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The Morung Express

A Daily Publication of Morung for Indigenous Affairs & JustPeace

Dimapur VOL. III ISSUE 294

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KCP-MC claims hand in Manipur bomb blasts Newmai News Network Imphal | October 22

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In this photo provided by the Indian Space Research Organization, India’s maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-1, or Moon Craft in ancient Sanskrit, successfully takes off at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on Wednesday. India launched its ﬁrst mission to the moon Wednesday, rocketing a satellite up into the pale dawn sky in a two-year Details on page 8 mission to redraw maps of the lunar surface. (AP Photo)

Media to Imchen: Apologize or face Blackout DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): Perhaps one of the most strained and pressurized of Media communities, the Nagaland Media has not taken lightly to NPF-led DAN’s Home Minister Imkong Imchen’s ill-conceived remarks that the state’s Fourth Estate is into what he called “yellow journalism”. Imchen is served 7-days ultimatum to publicly apologize and justify to the Media; failure to do so, the DPC “resolved not to entertain any functions or press statements related to the Home Minister.” An irate Dimapur Press Club today made clear to the Home minister that he should have been responsible enough to own liability for

the string of violence and criminal activities in Dimapur rather than go about educating journalists on their responsibilities. “The house felt that the HM should be responsible enough to own responsibility for the spate of criminal activities in Dimapur and put in all his efforts into containing the same instead of lecturing the media on their ‘responsibilities’” the DCP reminded today in a statement. An emergency meeting of the Dimapur Press Club was held October 22 in the backdrop of Imchen’s remark against the state Media. The journalists in out right censured the context remarks made by Imchen. Continued on page 3

WITH TUESDAY’s Imphal blast toll rising, and amidst condemnations pouring in from various quarters, the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party-Military Council (KCP-MC) has claimed responsibility for the blast. Amidst reactions to the blast, as inhuman and cowardice by various social organizations, the militant KCP-MC has owned up to the act. The group claimed that the security forces personnel after ‘having robbed money from the common people throughout the day’, had gathered at the place between Imphal West Police Commando Complex and 32 Assam Rifles Transit Camp ( the place where the blast occurred) and ‘enjoyed Lagao gambling in the name of Diwali celebrations’. The KCP-MC in a statement issued to the press this evening said that the outfit’s “special demo team” after observing the development at the area for the last three days, had triggered the bomb last evening to “show displeasure” against the security forces personnel ‘enjoying Lagao gambling’. The KCP-MC further stated that the security forces ‘enjoying the gambling’ have been doing so after intoxicating themselves. In that state of mind the security personnel have been committing other “immoral” activities, the outfit said. Terming Diwali as a “foreign festival” brought by mainland Indians, the KCP-MC urged not to endorse the festival. The KCPMC also urged the people not to hobnob with security forces personnel and surrendered militants, to avoid a fate similar to those civilians killed on Tuesday. The outfit even went so far to “condole” the victims’ families. Meanwhile, the National Identity Protection Committee (NIPCO), All Manipur United Clubs Organization (AMUCO), All India Christian Council, Zeliangrong Women Organization, Northeast Support and Helpline and All India Confederation of ST/SC Organization have condemned Tuesday’s blast. In protest, people in the Lamlong area under Imphal East district called a bandh today by forcing shops to close. Roads passing the area were blocked and the protestors expressed resentment against the attack.

Protestors burn tires to protest Tuesday’s bomb blast in Imphal, Wednesday, October 22. The death toll from the bomb explosion outside a police training center in Imphal has risen to 17 after three more wounded succumbed to injuries overnight, police said Wednesday. (AP Photo)

‘Further study on strengthening laws to deal with terror’ NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): The Government would require further study on whether amendments are needed to be brought in existing laws to deal with terror strikes, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told Rajya Sabha today. Replying to a supplementary raised by Shobhana Bhartia (nominated) and Alka Balram Kshatriya (Cong) during Question Hour, Patil said the “issue has been discussed widely in the media and political circles ... It requires more study”. He said the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 was amended in 2004 to incorporate various provisions to deal effectively with terrorism and terrorist acts.

India wants to seal border with Myanmar on page 5

Continued on page 3

‘Beef up anti-Terror system’ DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has censured the Tuesday bomb blast in Manipur and said anti-terror mechanisms should be reinforced and steps taken to evolve ways to combat terrorism. The Tuesday bomb blast in Imphal left more than a dozen dead and many injured. Rio said terror attacks in the north east have increased significantly and said this should be a concern for all the NE states and the government of India. “The security and anti-terror mechanisms must be beefed up and steps must be taken to

evolve ways through which we can make a collective effort to combat terrorism” Rio said in a message today. “We cannot allow the mongers of terrorism to hold the people at ransom and continue t create fear and panic. All possible measures must be taken to fight the menace of terrorism” he said. The chief minister also said taking the lives of innocent people and practice of violence and bloodshed find no place in any civilized society and the perpetrators of terror and violence need to be served the highest level of punishment as per the laws of the land.

USSC stew over teachers’ policy ‘Nagaland’s HIV/AIDS

Lipichem

Kiphire | October 22

THE ISSUE over the new teachers’ recruitment policy today invited a sit-in in the entire four districts of the ENSF’s jurisdiction. In Kiphire the United Sangtam Students’ Conference as per the directives of ENSF staged the first phase of their agitation at the office premises of the Deputy Commissioner of Kiphire. The new teachers’ recruitment policy was passed by the state government in the year 2003, but after a lapse of few years the government has decided to implement it only this year. Earlier, the ENSF had served an ultimatum with three points. They were, 10 years relaxation for ENSF, setting up of a DIET/training institution in all the district headquarters and sub-divisions and intensive

Members of the USSC sit-in as a ﬁrst-phase agitation, in the premises of the ofﬁce of Deputy Commissioner, Kiphire. (Morung Photos)

service in-training be given to “unprofessional” teachers who are in service instead of VRS before the new teachers’ recruitment policy is implemented. The dateline expired on August 13. However, so far there seems to be no response from the authorities, which ultimately forced the organization to go for agitation. The ENSF had earlier met the chief minister, minister of Education and the director of Education over this issue, where they assured fulfillment of the demands. But there appeared no concrete solution, which aggravated the ENSF going into agitation in phases in its entire jurisdiction. The second phase of agitation which is scheduled tomorrow will be picketing all the offices of the DEO or DIS till the charter of demands is fulfilled. So far, no untoward incidents have been reported.

rate 1% decrease’ Newmai News Network Kohima | October 22

THE PROJECT DIRECTOR of Nagaland State Aids Control Society (NSACS) disclosed that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in Nagaland has come down to less than one per cent. Making a power-point presentation on the HIV/AIDS scenario in the state and the programmes under National AIDS Control Programme (NACP)-III during the meeting of state level committees of concern on HIV/AIDS on Tuesday, he said that the down-trend is a great relief. Nagaland is counted amongst the six high HIV/AIDS prevalent states in the country. Meanwhile, official sources revealed that the meeting, presided by Nagaland Chief Secretary Lalhuma noted and appreciated

the various actions that various departments are taking up to fight the menace. He suggested several steps that various government departments can take up as part of their ongoing activities. The members were also of the view that it would be a great step forward if some percentage of the budget of various departments can be earmarked for HIV/AIDS related activities, as a policy. As the chairman of the committee, the chief secretary also put several suggestions to be implemented by the NSACS and other government departments. He suggested that the district administration and the police should be made more involved with the fight on HIV/ AIDS. ‘Involve as many people and agencies as you can’ Lalhuma suggested to the officials of NSACS. Reserving

certain percentage of sponsorship, subsidies and loans for entrepreneurship, selfemployment and training under various government schemes for PLHAs, would go a long way in capacitating HIV affected people, the chief secretary said. All government departments should formulate some action plan to help in the fight against HIV/ AIDS, he added.

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LOCAL

Thursday 23 October 2008

The Morung Express

HiWEL to aid e-learning at GMS Chandmari

Secretary, Information Technology & Technical Education, Abhishek Singh, IAS, at the inauguration of HiWEL at Govt. Middle School, Chandmari, Kohima on Wednesday. (DIPR) Our Correspondent Kohima | October 22

BRINGING CHEER to children in respect of computer education, the Hole-

in-the-Wall Education Ltd (HiWEL) Learning Stations through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Mission Nagaland was formally inaugurated at the Government Middle

School, Chandmari, here this morning. Dedicating the station in the presence of several dignitaries, public leaders and students, Abhishek Singh, IAS, Secretary, Infor-

mation Technology & Technical Education, encouraged the students to take advantage of the provided facility, adding that it would go a long way in enabling the children to know the basics of computers. Singh also expressed his happiness to the concerned authorities for undertaking such an innovative project that seeks to create a new paradigm in the learning process by providing unrestricted computer access in an open setting. Further, he urged upon the SSA to further expand the coverage of such facility in the state. Presently, there are 15 HiWEL Learning Stations across the state. K J Lohe, State Project Director, State Mission Authority, SSA Nagaland, in his speech said the HiWEL Learning Stations would be kept open for children before and after school hours, where they can play computer games and browse for general knowledge. Also touching on ‘global village’, Lohe was hopeful that an internet connection

would be initiated in due course of time. He also stated that the HiWEL Learning Stations would be made accessible to schoolchildren including out-of-school children, adding that the idea behind the facility is to expose the basics of computers to children. The programme was chaired by Lhingneiphal, while Vlmawya delivered the welcome address. Proposing the vote of thanks, Santu Thapa, member of Ward Education Committee, said that the HiWEL Learning Station will help the students a lot and extended invitation to children from other schools to come to the station. HiWEL is a joint venture between NIIT Ltd. and the International Finance Corporation (a part of The World Bank Group). Established in 2001, HiWEL was set up to research and propagate the idea of Hole-in-the-Wall, a pathbreaking learning methodology created by Dr. Sugata Mitra, Chief Scientist of NIIT. Formally called Minimally Invasive Education,

this innovative methodology was first tested in a slum in Kalkaji, New Delhi, in 1999. The experiment was replicated in two other rural sites in the same year. The first adopter of the idea was the NCT of Delhi. In 2000, the Government of Delhi set up 30 Learning Stations in a resettlement colony. This project is ongoing and continues to create a tremendous impact among generations of young learners, an available source said. With the formation of HiWEL in 2001, a national research program was started, in which Learning Stations were set up in 23 locations across rural India. In 2004, the Hole-in-the-Wall reached Cambodia through the Ministry of External Affairs, GoI. HiWEL is now poised to scale up the idea of Hole-in-the-Wall to make a significant contribution to improving elementary education and life skills of children across the world, especially those in disadvantaged communities in rural areas and urban slums.

‘Involve dist administration, Police in HIV/AIDS ﬁght’

KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22 (DIPR): The State Level Committee of concern on HIV/AIDS held a meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Lalhuma, at the Chief Secretary’s conference hall Kohima on October 21 to discuss, identify and recommend steps for strengthening multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS. The committee noted and appreciated the various actions that various departments are taking up to fight the menace of HIV/AIDS in the state and suggested several steps that various government departments can take up as part of their ongoing activities. The members were also of the view that it would be a great step forward if some percentage of the budget of various departments could be earmarked for HIV/AIDSrelated activities as a policy. As chairman of the committee, the Chief Secretary also put forward several suggestions to be implemented by the NSACS and other government departments. He suggested

Tsg RJD concerned over road condition DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The District Council of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) party of Tuensang held its meeting on October 17, 2008, in the attendance of RJD State Council members, Hayung and N Kaimang. During the meeting, it was resolved that the council would request the state government to consider the Tuensang people’s plea on the deplorable road condition between Tuensang and Mokokchung which was a state highway. “It is only a 3 hour journey, but at present vehicles take 7-8 hrs which is great setback to time and economy of the district,” stated the press statement issued by president H

Changlemba Chang. In this connection, the council also lamented that such extreme road conditions also posed great danger to serious patients since there was no sufficient medical facility or doctors there. The party therefore requested the government to “detail” some officer to examine the road since it was the only lifeline of the district. The said meeting also resolved to ask the government to initiate the opening of another branch of the State Bank of India in Tuensang town since all financial transactions of the entire district was done in the lone SBI branch. This, therefore, led to permanent overcrowding

which was causing untold hardship to the people, particularly the pensioners. Furthermore, the party condemned the persecution of Christians in other states ands expressed solidarity with suffering Christians. It also asked law enforcing agencies to take necessary steps for peaceful co-existence of all communities, being a secular and democratic country. Meanwhile, the release informed that handing and taking over of charge between outgoing district president, C Sashi, and the newly appointed president, H Changlemba Chang, took place in the presence of the other office bearers.

Nagaland’s agri products ready for export Our Correspondent Kohima | October 22

Ladies with their babies seen resting for a while at Wokha District. (UB Photos)

KMC urges wholesale dealers to stick to agreement

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that the district administration and Police should be made more involved in the fight on HIV/AIDS. “Involve as many people and agencies as you can,” Lalhuma suggested to the officials of NSACS. Reserving certain percentage of sponsorship, subsidies and loans for entrepreneurship,self-employment and training under various government schemes for PLHAs would go a long way in capacitating HIV affected people,theChiefSecretarypointed out,addingthatallgovernment departments should formulate some action plan to help in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Earlier, the Project Director of NSACS gave a PowerPointpresentationonthe HIV/ AIDS scenario in the state and the programmes under NACP III. He disclosed that the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the state had come down recently to less than 1%, which was “a great relief.” The meeting concluded with a note to meet more often and to strengthen the multi-sectoral response to HIV/AIDS in a more concrete and systematic manner.

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): Subsequent to thorough discussions held, the office of the Kohima Municipal Council (KMC) has notified all the wholesale dealers of perishable items that the open tender system has been introduced with the sole intention of controlling the exorbitant rise of prices and business monopoly of some vested individuals in the city.

It stated that the agreement between the KMC and wholesale dealers had been signed with the dealers having read and pledged to abide with all the 15 terms and conditions laid down in the agreement. Therefore, the Chairperson, Vipolal Kintso, stated that the council is to act on the terms and conditions therein and execute it accordingly without any favour and discrimination.

The press statement issued today also added that under agreement-15, it clearly stated that in the event of failure to comply with the clauses above by the grantee, the grantor reserves every right to forfeit the security deposit and cancel the permit/dealership without prior information. Therefore, the KMC issued strong warning to the wholesale dealers to strictly abide

by the terms and conditions signed, adding that failure to do so would result in stern action as per agreement-15. The Municipal Council further asked the public and business communities for positive response to the eviction carried out in the KMC market and slaughterhouses committee along with the market inspector on footpath vendors on October 20, 2008.

RTO Kohima informs DMC warns on illegal city bus operators signboards, banners KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22 (DIPR): Regional Transport Officer, Kohima, Mezayi Tetseo has once again informed the operators of Kohima Town City Buses to produce their vehicles at the Old MLA Hostel for inspection and issue of special sticker on or before September 30, 2008. The inspections are going on everyday except Sundays and holidays from 7:00 am to 9:00 am in the morning and from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the evening. No city buses are be-

ing allowed to operate in Kohima Town without the Special Sticker from October 1, 2008. The defaulters shall invite action under the appropriate sections of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 such as heavy fine, seizure of vehicle and detention, etc. the notice warned. The heads of college/school institutions that are utilising the Kohima City buses for their wards have been informed to engage only those buses that bear the ‘special sticker’.

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Dimapur Municipal Council has informed that any signboard, banner, kiosks, etc. displayed by any individual, firm or company, without prior permission from the DMC, within its jurisdiction, is directly against the norms and rules of the Act as prescribed under section 161 of the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001. All concerned who have put up the same without prior permission

of the council have been directed to remove them within seven days from the date of issue of this order. DMC Chairperson, K Khekaho Assumi, in an order has strictly prohibited putting up of banners at the City Tower, the footbridge near Holy Cross Police Point, and at the new flyover. On failing to comply with this, the defaulter will be penalised and necessary action initiated as per the Nagaland Municipal Act, 2001, warned the order.

IN A SIGNIFICANT development, Nagaland’s agricultural produce will now be accessible to the national and international market through organic agriculture. For the first time in Nagaland, the ‘organic certificate’ was awarded to the Tuensang Organic Farmers through the Department of Agriculture, Government of Nagaland, on February 18, 2008, by the globally recognised certification agency, the SGS India Pvt. Ltd. With this, it will particularly benefit 32 villages in Shamatore and Chesore circles in Tuensang district, comprising of 3423 individual farmers, covering a delineated area of 3002ha of organic farming for the following selected crops such as kholar (local beans), maize, ginger, large cardamom, passion fruit and chilli. “This is first of its kind in Nagaland and largest area ever brought under organic farming in whole of north east region in a compact area as per SGS India Pvt. Ltd with effect from 18th February 2008,” stated Dr. Supong Keitzar, Director of Agriculture.

