 12:30 - Ultimate Guinness World Records 1:00 - Amazing Race Asia Memories 1:00 - AXN Xtreme: India VS Pakistan 2:00 - Moonlight 2:00 - So You Think You Can Dance 3:00 - Early Edition 4:00 - PUSHING DAISIES 5:00 - AXN Xtreme: India VS Pakistan

06:00 - Telebrands 07:00 - Wildest Asia 08:00 - Life In Cold Blood 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 - Dirty Jobs 16:00 - The Beauty of Snakes 17:00 - Into Alaska With Jeff Corwin 18:00 - Futureweapons

19:00 - Hunters 20:00 - Dirty Jobs 21:00 - The Alaska Experiment 22:00 - Call 911 23:00 - World’s Biggest Airliner 00:00 - Wild Africa 01:00 - Telebrands 02:00 - World’s Biggest Airliner 03:00 - Futureweapons 04:00 – Call 911 05:00 - World’s Biggest Airliner

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

06:00 - Seva Ganga 06:30 - Vignan Shashwat Sukh Ka 07:00 - Sangam 07:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat

08:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 08:30 - Baa Bahoo Aur Baby 09:00 - Kumkum 09:30 - Saibaba 10:30 - Hamari Devrani 11:00 - Grihasti 11:30 - Baa Bahoo Aur Baby 13:00 - Kumkum 13:30 - Hamari Devrani 14:00 - Karam Apnaa Apnaa 14:30 - Grihasti 15:00 - Aaja Mahi Ve 17:00 - Hamari Devrani 19:00 - Ab Tak Ka Safar 19:30 - Aaja Mahi Ve (Reality Show) 21:00 - Prithviraj Chauhan 21:30 - Baa Bahoo Aur Baby 22:00 - Star Voice Of India (Reality Show) 23:30 - Karam Apnaa Apnaa 00:00 - Kasturi 00:30 - Ab Tak Ka Safar 01:00 - Bidaai 01:30 - Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil 02:00 - Grihasti 02:30 - Kayamath 03:00 - Ab Tak Ka Safar 03:30 - Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii 04:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 04:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi Baraat 05:00 -Disney Time

06:00 - Fashion House 07:00 - Friday Night Lights 08:00 - Seinfeld 08:30 - Friends 09:00 - Rock 09:30 - Scrubs 10:00 - Grey’s Anatomy 11:00 - Friday Night Lights 12:00 - Jimmy Kimmel 13:00 - Brothers and Sisters 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 - The Ellen Degeneres Show 20:00 - Seinfeld 20:30 - Friends 21:00 - Carpoolers 21:30 - The Knights Of Prosperity 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

0:30 - Sportsnight 1:00 - UEFA Champions League: Arsenal v Dynamo Kyiv 3:00 - Australian Golf Tour New South Welse Open H/L’s 4:00 - ICL World Series HLs - India v Pakistan 6:00 - UEFA Champions League H/L’s: 7:00 - WWE: Raw 9:00 - ICL World Series HLs - India v Pakistan 11:00 - WWE: Smackdown 13:00 - Zim v SL - 4th ODI - 1st Session 21:00 - WWE: ECW 22:00 - Sportsnight 22:30 - WWE: Smackdown

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 - Kings Of The Road 13:00 - Kylie Kwong: My China 13:30 - Take Home Chef 2 14:00 - Indian Rendezvous 14:30 - Finest Hotels In The World 15:00 - The Presidential Tour 16:00 - In The Lap Of Luxury 17:00 - Dream Hotels 17:30 - Feast Bazaar Year 200 - 6 18:00 - Vegas Vegas 19:00 - 100 - 0 Places to See Before You Die 20:00 - Hotel By The Bay 20:30 - I Do, Let’s Eat! 21:00 - Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations 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 200 - 6 01:00 - Europe’s Richest People 02:00 - 100 - 0 Places to See Before You Die 03:00 - Surf And Snack 04:00 - A Makeover Story 04:30 - Big Boutique 05:00 - Monster House