CORRIGENDUM Referring to the news item ‘Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls’ Deputy Commissioner Kohima, Sachopra Vero, has stated that the Special Campaign dates mentioned in the last paragraph should be corrected as 16-112008 and 23-11-2008 and not as published earlier. The error is regretted. Issued by DPRO, Kohima

Nagaland ex-servicemen tour Delhi

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): As part of ‘Op Sadbhavana’, an excursion of 15 ex-servicemen (ESM) from Nagaland to Delhi and Shimla was flagged of by Maj Gen BK Chengappa, AVSM, COS 3 Corps, today. These ESM will visit and interact with senior Army and civil dignitaries at Delhi. Thereafter, they will proceed to attend the Raising Day (November 1) of 1st NAGA at Solan in Himachal Pradesh. This visit offers an opportunity to these ESM to witness a new vibrant India and opportunities available in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. Similar visits for school boys from Nagaland are also being undertaken to motivate them for better careers in the mainstream. One of the tour members is Hav. Sovehu (92) of 1st Assam Rifles who retired in 1948 due to injuries sustained in a bomb blast during World War II. He

fought battles at Jessami, Kohima, Imphal, and in Burma against Japanese. He belongs to Phek village, in Phek District, and is living with his wife, children (12), grandchildren and great grandchildren. The

enthusiasm of this war veteran is to be emulated by the youth today. The event has been organised by the 164 Inf Bn TA (H&H) NAGA to honour the ex-servicemen of Nagaland. The group select-

ed for excursion comprises of ESM of Naga Regiment, Assam Regt and Assam Rifles. Present on the occasion were Lt Col Omveer Singh, Offg CO, 164 TA, and other senior officers of Rangapahar Military Station.

LOCAL

The Morung Express

Thursday

23 October 2008

Dimapur

NPF bites back on No-trust memo DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The NPF today issued a response to the Congress’ memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland demanding the resignation of the chief minister and the NLA Speaker from their respective posts. “After having lost two consecutive assembly elections, they are desperately looking for any sensational issues to keep themselves in the news,” the NPF stated in the response, appended by NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie. It is ‘most unlikely that the people would be fooled by such cheap gimmicks’ the NPF said The NPF flatly termed the Congress’ demands as “farcical and foolhardy, and also betray ignorance of the processes of law”. The decision taken by the Speaker inside the House and the course of the proceedings is not subject to review by any other authority, including the Governor, the NPF said. “However, if there is allegation of malafide (sic) in the decision taken by the Speaker, it may be subjected to a judicial review through a writ petition. In this particular instance, the 3 independent MLAs and 9 NPF MLAs had actually filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the decision of the Speaker by engaging a famous Advocate, Shri Abhishek Singhvi.

Lingmai Union greets on Chenga Gadi DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Lingmai Union Nagaland extends greetings to all the Zeliangs on the forthcoming Chenga Gadi festival. A press release issued by the general secretary, Takam Ngung, requested the people to honour the holiday as declared by the state government and hoped that the coming festival will bring peace and tranquility in the days to come.

Shoxuvi village bans DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Shoxuvi Village Council has strictly prohibited any ‘style or system’ of fishing and hunting in and around its jurisdiction with immediate effect. A press note issued by its chairman, V Yepthomi, informed that it would take action, as per the council rules and regulations, against any parties or individuals if found guilty.

However, the Supreme Court had rejected their petition. In such a background, how can they demand an apology from the honorable Speaker how for the decision he had taken in good faith and in accordance with the direction issued by him on this behalf under the rules,” the NPF explained. The NPF also said that the direction on August 21 by the Speaker was done in good faith, with the sole intention of preventing unprincipled voting by unscrupulous members in the house, and to uphold the true spirit of the Anti-Defection Law. Secondly, the NPF said Kiyanilie is not the first Speaker who suspended the voting rights of MLAs in the house. The party cited P.R. Kyndiah, Speaker of the Meghalaya Assembly who suspended the voting rights of 5 members with effect from August 7, 1991, pending the final disposal of the petition for their disqualification and another Speaker, EK Mawlong also suspended the voting right of Mayalim War, MLA of Meghalaya. “Even the Supreme Court, in SLP (Civil) 11742 of 1991 had passed interim orders, restraining certain Members of the Gujarat Assembly from exercising their vote in the House pending the hearing and final disposal of the case against them,” the NPF

stated. On the Speaker’s decision not to count the votes of those NPF MLAs who had defied the party whip, the decision was made in accordance with the direction duly made and notified on August 21, 2006 by the Speaker under the provisions of Rule 19 of Members of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules, 2003. “This direction was known by all the members of the Nagaland Assembly from before, but no one had protested against, or challenged the said direction made by the Speaker which stated that ‘votes cast by any member belonging to a political party in contravention of the Party whip shall not be counted’. Knowing fully well the existence of the directive and for fear of being disqualified they had submitted their resignations from the 10th House of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly,” the NPF said. The party also informed that the NPF defectors were absent in the morning and rushed at the time of voting in the Assembly. So the Speaker acted in accordance with the direction he had made under the rules, when he decided not to count the votes of the NPF members who had voted against

the party whip. On the issue of whether the direction made by the Speaker is fully in consonance with the principles of the Constitution and other relevant laws of the land, the NPF ‘agreed’ that there can be conflicting legal issues. “However, since no one had challenged the said direction of the Speaker in a court of law, and no court had struck down the said direction as ultra vires of the Constitution, the Speaker was within his rights to give his rulings in accordance with that direction. Therefore, the Speaker had done no wrong to the 9 NPF MLAs and 3 independent MLAs of the 10th Nagaland Legislative Assembly, and the question of apologizing to them or stepping down from the Office does not arise at all,” the party said. In regard to the decision of the High Court of Guwahati on the petition filed by Yitachu on the issue of imposition of President’s Rule, the NPF felt that the imposition of PR in Nagaland was ill-motivated, and against the spirit of the Constitution. “However, since the people of Nagaland have given their verdict in our favor, we do not consider it necessary to file an appeal against the High Court’s decision, because we take the people’s verdict as the final and all important verdict,” the party added.

DIS Dimapur Hetoli Sumi (4th from left) and Jevika SIS along with VEC members and Head GB of Hotovi Village at the inauguration of GPS L.Hotovi.

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The DIS Dimapur, Hetoli Sumi, on October 21 inaugurated the GPS of L. Hotovi Village. Speaking as chief guest, she exhorted the villagers by explaining the meaning and significance of communitisation and the very essence of communitisation. She encouraged the Village Education Committee to exercise the decentralised power vested upon them by the government so that the school would be able to function properly. She also ap-

preciated the work done by the Committee in constructing two rooms, although the government had given the fund for only a one-room extension. She further promised to help the Committee in future if they continued to work with sincerity. Shiwoto Sumi, VEC Chairman of L. Hotovi Village, in a release stated that Hetoli Sumi encouraged the teachers to be sincere in their duty so that the unseen God may bless them according to their work.

The remarks are a direct attack on the integrity of the state Media, the DPC stated. The journalist were of the unanimous view that the Fourth Estate cannot work under the diktat of a government and to this, resolved to uphold the principles of Free Press even in the days to come. The Media reminded Imchen: “The media are actively involved in reporting the facts and have been diligently highlighting the current scenario in full knowledge of the public.” The house was of the view that the HM through his remark that ‘Media, we cannot believe in whole totality’, is even questioning the intelligence of the public. The house also resented the way Imchen openly humiliated the Media in front of the Administrative and police officials as well as members of the business community who are the Media persons’ main sources of informa-

Weather Report for 8 districts of Nagaland from October 22-26, 2008 Districts

Rainfall

Temp

Cloud cover Relative humidity Wind speed km/hr Min (%)

Mon

There will be a light shower on 24th.

Normal

Mainly clear 53 sky the ﬁrst 4 days with mainly cloudy sky on the 5th day - do 54

Max (%) 92

2-3

Normal Mokokchung There will be a light shower on 24th. Normal Tuensang Light rain on 24&25th & moderate rain on 26th . Zunheboto Light rain on 24th. Normal

- do -

3-4

Phek

Normal

- do -

3-4

Normal

- do -

3-4

Wokha

Kohima Dimapur

The Deputy Commissioner Mokokchung inaugurated the 10 days special Handloom Expo organized by Handloom & Handicraft Development Cooperation Ltd. Nagaland and sponsored by Ofﬁce of the Development Commissioner for Handloom, Ministry of Textiles Government of India New, Delhi at the Youth Resource Sports Hall, Imkongmeren Sports Complex Mokokchung on October 22. (DIPR)

14th IR tests on Oct 23 DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): Candidates from Dimapur district appearing for the recruitment tests for constable (GD) in the 14th NAP BN (IR) are directed to report at NAPTC stadium in Chumukedima on October 23 at 7:30 AM. Candidates should bring their original documents and also come prepared for medical screening and outdoor tests, informed the SP of Dimapur in a notice.

L. Hotovi Village GPS inaugurated Media to Imchen: Apologize or face Blackout From page 1

Light rain on 24,25 and 26th. Mostly dry weather will prevail for the coming ﬁve days Light rain on 24th & moderate rain on 26th . Light rain on 26th.

- do -

90 96

3-4 1-2

Wind direction Cum. rainfall fm. 22/10 to 28/10 SouthernlyEasternly

4mm

Southwesternly- 7mm Southeasternly Westernly/north 31mm westernly- north easternly South easternly- 8mm easternly South easternly- 19mm easternly South easternly- 5mm easternly

Normal

- do -

3-4

North easternly- 34mm easternly

Normal

- do -

2-3

EasternlyNortheasternly

Rice being ripened, harvesting should be undertaken immediately as there will be light to moderate rain from October 24 onwards. After the harvest of rice, it should be ploughed, collected and burnt so that the hibernating borers be destroyed. Sowing of gram should be completed by second week of November. To avoid incidence of seed/seedling rot, seed treatment may be given of Trichoderma (biocontrol fungi) @ 4.0g/kg seed, also use biofertilizers- Rhizobium and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) each @ 25g/kg seed. Ascochyta blight and wilt is a common problem. Destruction of disease plant debris, deep ploughing, crop rotation with non leguminous crops and maintenance of proper spacing of 45-60 cm between the plants reduce the diseases. In fruit laden banana plant, it should be propped up with some support (Bamboo).Banana beetle might attack the young leaves and fruits. Follow proper sanitation and use polythene bag to cover the bunch. Also from fruit bearing towards harvest, undertake appro-

priate plant protection measures. For lentil ensure timely sowing. It can be sown up to first week of November. Suitable lentil varieties for mid latitude of NEH Region are L 4147,PL 639, PL 4,VL 1, VL 125 and for low altitude region Pant L 406 and LH 84 -8 (Sapana). Field pea needs a better seed bed; seed treatment should be done with Rhizobium culture. Powdery mildew cause heavy losses in yield. Therefore to control the disease use resistant variety like Rachna. In mustard, yield losses due to weeds can go upto 70%. One hand weeding should be given at 20-25 days followed by hoeing and second at 40-45 days. Spraying of need based fungicide and pesticide if the incidence of pest and diseases exceeds threshold level of crops. Seed sowing of different vegetables can be continued. Seeds should be treated with appropriate fungicides and insecticides to ward off early insect, pest and diseases. To protect the crop from rain water stagnation seeds should be sown on 25-30 cm wide raised beds. Nursery should be raised in such places where

16mm

no water stagnation is experienced and have good drainage system. Run-off from rains needs to be collected in low cost tanks for supplemental irrigation in vegetable and cereals crops. Increasing the infiltration of rainwater into the soil through tillage, residue management. Fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide should not be sprayed the coming days as the weather condition is not favorable. Mechanical removal of the diseased plants debris and the crop residue of previous season should be carried out. Necessary arrangement may be made for draining out excess water from the crop field to avoid water logging. Only healthy wheat grains should be used to avoid loose smut disease which is the most serious and is internally seed borne. Wilt of linseed appears at any stage of crop growth from seedling till maturity. Therefore crop rotation should be carried out and seed treatment should be done with Bavistin @ 2g/ kg or Thiram or captan @ 3g/kg seeds. Imtisenla Walling ICAR, Jharnapani, Medziphema

tion. Making clear that this irresponsible conduct of Imchen is a direct attack on the credibility of the state Media, the Home minister is served a 4-point meeting decision: A public apology from the Home Minister within 7 days for questioning the integrity of the state Media. If he fails to do so the DPC “Resolved not to entertain any functions or press statements relating to the Home Minister.” He is also to justify by citing instances when the state Media had resorted to “yellow journalism”. The journalists want Imchen HM to be specific and not generalize the entire state Media with his socalled “some of the Media people” that are interested in “yellow journalism”. Rather, the journalists suggested, that he stop dealing with his “some of the Media people” in public interest. All Editors are requested by the DPC to take up the matter seriously

and render their needful to the working journalists in the state. The statement was appended by DPC president Dilip Sharma and general secretary Paudi Renta.

‘Further study on strengthening laws to deal with terror’ From page 1

“In addition, provisions to deal with terrorist and subversive activities also exist in various other laws such as the National Security Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act etc,” he said. Patil said “suggestions have been received, from time to time from various sources regarding the need for further strengthening of laws and other related arrangements to deal with terrorism ... These are being examined on a continuing basis and appropriate measures will be taken as found necessary as a part of this exercise”.

DNSU holds literary competition DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22, (MExN): The Literary Committee of Dimapur Naga Students’ Union organised a “Literary Competition” at Town Hall here today. Extempore speech, debate and quiz contests marked the literary competition with students from various schools and colleges participating at the event. Secretary, Land Resource, Government of Nagaland, Norman Putsure was the chief guest of the day. In his address, Putsure impressed upon the students

to work hard and asked of them to be committed for betterment of the society. Adding that, at the same time, “we should be social(ly) responsible”. He also urged the participants to devote to work so that they ‘wouldn’t be in difficulties’ to attain their goal. Other highlights of the program were special number by Suzanne Rongmei and welcome address by its president, Solomon L. Awomi. Principal, Salesian College, Fr. R.K. Guangdiat Nicholas also spoke at the gathering.

N.F. Railway

CORRIGENDUM

Tender Notice No.44 of 2008: Please read as “Joint venture will not be permitted in Tender of S/No.6 only” instead of “Joint venture will be permitted in Tender of S/No.6 only” of Sl.No.7 of Tender Notice No.44 of 2008. The other terms and condition of the above tender remain unaltered. This has been approved by the competent authority. For Sr.Divisional Engineer/C, N.F. Railway, Maligaon “SERVING CUSTOMER’S WITH A SMILE”

Great Commission Kids Academy

STARTING LINE-UP

Your daily Meetings, Appointments, Information and Reminder column

WSSU meeting October 23 The Western Sumi Students’ Union has convened its meeting on October 23 at 10:30 at Union ofﬁce, Thahekhu. WSSU general secretary P Iloto Zhimo in a released informed all the executives members and advisor’s board to attend the meeting positively.

Workshop on statistical quality control

KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Department of Statistics, Kohima Science College, Jotsoma is organizing a two day workshop from October 24 to 25 on Statistical Quality Control (SQC) and Operations Research (OR) Practices- Methods and Applications using software. The workshop is sponsored by Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata. R.B. Acharjya, IAS, Secretary, Planning & Co-ordination and Economic & Statistics department, Government of Nagaland will inaugurate the workshop on October 24.

Cong condole comrade’s demise

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Congress condole the demise of Kedowhetuo former president of the Kohima District Congress Committee this morning. “Indeed with his untimely demise the party has lost a true congressman who had served the party with outmost sincerity and dedication” said a message from NPCC chief KV Pusa. “My family and I on behalf of the party convey heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and pray to God to grant solace to them in this hour of grief. I also pray for the departed soul to rest in peace,” the Congress prayed.

DC Mkg informs on CMCF MOKOKCHUNG, OCTOBER 22 (DIPR): Deputy Commissioner, Mokokchung and Member Secretary, Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund (CMCF), has informed that interested eligible educated unemployed youth may collect forms and guidelines for CMCF 2008-09, at a cost of Rs.100/-, from the office of the District Planning Machinery Cell, Mokokchung, from October 23, 2008. The applicant should be in the age group of 25-40 years. The last date of submission of completed application forms will be November 4, 2008.

DNSU informs on ‘hostel guidelines’ DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) informed all proprietor and wardens of hostels to collect the guidelines for hostel at its office during office hours and also to the parents and the students to avail the same. A press note issued by its president, Solomon Awo-

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Invites committed candidates having English working knowledge for Short Term Missionary Orientation Course (4 months) Session begins from November 2008- April 2009 For detail information contact: Academic Dean MRC Ofﬁce Timing : 9 am- 3 pm Telphone : 03862-242289 (Ofﬁce) Mobile Nos : 9862158074 (Principal) 9856145668 (Academic Dean) Email : mrcministry@rediffmail.com

Naga United Village, Dimapur

Issues Entry Form for Classes A-7 (Day Students) Classes 1-4 (Boarding) from 1 November 2008 between 9:00- 12:00.

Sd/Administrator

EXCEL COACHING AND COMPUTER CENTRE

Mission Road, near-North Police Station-Kohima

Coaching for: 1. NPSC, UPSC, NCS (Prelim-2009), SCC and other Competitive Exam 2. Intensive Coaching for-2009 Exam Cl-10 (All subjects or Maths and Science only) Cl-12 (Science, Arts & Commerce) 3. Spoken English & Computer Course (Hardware and Software) 4. JEE & NERIST Entrance for 2009. Contact : Ph. 0370-2290672, 9436071373, 9863143388

Craft BAZAR FROM 22Nd Oct. to 31st Oct.2008 At Wokha Public Ground

Organised by : Heto MPCS Ltd. Natsumi Sponsored by : O/o the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India New Delhi-6

SALES CUM DISPLAY Open from 9:00 A.M onwards

All are Welcome

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C M Y K

Dimapur

Thursday

BUSINESS

23 October 2008

The Morung Express

Advancing towards SBI Life assigned with iAAA rating better Dental Care

Our Correspondent Kohima | October 22

THE ADVANCEMENT in modern dentistry has made more option available to give you a good dental health care and give a beautiful smile that you have always desired. An oral hygiene can boost your self-confidence and lead you to the road of personal and career success. Peraciezie Day Care Dental Centre, located at High School area, Kohima with a well qualified Dentist Dr. Ato Angami has come in equipped with these modern facilities to provide you the best dental treatment and services. The Centre has Digital Technology which includes Intra-oral-digital camera through which a patient can himself see on the screen the disease and the procedure of treatment; this is intended to

raise people awareness, educate them about oral hygiene and health care and provide better treatment, monitoring and diagnosis. It has Digital X-Ray which reduces radiation exposure to improve treatment monitoring, simplifies image file storage and retrieve high-definition images for making accurate analysis and diagnoses, eliminating film processing and handling. Another hi-tech feature of the Centre is the Automatic dental chair with Electronic work programming which gives comfortable treatment to the patient. Peraciezie Day Care Dental Centre also provide Ultrasonic Scaling, General and Child Dentistry, it also provides a Clean, Sterilized & Infection Control Equipments and Environment.

GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): ICRA, one of India’s leading rating agencies, has assigned iAAA rating indicating highest claims paying ability to SBI Life Insurance Company Limited. This rating reflects SBI Life’s fundamentally financial strong position and the prospect of meeting its policyholder’s obligations as highest. Recently CRISIL reaffirmed its highest financial strength rating “AAA/Stable” to SBI Life. U S Roy, MD & CEO of SBI Life Insurance said, “To our customers, iAAA rating of ICRA further reinforces the stamp of SBI assurance. When insuring your life or your family, today’s financial sector upheavals reinforce how important it is to choose the right company that is financially secure and has the ability to keep

its promises and meet its future obligations.” The ‘iAAA’ rating takes into account SBI Life’s strong parentage, growth exhibited over the last five years, distribution model, extensive reach, strong operational and risk management expertise, low expense structure, efficient capital usage and high channel productivity. SBI Life holds the unique distinction of being the first private life insurer to break even. As per the latest IRDA report, the company has grown upto August’08 by 103% to Rs 1,764.04 crores in terms of New Business premium and ranks 2nd among private players. The company has a market share of 14.59%amongst private players and a total market share of 6.67%.

President and CEO Canon India Pvt. Ltd Kensaku Konishi, right, with Senior Vice President Canon India, Alok Bharadwaj, pose for the media with newly launch Canon digital imaging products, in New Delhi, Wednesday, October 22. Canon India rolls out 85 products in the digital imaging market, ranging from new printers, cameras, camcorders and cable identity card printers ahead of the festive season. (AP Photo)

World Bank approves $400 million loan to India

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): The World Bank has approved a $400 million loan to the Power Grid Corporation of India, designed to increase reliable power exchange between regions and states. Power Grid is the world’s third largest transmission utility. The loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

(IBRD), approved on Tuesday is backed by a Republic of India guarantee, the Bank said. It has a 30 year maturity which includes a four-year grace period. The additional financing to the Fourth Power System Development Project (PSDP IV), which was approved by the World Bank on March 18 this year, will finance the completion of selected transmission schemes intended to expand

transmission system and capacity. “The power sector has improved significantly in recent years, but demand for electricity continues to outstrip supply,” said Julia Fraser, World Bank senior financial analyst. “This project will help the government achieve its goal of expanding power generation capacity to more than 200 gigawatts (200,000 megawatts) by 2012 through

enhancing the country’s power transmission capacity and enabling power to be transmitted across regions and states. It will also help reduce transmission losses and, subsequently, cut the cost of energy.” The World Bank has been actively involved in the reform and development of the transmission sector in India, and specifically in the creation and strengthening of the

Power Grid Corporation of India, the Bank said. This is the fifth direct loan the Bank has made to Power Grid since 1993. During this period, the company has nearly tripled its transmission network, its assets have grown more than tenfold to $8.9 billion, and revenues have increased more than eight times to $1.3 billion. Today, Power Grid is the world’s third largest

Airtel brings internet connectivity on the move

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GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): Airtel, India’s leading mobile service today announced the launch of the Airtel wireless data card on its all India network. The Airtel Data Card will enable anytime, anywhere instant wireless Internet connectivity for laptops and other computing devices, thereby significantly benefiting the business users, roamers and travelers. The data card is GPRS & EDGE compatible, works on Airtel networks all across the country and also when roaming internationally on EDGE/ GPRS enabled GSM networks. The introduction of the data card adds to Airtel’s suite of m-business solutions for its customers. The much awaited GPRS in prepaid @

Plan I 199 500 MB Rs. 5/MB

Plan II 449 1 GB Rs. 3/MB

30p/50KB will be available for customers in the North Eastern Region. The customers just need to Dial *567# for activation & deactivation. Customers in Postpaid Mobile Office Plan @Rs 290 will continue to enjoy GPRS for at least 6 months. According to Sudipto Chowdhury, Chief Operating Officer NESA, Bharti Airtel Ltd., “The launch of the Airtel Data Card & Prepaid GPRS adds to our suite of m-business solutions. The data card will enable the most comprehensive wireless data connectivity for people on the move and that too all across the country and while roaming internationally. We have always ensured that Airtel customers in the North East-

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ern Region get the best value, enjoy the finest services and benefit from cutting edge products and the data card & GPRS are no different.” The Airtel Data Card is a slim size device, much like a credit card that fits inside the standard PCMCIA slot available on most laptops. Airtel USB Modem works on Windows 2000/XP/XP Tablet/XP Pro. Customers can also send and receive SMS from their laptops using the data card. The Airtel Data Card comes with a two years warranty for its customers. The Airtel data card will be available at Rs.2999 for USB Modem & Rs.3350 for PCMCIA Modem. Customers will have the flexibility to choose from four very attractive monthly tariff plans.

Help build ‘new India’: PM tells Japanese investors TOKYO, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): Seeking Japanese investments to build a “new India”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said that he has come this time on a mission: to consolidate the multifaceted India-Japan strategic relations. “Our relations have changed considerably over time and we now have a multifaceted relationship. Japan is not just a source of development aid but an important investor and partner in building Asian co-operation,” Singh said at a luncheon hosted by the Indian and Japanese business community here. “For me, each interaction with Japan has been a most pleasurable, educative and revealing one. It has revealed to me how much our two countries can do together, and how little we have done,” he said. “I have come to Japan to consolidate this partnership,” Singh said ahead of his summit talks with his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso. “We welcome Japanese investment in our efforts to build a new India,” the Prime Minister said while thanking Tokyo for its generous aid in the form of Overseas Developmental Assistance (ODA). India currently gets 30 per cent of all Japanese ODA, becoming the largest recipient, overtaking China. “We are deeply grateful that India has been the largest recipient of the Japanese ODA for the last five years. Its most visible symbol is the Delhi Metro,” he said. Describing Japan as the “ecoCivil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, center, interacts with Kingﬁsher Airlines Chairman Vijay Mallya, nomic and technological powerhouse of the world”, standing center, as Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, left, looks on at the start of a meeting in New Delhi Singh noted that both nations were located in Asia Wednesday, October 22. (AP Photo) to which the 21st century undoubtedly belongs.

DAILY CROSS WORD

LEISURE W I

D S

Y R E V H L A U N C H

N M I N U T E M O S T L

V S K R L N L A V I R R

O L V A G O C E Y B A N

L A E T L M G H A L W X

V S N I U D T L A E R R

E R U U E L U O E N A A

M A E G L M O K U D N R

E E P A R N E V N R E E

N H T O I N F O E D I

T E F G D L C T A R V S

R R H R E E N E V E F J

K T H W S P L A I C E P

ARRIVAL BAND BLEND CHANNEL EARLY EDGE FLEW FORMULA GIVE GLUE GUITAR INVOLVEMENT LATER LAUNCH LEADER MINUTE MONTH

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transmission utility. Despite a fast growing economy, India’s growth potential is constrained by inadequate electricity services and limited power generation and transmission infrastructure, the Bank said. Over forty percent of the population is without electricity, and the cost of erratic and insufficient power supply is high for industry as well as households.

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD # 1137

The Morung Express number game

Sudoku # 1122

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)

STD CODE: 03862

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

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

STD CODE: 0370 2244279 2244923 2242897 2222952 2222916 2243339 2224202

CHEVROLET CAR PRICE LIST

CAR MODEL

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 #1121

ACROSS 1. 2 of a kind 4. Recent information 7. Los Angeles 8. Sphere 10. Canadians say it 11. Sofa 13. Battery size 15. Consume food 17. Conﬁned in a small space 18. Small round veggie 19. Lower limb 21. Greek garments 24. Year 0001 and later 26. Lion’s home 27. Laughter sound 28. Intelligent social outcast 29. Not us

DOWN 1. An entreaty 2. Battery size 3. Kanga’s child 4. U.S. TV Network 5. Us 6. Close 9. Search thoroughly 11. Weight of a gem 12. Backs of feet 14. A on cards 16. Refreshing drink sufﬁx 18. Method of attack 20. Unit of metric weight 22. Not even 23. Small insect 25. 4th and 5th letters 27. That boy

Answers to CROSSWORD #1136 Across: 1.proof, 4.amt, 6.suffered, 8.dice, 9.aged, 12.arranged, 13.spy, 14.muddy Down:1.posed, 2.ofﬁcer, 3.feel, 5.mad, 7.engaged, 10.daddy, 11.farm, 12.asp

SPARK 1.0 BASE SPARK 1.0 PS SPARK 1.0 LS SPARK 1.0 LT U-VA 1.2 BASE U-VA 1.2 LS U-VA 1.2 LT SRV 1.6 OPT. PACK AVEO 1.4 BASE AVEO 1.4 LTD EDI AVEO 1.4 LT OPT.PACK TAVERA 2.5 LT 9S BS3 TAVERA 2.5 SSD1 7S (C) BS3 OPTRA ROYAL 1.6 LT (PETROL) OPTRA MAGNUM 2.0 LT ACC (DIESEL) CAPTIVA 2.0 LT VCDI

PRICE

268,648 289,992 304,641 334,123 401,639 444,184 483,975 790,100 606,461 661,631 754,930 877,748 993,249 967,686 1,074,547 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) 48.16 79.25 5.36 468.43 12.40 30.27 136.70 12.34 62.30

SELL(Rs) 50.61 83.49 7.34 517.54 15.36 35.37 148.20 14.41 65.48

REGIONAL

The Morung Express

Thursday 23 October 2008

India wants to seal border with Myanmar escaped across a largely unguarded border to their camps in neighbouring Myanmar, police said. Manipur shares a long porous border with Myanmar of around 370 km and security officials want the entire stretch to be barbedwired to stop smuggling of weapons and explosives. Ringed by China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan, India’s northeast is home to more than 200 tribes and has been racked by separatist revolts since India gained independence from Britain in 1947. “We want the centre (federal government) to fence the border, we cannot let them (PREPAK) escape after the incident,” Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh told Reuters on Wednesday. The rebel

group wants to throw non-Manipuris out of the state and demands statehood, which India says is not possible. About 700 armed PREPAK rebels have carried out regular attacks in the state, including firing a shell at the chief minister’s fortified home last month. “It definitely is a cause for concern at a time when violence in other parts of the region seems to be declining,” C. Uday Bhaskar, a strategic analyst said. In Imphal, police cordoned off the blast site, near a commando training facility and forensic experts were examining pieces of metal to find out what caused the powerful blast. “Our plan is to fence the border and step up foot pa-

National language losing craze in Northeast NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): The national language is gradually losing its craze in the north-eastern states if the trend of students studying in Hindi medium in CBSE affiliated schools there is any indication. The number of students appearing for the Class X examination in Hindi medium conducted by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has constantly declined in the last three years. In 2006, the number of students appearing for Class X in Hindi medium in the eight states was 1,675 which declined to 1,485 the next year and again plummeted to 1,161 this year, Minister of State for HRD M A A Fatmi informed the Lok Sabha. Except Assam, the number of students in Hindi medium in other states remain negligible.

In Mizoram, there were 18 students in Hindi medium in 2006 which came down to 15 and seven in 2007 and this year respectively. The major languages used as the medium of instructions in education in these states include English, Assamese, Bodo, Bengali, Garo, Khasi, Mizo, Angami, Ao, Konyak, Lotha, Sema, Kokbarak. The government has taken a slew of measures to promote Hindi in these states, the minister said. The steps include providing financial assistance to voluntary organisations for propagation and development of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking states, which include northeastern states. The government is also providing financial assistance for appointment and training of Hindi teachers in nonHindi speaking states, he said.

Mizoram police encroach Tripura territory AGARTALA, OCTOBER 22 (UNI): Taking a serious note over alleged encroachment of north Tripura’s Chakmapara by Mizoram Armed Police (MAP), Tripura DGP Pranay Sahay today asked the occupiers to leave as early as possible. The SDPO (Kanchanpur), after conducting an inquiry, found that the MAP had occupied Tripura’s territory at Chakmapara under Vangmun police station, Sahay said. ‘’What they have done is totally illegal’’ Sahay said. He said the Superintendent of Police (north Tripura) has already requested his Mizoram counterpart to withdraw policemen at the earliest. Alarmed by the encroachment, the state government has decided to erect a drop gate at Chakmapara to ensure dominance of state police. This will also ensure prevention of rampant timber smuggling from Tripura to Mizoram through the inter-state porous border, sources in the forest department said.

trolling along the border, otherwise it will be difficult to control the situation,” a senior intelligence officer said from Imphal. India says around 3,000 rebels, live and train in the camps inside the jungles of Kabaw Valley of Myanmar’s Sagaing Division. “We know where militants have their camps across the border, but we can’t go inside Myanmar chasing them,” said a senior military commander who requested not to be named. India has a pact with Myanmar to share intelligence, but officials said it was not enough to stop the insurgency. Militant groups accuse New Delhi of plundering the region’s mineral Family members mourn the death of those killed in yesterday’s blast in Imphal on October 22 The explosion killed at and forest resources but in- least Seventeen (17) people and injured several others in the brutal blast at Raigailong near Manipur police commando complex in Imphal East, Manipur. (UB Photos) vesting little in return.