05:15 - Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple 06:45 - Epk 07:00 - Charlie Chaplin 07:30 - Infomercial 08:00 - Play Dirty

06:00 - Hum Ladkiyan 06:30 - Jai Hanuman 07:00 - Telebrands 07:30 - Teleshopping 08:50 - Box Office Muzic Hitz 09:00 - Comedy Circus 10:00 - Meet Mila De Rabba 14:00 - Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke 18:00 - Comedy Circus 19:00 - Cid 20:00 - Boogie Woogie 21:00 - Indian Idol 4 22:00 - Cid 23:00 - Comedy Circus 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

05:05 - Hav Plenty 06:35 - Wide Awake 08:25 - Leonard Cohen - I’m Your Man

05:15 - Miss India 07:15 - Sabsey Favourite Kaun 07:45 - Global Tele Mall 08:00 - Jhankaar Beats 09:30 - King of Comedy 09:45 - Hero No 1 13:00 - Desh Devi 16:00 - Sabsey Favourite Kaun 16:30 - Hello Brother 20:00 - The Hero: Love Story Of A Spy 00:35 - Hero Hiralal 04:00 - Muthu Maharaja

C M Y K

The

Morung

SPORTS

P 12

THE KARMARIDERS

German riders given a warm welcome by the Nagas

Dr. T. Ao Trophy organizing committee meets KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The meeting of the organizing committee/sub committees of Dr. T. Ao Trophy 2008 will take place on November 29 at 10:00 am at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima. Therefore, all the concerned members have been requested to attend the said meeting positively.

Recruitment of football referees KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The Nagaland Football Association has informed that there will be recruitment of football referees and promotion of Class III to Class II from December 7 to 9 at Indira Gandhi Stadium, Kohima. Interested candidates have been asked to contact Kholiebei-o Khezhie, president KDFRA9436000461 and honorary secretary NFA- 9436000365 for further information on or before December 5.

dle

The ﬁve Germany Nationals, known as the 'Karma Riders' are seen here arriving at Nagaland Gate on November 27 with their cycles. The cyclist are on a mission to spread the message of “Solidarity, Peace, Friendship and also to encourage the youths of the region on adventurism.” (Morung Photo)

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27, (MExN): Finally, the much awaited Karmariders comprising five cyclist has reached Dimapur around 3:30 pm on November 27 where they were warmly greeted by Rev. Father Tony, Executive Director, AIDA, Dimapur along with Dr.

Stephen representing Don Bosco Allumni, Dimapur unit – DBADU (coordinating partner for Northeast legged) and a small reception was held at Nagaland Gate. The five Germans who are under a tour here at Northeast to spread solidar-

ity, peace, friendship & adventure among the youths. Their names are Schuppen Tobias, Schrenk Oliver, Petersen Nils, Meyer Karsten and Dominik Christian Lutz. They then proceeded to Don Bosco Higher Secondary School and will be

presently holding up for the night. They were being provided with state honour and around 20 motorcyclists along with ambulance and others were escorted. According to DBADU, the German riders would be touring around Dimapur

starting from morning 9 am on November 28, which DC would be flagging it off from AIDA Complex. A total area of 8 km has been targeted for the riders to tour and witness it by themselves the region. Dimapur administration along with DMC would be witnessing a tight sched-

England ODIs cancelled after Mumbai attacks MUMBAI, NOVEMBER 27 (REUTERS): The final two matches of England's one-day series against India were called off and the remainder of the tour hangs in the balance following Wednesday's militant attacks in Mumbai that claimed more than 100 lives. "The BCCI has accepted the request of the ECB to cut short the one-day series in light of the disturbing events in Mumbai," Indian board secretary N. Srinivasan said. " The future of next month's two-test series has