Assam seek peace and harmony Army ‘no’ to ULFA’s safe passage GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 22 (ANI): The recent violence in Udalguri and Darrang districts of north Assam has left local residents of the region, devastated. The victims of the communal riot appeal all to restore peace and harmony to let the normal life resume. Lamenting the ugly turn of the event, Bodos and Muslims, among whom the riot took place, doesnt deny the hand of local militants behind the communal violence. “We left our homes, cattle, sheep and cows. All our belongings are destroyed. We feel helpless. It’s all darkness now. What more can we say? said a riot-hit person. Analysts here believe that all communities should work together to develop the BODO area. Located in northern part of the state, Udalguri and Darrang districts of Assam havent witnessed the clash for the first time. Earlier in the year, 15 people lost their lives, when two communities got into conflict to establish their supremacy over the land. Many people here are still clueless, how the violence broke out in the first place between the two communities, which left more than fifty dead and hundred others injured. The timely

intervention by the state government prevented the violence from spreading to the neighbouring districts. “We want peace. Let the Government bring back peace. Let us live in peace. I wish that chaos and confusion will soon end and may peace prevail in the state,” said another riot-hit man. More than 2,00,000 people become homeless in backdrop of the clash, of whom many have taken shelter in the government relief camps. To restore the feeling of security among the masses, state government has recruited nearly 8,000 police personnel in the two riot districts of the region. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gagoi recently said: “Both groups are eying to grab the land. I am not saying this group or that group, but there is a very small section of people. Vast majority (of people) have been living together, they are not fighting. Very small section is taking the advantage, they are eying on the land. Their motive is to grab the land. These are miscreant of both groups. And definitely, we will see the interest of everybody.” However, local analysts believe that besides security there is an urgent need to re-

store confidence and sense of togetherness among communities to bring in lasting peace in the region. Bibhu Prasad Routray, a faculty at the Institute For Conflict Management in New Delhi, said: “Both parties should sit together and prepare a mutual agreement and check what kind of friction do they exactly have. The points of differences should be discovered. The dialogue has to be facilitated and it has to be done by the state government. There are organizations at both the front. The Bodos have their number of organizations, there are number of organizations on the Muslim side as well. So, they must sit together. Contrary to some of the reports in the media the clashes are not between the Bodos and illegal Bangladeshis settled there. Analysts describe the conflict as a war between the Bodos and Muslims to get more territory. With the establishment of the Bodo Territorial Council, people were hoping for a phase of economic development in the resource rich region. But unfortunately as analysts say there are some miscreants, who don’t want the region to take the path of the progress.

GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 22 (UNI): The Army today denied that it had agreed to Dispur’s idea of offering safe passage to ULFA militants to facilitate their return to the mainstream. Army spokesman of 4 Corps, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said they had no role in taking any decision with regard to the safe passage. ‘’That is not the Army’s job. Our brief is simple and that is to eliminate insurgency from Assam,’’ he said. Kalia from 4 corps headquarters at Tezpur informed that the Army had no such plans and neither was it interested in entering into state level policy making level of counter insurgency operations. His denial came following reports that the Assam government was interested in offering safe passage to those ULFA cadres who wanted to join the mainstream. The ULFA’s main strike force ‘A’ and ‘C’ company of the ‘28th battalion’ had come forward and there were reports that ‘B’ compan, holed up inside Mayanmar was also interested in coming back. The report had said Dis-

pur was likely to approach the Governor for his approval. But the army today categorically denied any role in the decision. New Delhi had earlier rejected a demand made by the ‘B’ company for disbanding the Unified Command as a precondition for its joining the pro-peace group Early this month, Dispur had rejected a proposal by the pro-peace ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies to withdraw the army from Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts. But the government had been keen on the idea of offering safe passage to militants since it was convinced that a truce with ‘B’ company will virtually ‘finish off ’ ULFA, as it was the only fighting arm of the outfit in Upper Assam. The cadres of the ‘B’ company had initially shown willingness to come along with their counterparts in ‘A’ and ‘C’ companies, but fled after a series of strikes by the army killed several militants in Upper Assam. Most of them were now taking shelter in the NSCN (Khaplang)’s camps in Myanmar.

davp 08103/13/0047/0809

GUWAHATI, OCTOBER 22 (REUTERS): India needs to seal its border with Myanmar to stop separatist rebels carrying out regular attacks in the northeast, officials said on Wednesday, a day after a powerful blast killed 17 people in Manipur. Police said a bomb on a bicycle blew up in Imphal, the state capital, late on Tuesday. At least 40 people were wounded in the attack that police believe was revenge for security forces killing at least eight rebels last month. Police suspect the separatist People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) in Manipur, a state which has suffered separatist and tribal insurgencies for the past 60 years in the troubled northeast region. The rebels

Dimapur

IN-FOCUS

The Power of Truth

The Morung Express

THE EDIT PAGE

C O M M E N T A R Y

Shawn W Crispin

THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2008 VOL. III ISSUE 294

Dialogue of the deaf

uman failure to respond to the natural call for transformation indicates that they have lost their capacity to make relevant structural adjustments with change. In the process humans have become immune to the cries for truth and justice and fall prey to the ‘dialogue of the deaf.’ The dialogue of the deaf forces circumstances on people to readily resort to reactive violence as a means of ensuring change. Failure to recognize this leads to reconstructing a status quo in which the oppressed could easily become the oppressor. Peoples movement are encouraged to embrace broader understandings of knowledge, culture, patterns of interaction and relationships for social change. One challenge is to seek ways in which movements can restore the transformative elements of relationship not only between peoples but also between people and the structures in which they co-exist. Unless this restoration takes place, movements for social changes will invariably continue to perpetuate the dominant understanding of relationship, which is violent in itself. Social and political movements seeking proactive change towards freedom and dignity require a due process in which people must seize and reclaim their past. If the people do not seek to create their own version of their past, some other people – in most cases strangers – will do it from them. Such an act would result in breaking down indigenous knowledge and cultural values, subsequently reducing space and capacity of indigenous societies to pass their own stories to following generations. No stories means no hope and ultimately a people loses ownership of its destiny and are frozen in time. Culture is probably one fundamental attribute which can challenge the dialogue of the deaf. Yet its role in social movements have often been undermined, primarily because culture has been deconstructed from the standing point of the dominant view. It is not surprising that the dominant view tends to equate culture with both tradition and custom; while the latter two concepts are static, culture in itself is a dynamic entity. Culture needs to be redefined in a way that allows a movement to recover its true essence. Fanon says, culture is the whole body of efforts made in the sphere of thought to describe, justify and praise the action through which people create and keeps itself in existence. Vandana Shiva adds, it is culture which enables a people to establish and understand what constitutes knowledge. Culture constructs meaning of the reality and determines the ‘center’ of every being. Schumacher defines the ‘center’ as constituted by ones most basic convictions; the ideas that really have the power to move people. The center is the place where one creates an orderly system of ideas that can regulate the direction of the various strivings. All people are all connected with a ‘center’ but are Nagas in touch with theirs?

LEFT WING |

James Carroll

Courage in an age of Fear

hen friends have confided their fears for Barack Obama’s physical safety, I have winced and wanted to shush them. It may be a neurosis peculiar to me, but I have felt that even to speak of the possibility of such a thing - you see, I cannot say it - invites the heinous act to happen. If the prospect of Obama’s being attacked has been a shadow on his run for president, last week’s debate between the candidates brought light into the shadow, offering yet another revelation of why Obama is special. I came into my adulthood between 1963 and 1968. Already, readers of a certain age will know why those years are defining. The assassination of John F. Kennedy, as my generation was just getting started, confronted us too soon with the starkest truth of the human drama - every life a tragedy. But the shock of Dallas was not enough to undo us because we were young and still believed that heartbreak can motivate change for the better. We saw that then, as movements against war and for civil rights drew energy from the political idealism sparked by JFK. His assassination had made us wary, though, as if hope is not to be trusted. When Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, our chosen tribunes of justice and peace, were gunned down weeks apart in 1968, a flame in our hearts was doused forever. Their deaths, in addition to crippling the movements for which they stood, made us see how the tragic can be laced with the absurd. We knew that, if ever gripped by passionate hope again, we would see it snatched away unrealized, although we could not bring ourselves to say by what. And why shouldn’t we, right then, have stopped being young? One of the joys of the current season is to see a fresh generation respond to the promise of Obama without reflexes of worry. Young people have a right to uncomplicated hope, and Obama is himself young enough to nurture it. But for many Americans, ghosts haunt the house of politics, a hovering threat for which, until recently, there were no words. That is the background for the shudders felt when last week’s presidential debate turned to the ugliness of what this campaign has surfaced. John McCain complained about “unfair” criticisms by Georgia Congressman John Lewis of slurs shouted at some McCainPalin rallies. Obama replied that he had distanced himself from Lewis’s comments. But he explained that Lewis was expressing concern at McCain supporters shouting, as Obama put it, referring to himself as the target, “things like ‘Terrorist!’ and ‘Kill him!’ “ There it was: Obama himself using the phrase “Kill him!” Obama naming the threat of his own assassination. He went on, “And that your running mate...didn’t say, ‘Hold on a second, that’s kind of out of line.’ I think Congressman Lewis’s point was that we have to be careful how we deal with our supporters.” McCain swung into a manic defense of his supporters, displaying tone-deafness to the unnerving chord that had been plucked by his own campaign. McCain is of the generation that was traumatized by the murders of 1968, but that year he was undergoing a separate trauma of his own in Hanoi. He is not seized, perhaps, by the visceral dread out of which Lewis was speaking, and which so many recognize. However irrelevant the youthful nihilism of William Ayers, its full horror cannot be grasped without reference to the social breakdown that preceded it. Obama has shown that he understands the positive and negative legacies of the 1960s, but he is defined by neither. For me, his calm and reasonable demeanor was never more welcome than when he repeated that phrase “Kill him!” Unlike me, Obama is not afraid to put the threat into words, as long as doing so opens into deeper understanding. The threat thus spoken of is defused. A Republican mantra has been, “Who is Barack Obama?” But he has been showing us. His courage runs as deep as his wisdom. For some Americans, he represents, in addition to everything else, the unexpected possibility that we can find release in middle age from what took us hostage when we were young.

Thaksin falls foul of Thai courts

to wean the country off its over-reliance on various government buildings and a on the 80-year-old Bhumibol to mediate state-run television station on August 26. The court’s decision to drop the chargpolitical and social conflicts. es against the PAD came just days after Queen Sirikit expressed her public symConstitutional failure The progressive 1997 constitution pathies and promised to pay the medical was in several ways designed, including expenses of PAD protesters injured in a through the establishment of new check- violent melee with police on October 7. The decision on Tuesday against ing and balancing independent institutions, to move the country in that rule- Thaksin, according to some observers, by-law direction. Critics, including the was legally justified and set an important military coupmakers and their backers precedent towards greater accountability in the People’s Alliance for Democracy for Thai political office-holders. However, (PAD) protest group, contend that Thak- what’s becoming worryingly apparent is sin purposefully undermined the inde- that certain of Thaksin’s supporters, some pendence of those fledgling institutions, now galvanized and gathered in Bangkok through politicized appointments and in a competing protest group now known other interventions, to vest more power as the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), will not sit by idly with the executive. Over a decade later, the grinding and while the Thai courts bid to unilaterally increasingly violent political conflict reshape the political landscape. That was perhaps first witnessed in playing out on Thailand’s streets is a testament to the failure of the now abro- the mysterious and still unexplained argated 1997 charter’s envisaged reforms. son attack this year on the newly built resThe military-drafted 2007 charter put idence of former auditor general and milistronger checks on the executive branch, tary-appointed Asset Scrutiny Committee but simultaneously and controversially member Jaruwan Maintaka, a known royon several fronts moved the country in alist and Thaksin opponent. She was ina less-democratic direction. Even with strumental in the ASC, the investigative Tuesday’s landmark ruling against Thak- panel which first filed the abuse of power sin, it is not clear yet that the abrupt shift charges against Thaksin, of which the Sutowards royally endorsed judicial activ- preme Court convicted him on Tuesday. Those perceptions were also violently ism will achieve the balance needed to maintain peace and order after the high- reinforced on Monday by the low-grade ly revered Bhumibol’s eventual passing. explosive thrown into Supreme AdminLike the royal family, Thailand’s istrative Court president Ackaratorn courts are by law above criticism. None- Chularat’s personal residence. One govtheless, many of Thaksin’s supporters ernment supporter who spoke on condiopenly complained of what they consid- tion of anonymity to this correspondent ered political bias in last year’s consti- suggested that the UDD might even contution tribunal decision to dissolve the sider torching the Supreme AdministraTRT while the opposition Democrat tive Court for symbolic purposes after it party, which at the time also faced elec- ruled in favor of the PAD co-leaders. If perceptions gather among Thaktoral fraud charges, was let off the legal hook. Similar grievances were aired by sin’s pro-government supporters that the same supporters when Samak was royally endorsed Thai courts cannot be forced by the Constitution Court last trusted to impartially and justly rule in month to resign his prime ministerial cases related to their escalating political post for what they viewed as the petty conflict with the anti-government PAD offense of receiving payment for cook- and their allies in the Democrat partying supplies and transportation to his led political opposition, then Thailand is likely headed for even more extreme television program. They compare that high-stakes verdict street violence in the weeks ahead. If and with this month’s Administrative Court when that grim eventuality comes to pass, decision to drop treason and insurrection the only overarching institution left with charges filed by the government against the power to restore order will be the milthe leaders of the PAD anti-government itary - though likely at a great expense to protest movement, which led assaults Thailand’s faltering democracy.

wo years after his military ouster and amid growing political turmoil between his supporters and detractors, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra was on Tuesday found guilty on charges of abuse of power. While the decision marked a sort of catharsis in his opponents’ ongoing efforts to make legal charges stick against the former premier, the verdict is unlikely to alleviate Thailand’s mounting political tensions. In a highly anticipated decision, Thailand’s Supreme Court ruled Thaksin had a conflict of interest in the 773 million baht (US$22.7 million) Bangkok land deal conducted in 2003 between a government agency and his wife, Potjaman, who was acquitted of all charges. The guilty verdict carried a two-year prison sentence, and if the exiled Thaksin fails to appeal the decision in 30 days, the court may order for his extradition. Thaksin and Potjaman fled Thailand days before the trial began in mid-August and both have since applied for political asylum in the United Kingdom, claiming their personal security would be at risk if they returned home. Potjaman was earlier convicted on tax evasion charges and released on bail. Thaksin said by way of explanation in a note disseminated to the media after fleeing into self-imposed exile in mid-August that he could not receive a fair trial in Thailand’s courts. He said then that judges had “no consideration [for the] judicial system and truth and legal principle” and that he and his family had been “continuously treated unjustly”. That assessment was widely ridiculed a month later, after Thaksin’s lawyers filed new defamation charges against critics in a Thai court. As premier, Thaksin frequently used the courts to stifle media criticism of his administration. Tuesday’s verdict represents the first legal conviction against the former prime minister, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup for, among other reasons, allegations of corruption and abuse of power. The precedent will also bolster the legal rationale behind another corruption case pending against him, in which prosecutors are bidding to permanently seize 76 billion baht (US$2.2 billion) of his personal assets. The decision gives new momentum to Thailand’s trend towards judicial activism,

a royally endorsed move in which Thai courts and judges aim to tackle and resolve the country’s complex and contentious political problems. That activism was on display last month when the Constitution Court ruled on conflict of interest charges against then-prime minister Samak Sundaravej for hosting and receiving payment for a television cooking show. The ruling disqualified him from the premiership and he has since been replaced by Thaksin’s brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat. The question now, though, is for how long - conflict of interest allegations have been brought against Somchai for apparently holding shares in a private communications company, which is barred by law for Thai political office holders. Somchai has to date shrugged off the allegations, first raised by an opposition-aligned senator. More broadly, the Constitution Court is expected to rule in the coming weeks on an Election Commission recommendation to dissolve the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) and two of its junior coalition partners on electoral fraud charges. The court has already handed down a guilty verdict on similar charges against PPP provincial powerbroker and Thaksin loyalist, Yongyuth Tiyapat, who as a result was forced to resign his post as parliament speaker. A decision against the PPP could pave the way for new elections, with most, though not necessarily all, PPP members regrouping under the Puea Thai party banner. Thailand’s courts, historically weaker and prone to influence from the more powerful executive and legislative branches, first started to exert political muscle in May 2007, when a military-appointed constitutional tribunal ordered the dissolution of Thaksin’s former ruling Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party on electoral fraud charges. The landmark ruling also banned 111 of the party’s senior executive members, including Thaksin, from politics for five years. That decision was famously preceded by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s nationally televised address to the panel’s judges, in which he urged them to rule justly and not on the basis of whether their decision would be popular. Academics have noted the so-called move towards the “judicialization” of Thai politics is viewed as necessary in certain royal circles

The limits of nuclear power

ohn McCain has called for building 45 new nuclear power plants by 2030 and 100 eventually. Barack Obama’s Web site says, “It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power from the table.” But to what extent can nuclear power really help achieve energy independence? There’s a problem about nuclear energy that gets little attention. At present, fossil fuels provide 87 percent of the world’s total energy while nuclear power plants provide just 4.8 percent. (All nuclear power plants currently generate electricity, accounting for about 15 percent of world electricity generation, while fossil fuels produce almost 67 percent of the electricity.) The best estimates put the amount of uranium that can be mined economically (what geologists call the reserves) at about 5.5 million metric tons, and according to the International Atomic Energy Agency, today’s nuclear power plants use 70,000 metric tons a year of uranium. At this rate of use, the uranium that could be mined economically would last about 80 years. Suppose it were possible to replace all fossil fuels with nuclear power. Suppose that we could use nuclear energy to make liquid and gas fuels to power vehicles, and could do this quickly using conventional nuclear power plants. We would have to build enough plants to increase energy production by 17.4 times, which means using 1.2 million tons of uranium ore each year. At that rate of use, the reserves of uranium would be used up in less than five years. Geologists also estimate that there are about

Daniel B. Botkin

35 million tons of uranium out there regardless of the cost of mining it (geologists call this identified resources). With nuclear power replacing all fossil fuels, even these would be used up in 29 years. Thus, if the goal is to counter global warming by replacing all fossil fuels with nuclear power, this goal cannot be met. Advocates of nuclear power point out that it doesn’t have to replace all other sources of energy. Let’s consider that approach. At a recent meeting, the Group of Eight major industrial countries agreed to reduce carbon emissions 50 percent by 2050. Suppose nuclear energy increased just enough each year to enable fossil-fuel use to decline at a constant annual rate, to 50 percent by 2050, while nuclear power therefore increased to provide 50 percent of the world’s energy. At this rate of use, uranium reserves would run out by 2019, and the estimated maximum of 35 million metric tons of uranium in identified resources would run out by year 2038, gaining us less than two decades. There are some important caveats. Exploring for minerals is done on an as-needed basis, and large areas of the world may have been little explored for uranium. Every mining geologist and mine corporation executive will tell you that estimates of total reserves of a mineral are just that - estimates - and that

the reserves of many minerals always increase over time. This approach may be all right for the planning time of mining companies, but it won’t work for a long-term global energy strategy based on adequate supplies of uranium. Considering the enormous costs of building the large number of nuclear power plants that are contemplated to replace fossil fuels, the United States would be courting disaster if it chose this route with nothing but blind faith that there may be a lot more uranium out there if we only look for it. We need to know a lot more about available uranium resources and where they are. If they are in unfriendly countries, they might not be available at all. Nuclear power advocates also argue that it is possible to recover significant amounts of uranium from spent fuel. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, “In 2004, two-thirds of the uranium used was newly mined; the rest came from civil and military stockpiles, spent fuel reprocessing and re-enrichment of depleted uranium.” But the amount from spent fuels is not specified, and a reprocessing program to deal with 1.2 million tons of used uranium would be a major undertaking, perhaps not technologically feasible in the near future. Others suggest that breeder reactors,

WRITE-WING

which produce more nuclear fuel than they use, will solve the problem. The United States experimented with a few breeder reactors from 1964 to 1994, but they were shut down or work on them halted in the 1990s. Other nations have tried building them, and some are considering or developing them. But to my knowledge perhaps only one or two breeder reactors are in use and providing electrical energy anywhere in the world, and these are probably not “breeding.” There are reasons for this: The technology is not there yet, and the reactors are dangerous in themselves, even without considering their potential use in making atomic weapons. They are the kind of nuclear reactors that everybody fears Iran or North Korea might build and use to make atomic bombs. In sum, the breeder-reactor route, if it is practical at all, is a long way in the future as a major contributor to the world’s energy, and certainly not a way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels now or in the near future. The bottom line: From what is known about resources of uranium and the present and future state of nuclear power plants, there is no way that nuclear power can play a dominant role in the world’s energy supply. This is not to say that it could play no role in a mixed strategy involving many kinds of energy, only that those who continue to press for a greater role for nuclear power must first show that there will be enough uranium to assure that thousands of nuclear power plants built at enormous cost would not soon stand idle - and leave our economy standing idle too.

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THURSDAY

THE MORUNG EXPRESS

23 OCTOBER 2008

PERSPECTIVE NEWS ANALYSIS, FEATURE AND DISCOURSE

It's all go for moon-struck India

A Raja Murthy

52-hour countdown began on Monday morning to India's first mission to the moon, with the unmanned spacecraft Chandrayaan-I being revved up to launch the country's expanding space ambitions. These include a manned moon mission by 2015, a robotic Mars visit by 2012 and even a moon colony as a base for interplanetary exploration. The 1.3 tonne, cubeshaped orbiter Chandrayaan-1, which looks like a hurriedly gift-wrapped parcel in gold paper, will be blasted off from the Sriharikota space port near Chennai in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, if weather gods keep the northeast monsoon rains away. Unlike previous moon missions from Earth, Chandrayaan-1 will make history as the first lunar craft to undertake a comprehensive close mapping of the moon, instead of focusing only on specific regions or aspects. Chandrayaan, meaning "moon vehicle" in Hindi, will "prepare a three-dimensional atlas [with a high spatial and altitude resolution of 5 millimeters to 10m] of both the near and the far side of the moon", according to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). That India should be shooting for the moon at a time when the global economy is trembling fearfully speaks not just for the country's impressive economic stability, but also the quality of its space scientists. They have ensured that Chandrayaan-1 also makes history as the least expensive moon ambassador from Earth. Chandrayaan-1 cost US$74 million, cheap if compared, for instance, to Japan's $279 million Selene (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) moon probe, which took off from Japan's Tanegashima island space port on September 14, 2007. Moreover, $20 million of the $74 million Chandrayaan-1 cost went into valuable reusable infrastructure, such as building a trio of Earth-stationed trackers of moon-mission data - the Deep Space Network, the Spacecraft Control Center and the Indian Space Science Data Center, all located at Byalalu, near Bangalore in the south. "We are spending hardly 0.5% of our national budget on our scientific programs, and what we are spending on Chandrayaan is hardly only 3% of our budget over the last five years," ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair told media. Nair, who hopes to establish the world's first space institute with a fouryear graduation course, which would lead to an ISRO job, often mentions being pleasantly surprised at a Madras School of Economics study five years ago that revealed how India gets a $2 return for every $1 invested in its space program. India's space budget of $1 billion is one-tenth that of the US's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and less than half of China's space program. Nair, however, does not mention that the study also pointed out that the average salary of ISRO scientists is oneeighth that of the US and Europe. The low labor costs are a major reason for India's comparative advantage in satellite production and launch costs, said the Madras School of Economics study.

More credit is due to Indian scientists as lower pay has not induced them to leave for higher-paying jobs abroad, or compromise on quality in producing advanced technology such as in Chandrayaan-1 to fly on a five-day journey to the moon and orbit it for two years. With India's Chandrayaan, China's Chang'e (named after the Chinese goddess of the moon) and Japan's Selene moon probe, Asia has earned a considerable edge in humanity's early steps into exploring what lies around the moon and beyond. "The real space race is in Asia," acknowledged the headline of a Newsweek article in its September 29, 2008, issue, and it went further in its latest issue declaring India to be a world leader in practical applications of space technology which can improve the quality of life on Earth, such as assisting in communications, agriculture, weather forecasting, rural development and telecasting. Besides the nationwide celebrations that will follow on Wednesday if the launch successfully takes off, more substantial carrots dangling for the moon expedition include the prospect of mining lunar minerals such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, calcium, iron and titanium. Added delights include the possibility of finding deposits of uranium and thorium to feed nuclear power plants on Earth. So the global scientific community is also expected to keenly track Chandrayaan-1, which also hopes to locate helium-3 on the moon, considered an environmentally clean nuclear fuel. Chandrayaan-1 will firmly establish India as a leading space power. As

ISRO chairman Nair pointed out, India has so far managed to send satellites to a 36,000 kilometers distance in a geostationary orbit, but the moon mission will carry India's national flag tricolors to a distance of 400,000 km. Also aboard Chandrayaan-1 are 11 scientific instrument payloads, including from the US, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria. "The ISRO is not charging any money for the payload," said Sridhar Murthy, executive director of Antrix, the marketing division of the ISRO. "Chandrayaan-1 is purely a non-commercial, scientific mission." Murthy told Asia Times Online that India's moon mission is part of a space program expansion that includes increasing the capacity of its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-3) rocket to carry larger satellites (it can presently launch a 2.5 tonne satellite), launching a new ocean observation satellite and advanced communication satellites. While Nair's claim of India having a technologically superior space program to that of neighboring China might be hotly debated across the border, India has already launched 50 satellites since its first satellite, Aryabhata, was sent up on the Russian launch vehicle Intercosmos on April 19, 1975. Significantly, the low-budget Chandrayaan-1 ensures India is fast consolidating its reputation as a key cost-effective player in the growing stakes in global space commerce. India has indigenously developed two satellite launch vehicles to carry payloads, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) used for launch-

ing IRS satellites and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles (GSLV). On April 28, India became the first country to send 10 satellites in one launch when the PSLV-C9 took off from Sriharikota with India's CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 satellites, as well as eight micro-satellites from other client countries. Chandrayaan-1, too, will get a ride from India's workhorse space taxi, the 14year-old, 45-meter tall, 295-tonne Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in an upgraded version the PSLV-C11. The Chandrayaan-1 payloads include the US's Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar (MiniSAR) from the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University and Naval Air Warfare Center, Bulgaria's Sub KeV Atom Reflecting Analyser (SARA) from the Institute of Space Physics, Germany's Near Infra Red spectrometer (SIR-2) from Germany's Max Plank Institute, Lindau, Bulgaria's Radiation Dose Monitor Experiment (RADOM), and the US's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) from Brown University and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Not to be missed is the juicy irony of an Indian spacecraft carrying a NASA payload - the US led the global ban of high technology to India's space and nuclear program for decades after it tested its first atomic bomb in 1974. This, from the owner of the world's largest nuclear weapon arsenal, came as a blessing in disguise as Indian scientists brilliantly worked out indigenous technology that is now advanced enough for the US and European countries to have a piggyback ride in South Asia's first moon mission.

New HIV Vaccine Trials Raise Hopes

Stephanie Nieuwoudt Inter Press Service

fter two HIV vaccine trials were halted for safety reasons last year, a new trial is set to commence within the next few months in South Africa and the United States. Scientists will test a new vaccine formula produced in South Africa. It will be the first time a HIV vaccine manufactured in a developing country will be trialed in the developed world. Last year, trials using Merck Adenovirus 5 (AD 5) in South Africa as well as in the US and Australia had to be suspended because the US trial showed increased susceptibility to HIV acquisition among uncircumcised men. Dr John Moore of the Department of Immunology and Virology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, said the "vaccines were simply not good enough to stimulate the necessary immune responses at a sufficient level" at the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise's AIDS Vaccine 2008 Conference in Cape Town last week. Not all health experts are convinced about the benefits of further vaccine trials, however, doubting that scientists will ever be able to develop an effective vaccine against HIV because of the unique nature of the virus. "HIV is an amazingly diverse virus. There can be 10,000 plus variations of the virus and it is constantly changing. Because the virus mutates rapidly it is difficult to develop a vaccine," explained Alan Bernstein, executive director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, an international alliance of scientists, researchers and donor organisations. Risk control Experts are also concerened about the health and safety of trial participants. "More basic research should be done prior to us testing the next candi-

date vaccine," cautioned Francois Venter, president of the Southern African HIV Clinicians Society, while generally supporting efforts to find a vaccine. "We desperately need a vaccine, even if it takes a generation. We need to keep looking for every possible option." At the conference, researchers said vaccine trials will from now on focus on finding out how to help the body produce antibodies to prevent infection with HIV altogether. Dr. Lynn Morris, head of the AIDS unit at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, said this was a necessary step as scientists did still not know enough about how the human immune system deals with HIV. Scientists complaint that lack of financial support from governments impacts negatively on research outcomes, especially in countries like South Africa, where HIV/AIDS policies and their delayed implementation have been criticised by experts all over the world. However, the research community now pinned its hopes on newly appointed health minister Barbara Hogan, who replaced disputed Manto Tshabalala-Msimang just a few weeks ago. Hogan told conference delegates that she was deeply committed to making HIV/Aids a priority during her tenancy: "There cannot be any more important meeting at this time. This is the continent, the region and a country in most need of evidence-based intervention to the HIV and Aids epidemic." Hogan said she believed that it was not too late for South Africa to improve its health care provision. "The fact that 500,000 people are already receiving ARVs (antiretroviral treatment) in this country is proof that the damage (done by the previous health minister) is being repaired." She admitted, however, that she felt challenged when being appointed as minister of health.

Ethical concerns Vaccine researchers said they were highly cautious about not repeating the same mistakes from previous trials and vowed to closely adhere to ethical boundaries in the race to be the first to find a vaccine. "It would be unethical to embark on future trials if the same risk factors as those in the (previous) trials were present," said Professor Ruth Macklin of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "The best course of action would be to avoid future trials that include probable causes of enhanced susceptibility (of HIV infection)." "The question is, for example, if there should be exclusion criteria for uncircumcised men," Macklin said, since the health of uncircumcised men was put at risk during previous trials. Scientists need to weigh up potential benefits and risks for trial participants carefully before embarking on a new series of tests. "We need to consider benefit to individuals and benefit to science and society. In most research trials there is no guaranteed benefit. The drug or vaccine being tested is experimental -- it may or may not work," said Professor Keymanthri Moodley of the Bioethics Unit at the University of Stellenbosch. "In the case of Aids vaccine trials, the risks are significant, but the benefits, if an effective vaccine is developed will be enormous," she added. To lower risks, the upcoming vaccine trials will initially take place on a small scale before they are tested widely. The new products, SAAVI MVA and SAAVI DNA, will be tested on a small group of 48 participants -- 36 people from Johannesburg and Cape Town and twelve from Boston, said Dr Glenda Gray, researcher with the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) and the South African Aids Vaccine Initiative (SAAVI). "The participants will be men and women from low risk groups, including some

who are celibate and some who are in monogamous relationships with known HIVnegative partners," she further explained. SAAVI DNA has been developed by researchers at the University of Cape Town’s Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, while the MVA vaccine has been conceptualised by UCT scientists and beenn developed and manufactured with the input of international biotech company Therion and the USbased National Institute of Health.