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yet to be decided, with the second match scheduled to be held in Mumbai from Dec. 19. "We expect they will come to play the test series," Srinivasan told reporters, where the teams are based after playing Wednesday's fifth leg of the seven-match series. The sixth match was due to be played in Guwahati on Saturday and the final game in New Delhi on December 2. The England team will not travel to Guwahati on Thursday as scheduled and will remain in Bhubaneswar overnight pending further

discussions with the BCCI in the wake of the shocking attacks in the country's financial capital. A group of militants armed with automatic weapons and grenades burst into luxury hotels, a hospital and a railway station late on Wednesday and fired indiscriminately, killing more than 100 people and injuring around 287 more. The safety and security of the England team is of the utmost importance to the ECB," the English board's managing director Hugh Morris said in a statement. A team from England's

Performance Programme is also in India. The lucrative Twenty20 Champions League scheduled for next month, featuring top teams from Australia, South Africa, England, India and Pakistan, has been postponed due to security concerns following the attacks. The unofficial Indian Cricket League cancelled their match in Ahmedabad on Thursday and an ICL official told Reuters their governing committee was scheduled to meet later in the day to make a decision on postponement. Austra-

In this photo released on November 27 by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) shafts of sunlight fall on central London which backdrops the building work that continues on the London 2012 Olympic Stadium, bottom right, on Novebmer 12. (AP Photo)

lia's tour of India in September also started in controversial circumstances after a series of bombs in New Delhi killed at least 20 people and injured 90. The latest attacks have raised further doubts over India's tour of Pakistan early next year, already pending government clearance following a spate of suicide bombings in Pakistan over the past few months. Pakistan chiefs have suggested swapping the team's 2010 tour of India or even staging the series in a neutral venue if the trip does not happen.

ule to go well for the five Germans. And at 10 am there will be an interaction with officials, representatives and press. They will be here at Dimapur till November 29 where they will be proceeding to Kohima via Zubza on the same night.

‘KARMA RIDERS’ THE GERMAN CYLCE EXPEDITION TOURS

Winter C'ship from December 6

COME, RIDE WITH US!!

DIMAPUR, NOVEMBER 27 (MExN): The 1st Winter Championship, Red Tennis Balls Cricket Tournament, organized by Spark’s Cricket Club would be held at Government Higher Secondary School, United Colony, Ward No. 20 from December 6 to 21. The winners and runners-up will be awarded Rs 10,000 and Rs 4000 in cash respectively, besides individual awards such as Man of the Match (every match), Man of the Series for the best performance in the tournament etc. According to a release issued by Sparks Cricket Club, the joining fee will be Rs 800 only. Forms are available at Spark’s Cricket Club office, near Poonam Hotel, Kher Mahal and Coffee Shall in DDSC Stadium.LastDateforsubmission of forms is December 4. For further details one cancontact Mintu Sinha, Manager/ Coach, Spark’s Cricket Club, 9856684203/9856963874.

DIMAPURIANS WHO HAVE CYCLES JOIN THE DIMAPUR TOUR AT 9.00 AM FROM AIDA COMPLEX (DON BOSCO) WITH THE MESSAGE OF SOLIDARITY, FRIENDSHIP, SELF-RELIANCE AND ADVENTURE CYCLING 5000 KM - AN EXHIBIT OF THE POWER OF YOUTH DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE!

COME, CHEER AND ENCOURAGE THEM AS THEY CYCLE THROUGH OUR STREETS BETWEEN 9.00 AM TO 11.30.AM ALONG WITH DIMAPURIANS ON 28.11.2008! PROGRAMME 27.11.2008 3.30 PM - RECEPTION AT NAGALAND GATE ON NH-39 28.11.2008 9.00 AM - FLAG-OFF OF DIMAPUR TOUR ON CYCLE 10.00 AM - INTERACTION WITH DIMAPURIANS AT CIRCUIT HOUSE DIMAPUR QUERIES? Contact Don Bosco Alumni Dimapur at dba_dmr@gmail.com dbadimapur@gmail.com

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

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PO Reg No. NE/RN-722