Dearest Apong,

Environmental pollution – vs – A Heinous crime against humanity “Environment” includes Water, Air and Land and the interrelationship which exists among and between water, air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants, micro-organism and property. “Environment Pollutant” means any Solid, Liquid or Gaseous substance present in such concentration as may be, or tend to be, injurious to environment. Human Survival is menaced by another equally homicidal missile euthemistically described as Environmental Pollution. Articles 48-(A) of the Constitution provide: protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of Forest and Wild Life. The State shall endeavour to protect and improved the environment and to safeguard the Forest and the Wild Life of the Country. It is made clear that Laws are enacted by Government Policy according to public opinion and aimed to eradicate crimes by punishing the defaulting criminals. In our country according to Teware Committee’s data, there are nearly 500 environment Laws including 17 State Law to control the crime of pollution and nature destruction. Article 47, 48 (A). 51 (g) Union list entry No 31 and State list entry No.6 clearly speaks of environmental protection and to take health care of citizens of the State because citizen health is fundamental of national progress. But in the existing polluted atmosphere , the World Health Organisation report exhibited that more than 80% of sickness and diseases in India are due to lack of pure water and proper sanitation. Today for the work of a handful of polluters, the entire humanity is suffering and people are being deprived of their legitimate right of clean environment. They are forced to drink polluted water, compelled to breach polluted air, pressed to live under abnormal sound and atmospheric pollution. It is unfortunate that man had forgotten that he is a product of his environment and all his social moral, spiritual and economic well being depends on his harmony with nature only. In F.K. Husain Vs Union of India, the Court held right to life is not only a mere animal existence and its attributes are manifold as life itself. The right to sweet water, fresh air and the right to wholesome environment are interpreted to be attributed to the right to life guaranteed by Article 21 of the Constitution. In Subhas Kumar Vs State of Bihar, AIR 1991 SC 420, the apex judiciary held: “Right to life is a fundamental right under Article 21 and it includes the right of enjoyment of pollution- free water and for full enjoyment of life”. In Charanlal Sahu Vs Union of India. AIR 1990 SC 1480, it was held that “State should not play a passive role…. When assaults on environment caused by adverse socio – economic policies, pose a threat to the ecology, Courts cannot sit with their eyes closed …..Environmental protection is a constitutional mandate……It is the commitment of the country wedded to welfare. In Dr. B.L. Wadehra’s case reported in (1996) 2 SCC 594 the Supreme Court held that Residents have Constitutional as well as statutory right to live in a clean City against Non-performance of mandatory duties by Municipal Corporation Authorities Concerned have a mandatory duty to collect and dispose of the garbage/waste generated form various sources in the city non-availability of funds, inadequacy or inefficiency of staff, insufficiency of machinery etc. cannot be pleaded/rejected as grounds for nonperformance of their statutory obligations. Further because India boasts to be rich with cultural heritage of ancestors, hence to protect ancient monuments, in the famous “Tajmahal Case” a very strong step was taken by Supreme Court to save the Tajmahal Case being polluted by fumes and more than 200 factories were closed down. In the case of Shatistar of 1990, AIR 1990 SC 630 (pp.8 to 13), Supreme Court declared in a clear tone that a citizen has right for a decent environment in his living area. In our country the pollution control boards and environmental protection measures are only confined to intellectual deliberations on a higher platform. Due to lack of public support all the enactments for environmental protection, show poor result and also the enforcement of the law is lax. All the environment protection laws should be brought under one umbrella and deterrent punishments need to be provided for environment- destructing criminal. Now environment protection force, protection centres, like Police Stations to tackle and prosecute the criminal and environment protection Courts should be brought into existence. Above all, we need a revolution which can be achieved a society by spreading awareness movement in connection with necessities of environment protection. Because, unless the citizen came forward to protect their own environment and safe humanity, all this step shall prove to be impasse and human civilization dragged toward destruction. It is the duty of every citizen to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the Forest, Lakes, Rivers and Wild Life and should not forget to love compassion for living creatures. Because they are very much members of our family. In Geneses Chapter 1 God saw that It was Good. And we inherited this beautiful Earth which is good in the eye of God from our forefather free of cost so also we have to handover this beautiful earth to the next younger generation without any committing mischief or environmental pollution otherwise the next generation will curse on us as we are answerable. R. Daniel, Advocate, Gauhati High Court, Imphal.

Our Environment Dorothy Krusky

It's splashed across the news these days, global warming, pollution, our environment, destroyed by the very persons who are trying to reverse the damage. Does it REALLY take one hundred scientists to tell us what we already know? All those studies tell the same story as the Polar Bear's image ﬂoats on the ice. The camera's zoom in as they speak of impending dangers not too far off. Try explaining that to our wildlife, slowly they're going extinct. It's all BIG news when a certain speicies is put on the endangered list. I'd like to think we're not to blame but that would show such ignorance. Look back to the times gone by, you only have to think of family life. Our parents practiced recycling long before it became the rage.

In the road of life there may be obstacles, and there may be moments of jubilations, but whatever comes along, always take everything in your stride and believe in yourself and God. Don't give up on your dreams but work hard at making every one of them come true! Wishing you many, many happy returns of this special day! God bless. With love, Abao, Ayao, Maong, Atao Aien & Asung + everyone else (u know who!)

"Turn off the lights! Close the doors!" Eat fresh garden vegetables, no pesticides! Clothes past down, worn right through, then piled away to use as rags. Plasic bags, cardboard boxes all of them re-used. It was only common sense you see to make the most of everything. I sit back and wonder why such a fuss when all this mess was created by big companies and greedy men the dollar became their god. We are responsible for all the changes do not blame those before us for they have lived a life of recycling we chose to live a life of convenience.

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

23 October 2008

NEWS FILE 24 drowned in Bihar boat mishap

KHAGARIA, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): Twenty-four women were drowned when an overcrowded boat capsized here today. The boat, carrying the women to the other side of the river for cutting grass, overturned, drowning them, in the midstream near Dudhela village under Pasraha police station early today, Superintendent of Police Kamal Kishore Singh told PTI. Singh said while all the 24 bodies were recovered by local divers, a boy was still missing. All the victims were residents of Dudhela and Budhnagar villages, he said.

Delhi cabbies accused of killing NRI held NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 21 (NDTV): Two taxi drivers have been arrested for shooting an NRI who landed at Delhi’s International Airport on October 10. K T Sameer, a businessman from Riyadh, had arrived in Delhi from Ahmedabad. He took one of the many black and yellow cabs parked at the airport in which there were some people already sitting. The driver took him to Manesar and allegedly forced the NRI to reveal the codes of his ATM card and then shot him. His body was later found on the Delhi-Jaipur Highway. The two taxi drivers were arrested for the crime on Monday as they were trying to slip back into the city. A sketch of the businessman has been released by the police who was shot by his taxi driver. “We came together and went to Mumbai and then Ahmedabad. He had some personal work in Delhi. He came here on October 10. I tried his number on October 11, but he didn’t respond,” said Abdul Dafur, deceased’s friend. Two months ago, the driver of a pre-paid taxi was sentenced to death for raping and killing an Australian woman in 2004. The Delhi Police insist that pre-paid taxis are now more carefully monitored and makes an appeal.

Repeal law on punishment for suicide survivors: Commission NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): People who survive a suicide attempt need care and compassion and not punishment, the Law Commission has said while asking the government to repeal the penal provisions that deal with the issue. Law Commission Chairman Justice A R Lakshmanan in his 210th report said, “Attempt to suicide may be regarded more as a manifestation of a diseased condition of mind deserving treatment and care rather than an offence to be visited with punishment.” The report, recently presented to Law Minister H R Bhardwaj, recommends a repeal of Section 309 of IPC to relieve the distress and sufferings of a suicide survivor. The criminal law must not act with misplaced overzeal and it is only where it can prove to be apt and effective machinery to cure the intended evil that it should come into the picture, he said. Section 309 of IPC says that whoever attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such offence, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both. Only a handful of countries in the world, like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore and India have persisted with the law which treats suicide survivors as criminals. Justice Lakshmanan before submitting the report on Humanisation and Decriminalisation of Attempt to Suicide, had studied the practice in the West as part of the exercise to suggest repealing of Section 309 of IPC.

Stockbroker kills pregnant wife, self over losses C M Y K

NATIONAL

Thursday

MUMBAI, OCTOBER 22 (CNN-IBN): A man working with a stock broking firm killed his 5-month-pregnant wife before committing suicide. The incident came to light in Kandivali locality of Mumbai. Police suspect the deceased, Parag Tanna had huge investments in the stock exchange and his recent losses drove him to commit suicide. “We have found a suicide note beside the body and he has written in that I am killing myself after murdering my wife, and that no one else should be held responsible. The reasons we are looking into include monetary problems and maybe he was heavily into debt due to his financial condition,” said a Senior police Inspector from the Kandivali police station. The two had been married for the last three years. Police said that the suicide note adds that Tanna was killing his wife and himself because he felt he wouldn’t be able to take care of his baby and buy a flat.

US keen to partner with India in anti-piracy patrol ON BOARD USS RONALD REAGAN, OCTOBER 23 (AGENCIES): With India rushing its warship to Gulf of Aden after pirates attacked cargo ships carrying its nationals, the US says it is keen to partner with New Delhi to jointly patrol the high seas off the African coast to deter the armed outlaws. “The Indian ships presence in Gulf of Aden will provide both of us an opportunity to work together (against pirates) and we are looking forward to it,” said US Navy Captain Kenneth J Norton on board USS Ronald Reagan, the world’s largest warship, as it sailed in the Arabian Sea about 130 miles off Goa coast. Washington’s views on Indian warship patrolling the region comes in the wake of over 35 incidents of piracy attacks on cargo ships in Gulf of Aden in the last three months. As recently as Monday, a dhow with 13 Indian sailors on board was hijacked by armed pirates and they were rescued by self-styled Somalian coast guard gunmen yesterday. But there has been no word about 18 Indian sailors, who were taken hostage by Somalian pirates after hijacking Japanese-owned merchant vessel MV Stolt Valor on September 15 this year. “US and its Coalition ships are regularly deployed in Gulf of Aden and along the African coast to act as a deterrent to the pirates operating there, said Captain Norton, the commanding officer of Ronald Reagan, which is participating in the Indo-US naval exercise Malabar-08.

Somnath upset as MPs refuse to listen him NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (CNN-IBN): A known cricket buff, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, was in a good mood when he walked in to the House after India’s historic victory over Australia but the proceedings didn’t let the humour stay there for long. Even Republican Party of India (RPI) MP Ramdas Athavale’s cell phone going off during the proceedings didn’t ruffle the normally stickler for the rules Speaker. But the good humour didn’t last long with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Left MP's questioning the Speaker’s ruling to treat as close a BSP MP's sensational charge

that the CBI issued threats to his party. “Don’t make allegations like this, be truthful in the House,” the Speaker said. “Everybody is talking, nobody is listening,” he added. His former party colleagues adding to the din also got scolding from Somnath. “Your deputy leader is more anxious to disturb you than others,” he said. Even a threat to adjourn the house till next year didn’t calm tempers in the house – almost making the speaker stop just short of saying. “Let this house go to…,” he continued. But it was this much and no further for the speaker. “This House stands adjourned till 1400 hrs IST,” Somnath said.

The Morung Express

India launches ﬁrst moon mission

SRIHARIKOTA, OCTOBER 22 (AFP): India successfully launched its first lunar mission Wednesday, marking a major boost for the country's space programme and a new step in the fast-developing Asian space race. Cheers rang out at mission control as the unmanned lunar orbiting spacecraft Chandrayaan-1 was launched with an Indian-built rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on the southeastern coast. Officials said the lift-off, which took place in cloudy skies at 6:22 am (0052 GMT), was a "great success", with the rocket placing the craft into a transfer orbit around the globe within 19 minutes. "Our scientific community has once again done the country proud and the entire nation salutes them," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a message from Japan, where he was on an official visit. The head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Madhavan Nair, said it was a "historic moment" for the country. "It has been a remarkable performance by the launch vehicle," he said of the liftoff from the national space centre in the state of Andhra Pradesh, 80 kilometres north of Chennai. ISRO is send-

will also include the sending of a probe onto the lunar surface, will cost India 80 million dollars. "Today what we have charted is a remarkable journey for an Indian spacecraft to go to the moon and try to unravel the mysteries of the Earth's closest celestial body and its only natural satellite," Nair said. India is hoping the mission will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China, and Nair said ISRO was aiming at a manned space flight by 2015, with work on a two-person capsule already underway. As well as looking to carve out a larger slice of the lucrative commercial satellite launch market, India, Japan and China also see their space programmes as an important symbol of their international stature and economic development. The launch was carried live on most IndiIn this photo provided by the Indian Space Research Organi- an television channels – with zation, India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-1, or Moon Craft in ancient Sanskrit, is seen successfully taking off at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, about 100 kilometers (63 miles) north of Chennai, Wednesday, October 22. India launched its ﬁrst mission to the moon Wednesday, rocketing a satellite up into the pale dawn sky in a two-year mission to redraw maps of the lunar surface. (AP Photo)

ing the Chandrayaan-1 on a two-year orbital mission to provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topo-

one channel using the theme music for "Star Wars" to accompany the countdown. Some critics, however, have questioned whether it makes sense to spend so much money on space when hundreds of millions of Indians still live in dire poverty. India started its space programme in 1963, developing its own satellites and launch vehicles to reduce dependence on overseas agencies. It first staked its case for a share of the commercial launch market by sending an Italian satellite into orbit in April last year. In January, it launched an Israeli spy satellite in the face of Iranian protests. But it still has a long way to go to catch up with China which, together with the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency, is already well established in the commercial launch sector. Chinese officials have spoken of a manned mission to the moon in the future, after following the United States and

the former Soviet Union last month by carrying out a space walk, and wants to establish an orbiting space lab. Japan has also been boosting its space programme and has set a goal of sending an astronaut to the moon by 2020. Japan's first lunar probe, Kaguya, was successfully launched in September last year. In addition to the commercial ramifications, the development of a space race in Asia has security implications, with the potential for developing military applications such as intelligence gathering and space-based weapons. Earlier this year, Japan scrapped a decadesold ban on the military use of space, hoping to remove any legal obstacles to building more advanced spy satellites. South Korea, a late starter in the space race, has launched three commercial satellites since 1995 and launched its first military communications satellite in 2006.

President congratulates Team Chandrayaan NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday congratulated ISRO scientists on the successful launch of India's maiden moon mission Chandrayaan-1, calling it a "landmark day" for the country. In a message from Guwahati, Patil said it was a "landmark day" which would inspire the Indian space scientists for sending manned missions in the future. Patil, who is on a tour of the Northeast, said India should aim at sending Indian astronauts to space in an Indian space capsule.

graphical characteristics of the moon's surface. It is expected to reach lunar orbit in 15 days. The mission, which

issues ﬁrst ‘No CBI inquiry into nun rape case’ Bush phase of certiﬁcations

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): The Supreme Court today declined to hand over to CBI the investigation into the alleged rape of a nun during the on-going communal violence in Orissa. "At this stage we do not think that handing over the investigation into the case from the state police to the CBI is in the interest of the victim as well as in the interest of justice. We think that the victim will cooperate with the state police," a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said. The Bench noted that the victim has left the area and was refusing to participate in the Test Identification Parade (TIP), though nine persons have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape. On the issue of compensation for damage caused to churches during the communal riots, the Bench asked the Orissa Government to assess the damage and assist in re-building them. The apex Court said that proceedings in cases arising out of the violence will have to be conducted by setting up fast track courts. Further, the Bench said that the central para-military forces provided to the state government for maintaining law and order in riot-hit area will remain there till December-end in view of the upcoming festival of Christmas. The Archbishop of Cuttack had in a petition sought Rs three crore compensation for demolition of Churches in the anti-Christian riots, while seeking a CBI inquiry into attacks on Christians. He alleged that Orissa government was not taking steps to arrest the culprits who allegedly raped and paraded the nun naked on August 25.

RS adjourns after uproar over on Indo-US N deal attack on Christians in Orissa WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 22 (AGEN-

NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): Opposition BJP and ruling Congress members today clashed in the Rajya Sabha over the issue of attack on Christians in Orissa, leading to abrupt adjournment of the House. Trouble broke out when Congress member Shantaram Laxman Naik rose to read his Zero Hour notice on the issue, provoking BJP members who strongly protested against raising state matters. Orissa is ruled by BJD-BJP coalition. Rudra Narayan Pany (BJP) led the opposition attack which was immediately countered by Congress members, plunging the House into turmoil. Deputy Chairman K Rahman Khan pleaded with the agitated opposition members to restore peace as the notice had been admitted by the Chairman and he could not do anything about it. As Pany rushed towards

the podium, Khan admonished him. "I condemn this. I am warning you," he said as the BJP member had a heated argument with the Chair. Senior BJP member S S Ahluwalia then asked Pany to take his seat and he himself entered into a verbal duel with Khan. BJD member B J Panda was also seen standing in protest. Amidst noisy scenes, Khan asked Naik to read the notice, further infuriating the opposition members who rushed to the well. Some members from the Congress too rushed towards the well to counter the BJP attack. At one point of time, an agitated Pany was seen rushing towards the Congress bench and was persuaded by his senior party colleagues to go back to his place. As the din continued, Khan adjourned the House 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch recess.

Japan non-committal on civil nuclear co-operation with India

TOKYO, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): Notwithstanding the NSG waiver for New Delhi, Japan on Wednesday appeared non-committal on civil nuclear co-operation with India even as the two countries agreed that atomic power could play an important role as a sustainable and non-polluting source of energy in meeting the growing global demands. The two sides "shared the view that nuclear energy can play an important role as a safe, sustainable and non-polluting source of energy in meeting the rising global energy demands," said a joint statement issued at the end of the summit talks between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso here. The statement did not say whether Japan, which has serious reservations on nuclear issues for historic reasons, would co-

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, right, and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, talk during joint press conference at Aso's ofﬁcial residence Wednesday, October 22, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo)

operate with India in the civilian nuclear sector. Earlier, India had said it understood the sensitivities of Japan on the nuclear issue. New Delhi, pleased with Tokyo's backing for India's case at the NSG and IAEA, said it would be ready when Tokyo thought it could join hands with it. Singh and Aso shared the view that international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts should be reinforced. They also stressed the importance of strengthening their efforts towards the shared goal of achieving a "world free of nuclear weapons." The two Prime Ministers condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, saying that it constitutes a "serious threat" to international peace and security. They welcomed efforts taken by both countries to combat the menace.

CIES): United States President George W Bush has formally certified to the Congress that the 123 agreement with India is consistent with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Bush also made a commitment that his administration will work with NSG members to restrict enrichment/ reprocessing technologies. There are two phases of certification and the first phase contains the two commitments to be done by the President before exchange of the diplomatic note and entry into force of the Indo-US nuclear agreement. In a Presidential determination of October 20, Bush has sent a memorandum to his Secretary of State on the certifications pursuant to the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non Proliferation Enhancement Act. "Pursuant to section 102(c) and section 204(a) of the United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Nonproliferation Enhancement Act, I hereby certify the entry into force and implementation of the United StatesIndia Agreement for Cooperation on Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy pursuant to its terms is consistent with the obligation of the United States under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons not in any way to assist, encourage, or induce India to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices," Bush has said. "It is the policy of the US to work with members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, individually and collectively, to agree to further restrict the transfers of equipment and technology related to the enrichment of uranium and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel," he added. "You are authorised and directed to publish this determination in the Federal Register," the Presidential Memorandum said. The President notified his certifications in separate letters to the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I am pleased to transmit to the Congress the certifications required under section 102(c) and section 204(a) of the 'United States-India Nuclear Cooperation Approval and Non-proliferation Enhancement Act,' (Public Law 110-369), and a Memorandum of Justification regarding those certifications," Bush said.

Three dead, 179 arrested in MNS violence at Thane

MUMBAI, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): Three persons were killed and over 170 arrested in neighbouring Thane after violence erupted there following the arrest of MNS leader Raj Thackeray, police said. Three deaths were reported in the Pisoli village area in Kalyan last night following a clash between two groups, Thane Police Commissioner Anil Dhere said. "We have made 179 arrests in the Thane commissionerate area since last night in connection with violence," Dhere said. The three dead have been identified as Omprakash Dubey, Mayur Dubey and Gurunath Bhoir, the brother of a local MNS leader. Asked if the clash between the two groups took place in the wake of MNS activists targeting north Indian community members living there, the Commissioner said the matter was being investigated. "We are still investigating whether the clash between the two groups was a result of a clash between MNS activists and north Indians or due to past enmity," Dhere said. The town, with a population of about 5,000 persons, has witnessed high security since the incident but cur-

few has not been imposed, he said. The town has witnessed clashes between groups of resident members of the north Indian community and MNS activists in the past. Violence erupted in Kalyan and surrounding areas last night after arrested MNS leader Raj Thackeray was taken to the Manpada police station in Dombivali in connection with the assault on candidates who appeared for railway recruitment exams on October 19.

Raj Thackeray’s wife holds sit-in protest

MUMBAI, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): Indefinite curfew was clamped on Wednesday in most parts of Kalyan town where Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray is being held in a police lock-up after being arrested for inciting violence against North Indians. Thackeray's wife was staging a sit-in to demand a meeting with him with party workers in attendance, an official said. The police said Thackeray's wife Sharmila could meet Raj, but she deMaharashtra to bring ordi- manded that party office-bearers must

nance against destruction of public property

The Maharashtra Government seems to be learning its lessons. Their new zero-tolerance approach with Raj Thackeray is an attempt to demonstrate that they are not going to go soft on him as many believed they did last time. So the state is likely to bring in an ordinance on Wednesday against destruction of public property. The ordinance will seek to increase the fine and punishment of upto five years. It will also have provisions to recover money directly from those who damage public property be it a political party.

also be allowed to meet him. The police refused to allow that. The police baton charged Raj supporters who defied the curfew and came out in large groups on the roads leading to Kalyan court. He is scheduled to appear in court at 2 pm on Wednesday. The authorities have also deployed Rapid Action Force (RAF) and State Reserve Police (SRP) to help the local administration maintain law and order. The town in neighbouring Thane district, about 70 km from Mumbai, was rocked by group clashes leading to

police baton charge, widespread arson, damage to private and public property, damage to the railway station and general mayhem as the MNS chief was brought there on Tuesday evening. Raj was taken there to face police charges in a case of attacks on north Indian candidates who had come to Kalyan to appear for railway recruitment examinations last on Sunday. Since the night magistrate was not available, Raj spent his first night in the fortress-like precincts of Manpada police station in the sister city of Dombivli, angering his supporters.

Angry students attack Rly property in Bihar PATNA, OCTOBER 22 (AGENCIES): Angry students in various parts of Bihar on Wednesday damaged railway property and disrupted train traffic, as protests continued against assaults on North Indians by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists in Mumbai. The police said the protesters targeted Patna, Jehanabad, Barh, Khusrupur, Sasaram and Purnia railway stations in the morning. The protesting students also set afire two AC bogies of an ex-

press train at Barh railway station. They ransacked Jehanabad, Barh, Purnia and Sasaram railway stations. "The protesters damaged railway properties and totally disrupted train movement," a senior Railway official said here. According to the Railway Police, at least 10 students were detained in the morning and extra security was deployed to control the situation. The students were protesting the attacks by MNS activists on North

Indian candidates, particularly from Bihar, who were appearing at a railway recruitment examination Sunday. Youths who returned to Bihar Tuesday after being assaulted in Mumbai alleged that a candidate was killed by Raj Thackeray-led MNS supporters in Mumbai. Pawan Kumar, 25, a resident of Bara-Khurd village in Nalanda district, about 100 km from here, was one of the hundreds of students from Bihar appearing for the exam in Maharashtra. The railway

police at the Patna Railway station have filed a First Information Report against Raj Thackeray and his supporters for the assault on the students from Bihar. "A case was registered on the basis of the statement of the students who returned here Tuesday after being assaulted by MNS activists," DN Gupta, Patna Superintendent of Railway Police, said. Gupta said that the case against Thackeray and his supporters were lodged under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323, 324 and 307 of the IPC.

INTERNATIONAL

The Morung Express

Thursday 23 October 2008

Dimapur

McCain raises specter of nuclear war

MOON TOWNSHIP, OCTOBER 22 (AFP): John McCain raised the specter of nuclear war as he struggled to overcome rival Barack Obama's widening lead in the polls with just 14 days left in the epic race to the White House. Warning voters that the United States faces "many challenges here at home, and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world," McCain returned to the attack line that Obama has poor judgment and is not ready to lead the country. The next president "won't have time to get used to the office," the Republican said at a rally on Tuesday. "I sat in the cockpit on the flight deck of the USS Enterprise off of Cuba. I had a target," McCain said, referring to the 1962 Cuban Missile crisis. "I know how close we came to a nuclear war and I will not be a president that needs to be tested. I have been tested. Senator Obama has not." But the Arizona senator's campaign was smarting after a poll by the Pew Research Center showed Obama ahead by 14 points, and an investigation of Republican funds indicating more than 150,000 dollars had been spent on clothes for his running mate Sarah Palin.

With the presidential vote looming on November 4, voters expressed a "widespread loss of confidence in McCain," with 41 percent of Pew respondents saying McCain "showed poor judgment." Only 29 percent said that of Obama. McCain also trails 32 to 53 on the critical question of who would best improve economic conditions. McCain acknowledged that he was "a few points down" in the polls but vowed to continue to fight for hard-working Americans as he kept up his attack on Obama's economic policies, casting the Illinois senator as a job-killing socialist bent on "redistributing wealth." Experts have suggested that McCain could stage a comeback by courting white, working class voters who have traditionally taken a more conservative stance. In Florida, Obama shot back, accusing McCain of turning a blind eye to the financial crisis and offering up out-dated ideas for fixing the country's troubled economy. "The financial crisis that states, businesses and families are facing didn't just spring up full-blown overnight," the Democratic candidate said. Pushing back at the "socialist" Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., standing with his wife Cindy, encourages his supportcharge, Obama pointed to his ers to stand up and ﬁght for America at the close of his address during a campaign rally in Bensalem, Pa., Tuesday, high power supporters like bil- October 21. (AP Photo)

lionaire financier Warren Buffett and former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell. "Apparently Senator McCain's decided that if he can't beat our ideas, he's just going to make up some ideas and run against those," Obama said. "John McCain is still out there, just saying this stuff, just making it up." As Florida voters flocked to early voting sites for a second day on Tuesday, polls suggested Obama now has a slight lead over McCain in the state which was pivotal in President George W. Bush's win over Al Gore in the 2000 election. McCain is scheduled to campaign in Florida on Thursday, the same day that Obama heads to Hawaii to be with his ailing grandmother, giving McCain an opportunity to dominate media coverage as he campaigns aggressively in battleground states. "It's Florida, Florida, Florida for sure," said state Governor Charlie Crist, recalling that McCain lived there when he was in the Navy. "He gets it. He understands our state. He cares deeply about Florida." Obama planned to meet his top national security advisors Wednesday on the sidelines of a campaign stop in Richmond, Virginia and will make a statement on the

US security role in the world, his campaign said. McCain will meet up with Palin in Ohio on Wednesday following a morning rally in New Hampshire. Palin, who was instrumental in rallying the Republican party's conservative base after she was named to the ticket in late August, came under fire from the Obama campaign for saying last week that the patriotic values of "real America" could only be found in conservative small towns. Critics said it suggested she believed other areas were not "real America". Backpedaling, Palin said on Tuesday she was sorry for her comments in an interview with CNN. "I don't want that misunderstood," Palin said. "If that's the way it came across, I apologize." Also, a campaign spokeswoman sought to downplay a report by the website Politico that said the Republican National Committee had spent more than 150,000 dollars on clothes for Palin and her family. "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign."

Republicans spent $150,000 on outﬁts for Palin

Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin carries her son, Trig, as her husband, Todd, places the bay seat in a vehicle as they arrive at Walker Field for a speech in Grand Junction, Colo., Monday, October 20. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 22 (AFP): Financial records show that the Republican National Committee ap-

pears to have spent more than 150,000 dollars on clothes for vice presidential pick Sarah Palin, Politico reported. The

Republicans' main campaign and fundraising organ spent tens of thousands at high-end stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York (49,425 dollars) and Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis (75,062 dollars), the Politico website said. The RNC also spent 4,716 dollars on hair and makeup through September, Politico said. Those kinds of expenditures did not appear in the RNC's financial disclosure records before the Alaska governor was named to John McCain's ticket in August, it added. Politico said it reviewed the RNC's September monthly financial disclosure report and found a new category, "campaign accessories," included in the report of "itemized coordinated expenditures." The McCain-Palin campaign issued a statement shortly after the report appeared online. "With all of the important issues facing the country right now, it's remarkable that we're spending

time talking about pantsuits and blouses," said spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt. "It was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." Asked for comment by Politico, another spokeswoman Maria Comella "declined to answer specific questions about the expenditures, including whether it was necessary to spend that much," the report said. "The campaign does not comment on strategic decisions regarding how financial resources available to the campaign are spent," Comella was quoted as saying. Among the department store sprees were expense reports for two high-end baby stores, "suggesting 295 dollars was spent to accommodate the littlest Palin to join the campaign trail," Politico said. Palin gave birth to a son, her fifth child, earlier this year. Another 4,902 dollars were "spent at Atelier, a high-class A member of a guard of honor contingent checks the alignment of his colleagues before a welcome ceremony for shopping destination for Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Ocmen," the report noted. tober 22. (AP Photo)

Thaksin case emboldens “vindicated” protesters Ban says frustrated

BANGKOK, OCTOBER 22 (REUTERS): A jail sentence imposed on former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for graft will add vigour to the street campaign trying to topple the present government led by his supporters, a protest leader said on Wednesday. The People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), whose supporters have occupied the prime minister's official compound since August, said the verdict vindicated their longrunning campaign against Thaksin and what they call his puppet regime. "The verdict meant our campaign against Thaksin was right all along, which will bring more people to join our campaign now to bring him back home to serve his sentence," PAD leader Suriyasai Katasila told Reuters. The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Thaksin, who is living in exile in Britain, had violated a conflict-of-interest law while in office and sentenced him to two years in prison. Minutes after the verdict, Thaksin told Reuters by telephone he had expected the trial to end that way because the whole case was politically motivated. A series of graft charges were initiated by a panel set up after the military coup that ousted him in 2006. An elected government returned to power in early 2008. It is already on its second prime minister, Thaksin's brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat. Somchai was booed and jeered by around 500 state employees during a visit to the telecommunications ministry on Wednesday. "Somchai, murderer! Somchai, get out!" the demonstrators shouted, blaming him for violent clashes between anti-government protesters and police outside parliament on October 7, when two people were killed and hundreds injured. Somchai, who took over from Samak Sundaravej last

month after Samak, too, was found guilty of a conflict of interest, has come under pressure from the PAD and military chiefs to accept responsibility and quit. He had to be escorted by 10 police officers to get past the crowd at the ministry and into a car as shoes and bottles were thrown at him, a Reuters reporter at the scene said. Suriyasai said the PAD, a led by band of royalists, business people and academics, would continue their occupation of Government House to press Somchai to work for Thaksin's extradition. "What we have to do now is to adjust our campaign tactics to avoid violence, otherwise it will give Thaksin an excuse for political asylum in Britain," Suriyasai said. Thaksin denies he is seeking asylum. The verdict has done nothing to narrow the political divide in Thailand, where Thaksin remains popular among rural voters and the poor, and there is no consensus on what happens next. "The army chief was calling on Somchai to quit on TV, but what they have struck behind the scenes might have been a house dissolution and a snap election," political commentator Sukhum Nualskul said. "I think that is the best option for all sides." Analysts said Somchai's People Power Party was likely to win again and lead a new coalition government. That course of events might give the government breathing space to pursue the drafting of a new constitution to replace the one brought in by the military government, but preventing that was one of the reasons the PAD took to the streets in May. The political crisis dates back to 2005, when the PAD launched street protests against Thaksin, alleging corruption and abuse of power. It has meandered through a coup to elections and back to protests and shows no sign of resolution.

by Myanmar inaction

Anti Government Protesters cerebrate inside Government house in Bangkok on Tuesday October 21. A Thai court found former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra guilty of corruption Tuesday and sentenced him to two years in prison, further deepening the country's paralyzing political crisis. (AP Photo)

Thailand prepares extradition of Thaksin

BANGKOK, OCTOBER 22 (AFP): Thai prosecutors on Wednesday began gathering evidence to submit to Britain asking for the extradition of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, after he was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail. The Supreme Court on Tuesday found Thaksin guilty of violating corruption laws when he helped his wife buy a cut-price lot of government land. "The extradition process began today (Wednesday)," said Sirisak Tiyapan, international affairs director at the attorney general's office. "The special litigation department will copy the verdict and translate it into English, before we prepare case details. "All documents must be translated into English before we can prepare the petition and that will take considerable time ... in our petition, we have to prove Thaksin committed a crime that is common between the two countries." Once all the paperwork is complete, the attorney general will forward a petition to the foreign ministry, which could lodge it

with the Thai embassy in London or file it through the British embassy in Bangkok, said Sirisak. A British Home Office spokesman said earlier this month that Thaksin and his wife Pojaman had applied for political asylum, although people close to Thaksin were quoted in local media Wednesday as saying that report was not true. Thaksin and Pojaman fled to Britain in August this year saying they would not get a fair trial on corruption charges back home. Thaksin was overthrown in a military coup in September 2006, and the junta set up a corruption investigation unit to look into alleged abuses of power. So far, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear five cases against Thaksin. The land deal verdict on Tuesday was the first judgement against Thaksin since the putsch. An attempt to extradite Thaksin during his first period in exile after the coup got bogged down in complexities, as the charges he faced in Thailand were not covered by the extradition treaty with Britain.

UNITED NATIONS, OCTOBER 22 (REUTERS): U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced frustration that Myanmar's military government had failed to take up proposals by the world body to bring democracy to the southeast Asian nation. Ban has been asked by the U.N. Security Council to do his utmost to pursue reforms in Myanmar, which drew international condemnation last year for a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters led by monks. Ban's special envoy, Ibrahim Gambari, last visited the former Burma in August, but failed to wring concessions from the junta or to meet opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for most of the past five years. In a report, Ban said "it remains a source of frustration that meaningful steps have yet to be taken by the Myanmar authorities in response to the concerns and expectations of the United Nations and the international community." Myanmar says it is pursuing its own seven-step "roadmap" to democracy. It announced overwhelming public support in a May referendum on an army-drafted constitution as part of a process meant to culminate in multiparty elections in 2010 and end a nearly 20-year political stalemate. Western countries have condemned the referendum as a sham. "It is unfortunate that specific suggestions of the United Nations to improve the credibility and inclusiveness of the political process have thus far not been taken up by the government," Ban said in his report for

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks at the Kennedy School of Government in Cambridge, Mass., Tuesday, October 21. (AP Photo)

the General Assembly. The main U.N. demands, backed by the Security Council and advanced by Gambari, have been for the junta to release political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, and start a serious dialogue with the opposition. Ban said that "expectations are high that the government of Myanmar will start taking substantive action" on those proposals. It was up to the junta "to genuinely demonstrate its stated commitment to cooperating with the United Nations." Ban also called, however, on all countries that were interested in a solution in Myanmar to "work constructively together" in support of U.N. efforts. Saying that only negotiated political solutions

would work, he urged Myanmar's government and opposition to find ways to talk to each other. Earlier this month, Ban said he would drop plans to make a long talked-about visit to Myanmar unless he was confident it would achieve tangible results in promoting democracy. He made a first visit there after Cyclone Nargis in May but has said he would like to return to discuss political issues. The United Nations has been caught between a government reluctant to budge from its path and Western nations impatient for change. U.N. officials say Gambari believes Myanmar's leaders are only likely to favor a gradual transition from military rule on the model of Indonesia or Thailand.

Dimapur

SPORTS

Thursday 23 October 2008

Arsenal seal crushing win at Fenerbahce

Arsenal's Samir Nasri is fouled by Fenerbahce's Gokhan Gonul during their Group G Champions League soccer match at Sukru Saracoglu stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, October 21. (AP Photo)

ISTANBUL, OCTOBER 22 (REUTERS): Arsenal stormed to a 5-2 victory over Fenerbahce in a pulsating Champions League match on Tuesday which put the London side in a strong po-

sition at the top of Group G. Emmanuel Adebayor fired the Gunners ahead after 10 minutes, slotting the ball calmly past Fenerbahce goalkeeper Volkan Demirel after Cesc Fabregas picked

him out with a pass which cut through the home defence. Fabregas repeated the feat a minute later, this time finding Theo Walcott, who skipped over Demirel to

score from a narrow angle. Fenerbahce grabbed a goal back after 19 minutes when a shot from Semih Senturk deflected off defender Mikael Silvestre into his own goal. Within three minutes,

Abou Diaby had restored the visitors' two-goal cushion going into half time. The home side had gained the upper hand in the latter stages of the first half when striker Daniel

Guiza had three goalscoring chances. He put the ball into the net in the 31st minute but was ruled offside, shot wide in the 40th minute, and two minutes later Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia frustrated him again. The second half brought more woe for Fenerbahce, with a strong shot from Alex Song extending Arsenal's lead to 4-1 within four minutes of the restart. The Turkish team's frustration was heightened in the 67th minute when three goalscoring efforts were blocked first by Almunia and then by two Arsenal defenders in succession. Guiza pulled a goal back in the 78th minute when he lobbed a shot over Almunia, but young substitute Aaron Ramsey sealed Fenerbahce's misery, scoring Arsenal's fifth in stoppage time with a well struck shot from the edge of the area. Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger paid tribute to his players after the game. "We came her and tried to dictate the game in a very heated atmosphere. I'm very proud of that," he told a news conference. "Our pace movement and technique made all the difference." The result kept Arsenal top of the group on seven points, followed by Dynamo Kiev on five points after their 1-0 victory over Porto. Fenerbahce stay bottom on one point. The result piled fresh pressure on Fenerbahce's Spanish coach Luis Aragones, with his team languishing in 10th in the domestic league despite a weekend victory. "We didn't play as a team. We were too much on the attack and we didn't concentrate enough on defending," he said.

Murray continues good form Resurgent Juventus defeat Real

Britain's Andy Murray returns the ball to Serbia's Viktor Troicki during their tennis match at the St. Petersburg Open ATP tennis tournament in St. Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Octkober 22. (AP Photo)

ST. PETERSBURG, OCTOBER 22 (AP): Defending champion Andy Murray beat Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-3 Wednesday to advance to the second round of the St. Petersburg Open, while Nikolay Davydenko pulled out with a wrist injury. The 6th-ranked Russian sustained the injury on Tuesday and said he was unlikely to be able to play in Paris next week. "Even if the inflammation and pain pass, I will have no time for preparation," Davydenko said.

Davydenko said that if there was no pain by the end of the next week he would have two weeks to prepare for the season-ending Masters event in Shanghai. Murray, fresh from winning the Madrid Masters on Sunday for his fourth title this season, broke Troicki in the fifth and eighth games of the first set. The fourthranked Briton had an early break in the second set and saved the only break point he faced in the eighth game. "He (Troicki) made a

lot of mistakes on his forehand today," Murray said. "I haven't seen him play so much, so I didn't really have too may tactics, but for my game I tried to serve well and change the speed of the ball a lot." It was the eighth consecutive win for the U.S. Open finalist, including two victories in Britain's Davis Cup World Group playoffs against Austria in September. Murray, who also won titles in Doha, Marseille and Cincinnati, next plays Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Earlier, Fernando Verdasco beat wild card Karlis Lejnieks 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. The third-seeded Verdasco had little trouble against the 20-year-old Latvian, the lowest-ranked player in the field at No. 664 and playing in his first ATP event. The 15th-ranked Spaniard, a runner-up to Murray here last year, had two breaks in each set to closeout the match in 65 minutes. In the quarters, Verdasco will face German veteran Rainer Schuettler, who defeated Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-3, 6-3. In other first-round action, Kazakhstan qualifier Andrey Golubev served 19 aces to beat Olivier Rochus of Belgium, 6-1, 6-4.

Alessandro Del Piero celebrates after scored during the Champions League Group H soccer match between Juventus and Real Madrid at the Olympic Stadium in Turin, Tuesday, October 21. (AP Photo)

TURIN, OCTOBER 21 (REUTERS): Juventus shrugged off a wobble in form to beat Real Madrid 2-1 in Champions League Group H on Tuesday with goals from strikers Alessandro del Piero and Amauri. Evergreen Del Piero, 33, latched on to Amauri’s pass and curled the ball into the top corner from 20 metres after five minutes. Injuryhit Juve, who had not won in five coming into the game, punished a lethargic Real again after 49 minutes when Amauri’s header from Pavel Nedved’s cross deflected in off Gabriel Heinze. Ruud van Nistelrooy then nodded in unmarked for the visitors but Juve hung on despite dropping back

very deep at times. The Serie A club take over at the top of the group with seven points from three games with the Spanish champions on six. BATE Borisov drew 1-1 at Zenit St Petersburg in the other group match. “Tonight we have been a bit lucky...but I must give credit to the players because they were compact and stopped Real playing like they are used to,” Juve coach Claudio Ranieri told a news conference. “We knew we were not doing so well this year but some of the criticism has been excessive. I knew the club was behind me,” added Ranieri, whose side are languishing in 12th place in Serie A. Real were on a high after beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 in last

weekend’s city derby but it was stuttering Juventus who came flying out of the traps. “In Spain we are used to starting games well but tonight it was complicated. Juventus were quick off the mark and it was tough for us,” Real coach Bernd Schuster said. “Everyone said Juve were not in great form but they showed tonight they are an aggressive side. We must find new resolve and beat Juve at home and move forward.” All Real could really muster until their goal was a few long-range efforts, with Wesley Sneijder striking the post. Real’s former Juve defender Fabio Cannavaro was booed all night by the home crowd for quitting the Turin club following their demotion for match-fixing two years ago. A minute’s applause was held before kickoff after at least two Switzerland-based Juve supporters were killed and several injured when a coach crashed on its way to the game. Home fans lightened the mood by waving thousands of black and white flags and really getting behind the twice European champions, who are back in the Champions League for the first time since the 2006 scandal. “It was a game we have dreamed about for a long time,” added Ranieri.

‘Tendulkar most deserving batsmen to break my record’

MELBOURNE, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): Legendary West Indian batsman Brian Lara paid tributes to Sachin Tendulkar, saying that the Indian batting maestro was the most deserving batsman to break his world record and become the highest rungetter in Tests. "I was quite happy for him. There is no better individual or batsman in the world that could can go past you than Sachin Tendulkar," Lara said. "He has been a great for so many years and is someone who is deserving of such a record. So I just want to wish him the best," he told local media during his visit to Australian Institute of Sports in Canberra. Lara said he was never in doubt that his 11,953-run mark would be bettered following his retirement in 2006. "I thought it was definitely going to be broken. I think Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar returns after India declared their innings on the fourth day of the second cricket test match my impromptu retirement made it more available for between India and Australia, in Mohali, India, Monday, October 20. (AP Photo)

other batsmen. "I mentioned it a couple of years ago when I went past Allan Border's record that it was a record that I would always cherish. To be considered in the same group as Allan Border, Sunil Gavaskar and now Sachin Tendulkar, it is a great feeling, an honourable feeling, and something I am very proud of," he said. Lara, however, believes that Australian captain Ricky Ponting will eventually break Tendulkar's record. "Ricky Ponting is someone who is in line to hold such a record as well. I would think that (Ponting) still has 30 or 40 Tests matches left under his belt and he has already gone past 10,000 runs." Ponting, who will turn 34 in December, has scored 10,246 runs in his 121-Test career to leave him 1791 runs behind Tendulkar (12037), who has played 31 more matches.

The Morung Express

Route of 2009 Tour de France

This map provided Wednesday October 22, by Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) shows the route of the 2009 Tour de France. The 2009 Tour de France will have a tough mountain stage on its penultimate day in a tradition-busting innovation that could complicate Lance Armstrong's possible return. (AP Photo)

PARIS, OCTOBER 22 (AP): The 2009 Tour de France route: Total distance - 3,445 kms (2,141 miles) July 4 - Stage 1, Monaco-Monaco, individual time trial, 15 kilometers July 5 - Stage 2, Monaco-Brignoles, 182 (113.1) July 6 - Stage 3, Marseille-La Grande Motte, 196 (121.8) July 7 - Stage 4, Montpellier-Montpellier, team time trial, 38 (23.6) July 8 - Stage 5, Le Cap d'Agde-Perpignan, 197 (122.4) July 9 - Stage 6, Gerona-Barcelona, 175 (108.7) July 10 - Stage 7, Barcelona-Arcalis, Andorra, 224 (139.2) July 11 - Stage 8, Andorre-la-Vieille-Saint-Girons, 176 (109.4) July 12 - Stage 9, Saint-Gaudens-Tarbes, 160 (99.4) July 13 - Rest Day in Limoges July 14 - Stage 10, Limoges-Issoudun, 193 (119.9) July 15 - Stage 11, Vatan-Saint-Fargeau, 192 (119.3) July 16 - Stage 12, Tonnerre-Vittel, 200 (124.3) July 17 - Stage 13, Vittel-Colmar, 200 (124.3) July 18 - Stage 14, Colmar-Besancon, 199 (123.7) July 19 - Stage 15, Pontarlier-Verbier, 207 (128.6) July 20 - Rest Day in Verbier July 21 - Stage 16, Martigny-Bourg-Saint-Maurice, 160 (99.4) July 22 - Stage 17, Bourg-Saint-Maurice-Le Grand Bornand, 169 (105) July 23 - Stage 18, Annecy-Annecy, individual time trial, 40 (24.9) July 24 - Stage 19, Bourgoin-Jallieu-Aubenas, 195 (121.2) July 25 - Stage 20, Montelimar-Mont Ventoux, 167 (103.8) July 26 - Stage 21, Montereau-Fault-Yonne -Paris-Champs-Elysees, 160 km (99.4)

Aussies land in Delhi for 3rd Test NEW DELHI, OCTOBER 22 (PTI): The Australian cricket team, which suffered a humiliating 320-run defeat against India in Mohali, arrived here on Wednesday for the third Test beginning later in the month. Soon after landing here, Ricky Ponting's men checked into a hotel here and were accorded a traditional welcome by the staff. The world champions, who are trailing 0-1 in the four-match series, will take a day off on Thursday before training from Friday at the Feroze Shah Kotla where the third Test will be played from October 29. The victorious Indians have also got a break and will re-assemble in the capital on October 26 to prepare for the potentially series deciding match. The fourth and final match of the series will be played in Nagpur from November 6 to 10.

Ahlmann disqualiﬁed from Olympics in drug case

LAUSANNE, OCTOBER 22 (AP): German rider Christian Ahlmann has been officially disqualified from the Beijing Olympics equestrian events for a positive drug test on his horse. The 33-year-old Ahlmann was also suspended Wednesday from competing in the sport for four months by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI). The governing body said in a statement that the German's evidence at a hearing indicated "severe negligence" in applying a banned medication to his horse, Coster. It tested positive for capsaicin, a banned pain relief medication derived from chili peppers. Ahlmann's ban runs through Dec. 18 after taking effect on the day he was provisionally suspended from the Games. He came through qualifying in the individual jumping class but was prevented from taking part in the final, which was held in Hong Kong. Germany will be downgraded from its fifth-place finish in the team jumping class after Ahlmann's scores are wiped from the record. The governing body ordered Ahlmann to pay 3,500 Swiss francs (US$3,000, euro2,340) as a fine and legal costs. The German Olympic committee said it would bill Ahlmann for transport and accommodation costs incurred by him and his horse at Beijing.

Kidney retains O'Driscoll as Ireland captain

DUBLIN, OCTOBER 22 (AP): Ireland coach Declan Kidney opted for consistency on Wednesday when he retained Brian O'Driscoll as captain for next month's tests against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina. Kidney, who took over from Eddie O'Sullivan in May, had been rumored to be considering Paul O'Connell as his on-field leader after the British and Irish Lions lock captained Munster to last season's Heineken Cup title. But the coach kept faith with his star center - who has captained Ireland 40 times - despite O'Driscoll sustaining a slight knee injury in Leinster's weekend win over Wasps. "I am delighted that Brian has agreed to captain the squad," Kidney said. "I have also opted to name a bigger squad than originally anticipated so that we can continue to familiarize a largely new-look backroom staff with a wider group of players." O'Driscoll and O'Connell are part of a 41-man squad that will be trimmed to 30 following a weeklong training camp ahead of the three matches. Ireland is seeking strong performances to help at least maintain its world No. 8 ranking, which earns a higher seeding and easier progress at the World Cup. The draw for the 2011 tournament in New Zealand will be made in December. "We are currently ranked eighth - just ahead of Scotland – so the fact that it is paramount to at least maintain a top-eight ranking underlines the additional importance of our results against Canada, New Zealand and Argentina," Kidney said. Ireland hosts Canada on Nov. 8 before playing New Zealand and Argentina on the next two weekends.

Radwanska reaches quarterﬁnals in Linz LINZ, OCTOBER 22 (AP): Third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska reached the quarterfinals of the Generali Ladies after beating Kaia Kanepi of Estonia 6-2, 6-4 Wednesday. The 10th-ranked Pole has won three WTA Tour titles this season and is competing to qualify for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships. Radwanska broke Kanepi in the opening game of both sets and stayed in control throughout. Radwanska, who had a bye in the first round, will next play either fifth-seeded former champion Nadia Petrova or Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. Flavia Pennetta continued her recent run of good results by beating Agnes Szavay of Hungary 6-1, 6-2 in a first-round match. The seventh-seeded Italian, who reached the final of the Zurich Open last week, dropped only three points on serve in the opening set and broke Szavay on six occasions.

C M Y K

Ent/Tabloid

11 ‘League 4 Change’ presents Diatribe live on stage PRIME TIME

The Morung Express

eople around the world are yearning for a ‘Change’ from the alarming raise of social ailments. As such people in Nagaland are experiencing the same ‘social apathy’ and there is a cry for a ‘revolution.’ In response to the alarming apathy especially among many Naga youth towards social evil Salang Longchari, Tiameren Amri, Temsu Akong (Kalong) and Wabang Tzudir in partnership formed the “League 4 change.” The League 4 Change aspires to organise events that “will be safe and provide creative space for the youth to engage with contemporary social issues and voice concerns that may be of importance to them.” As an opening show, the ‘League 4 Change’ will be organizing a concert featuring Diatribe on November 5, 2008 at the DDSC stadium from 5:30pm onwards under the theme ‘Make a Difference-BE THE CHANGE-Start a Revolution.’ If things go well the organisers plans to make it an annual event. Convenor of the Organizing Committee Salang, said that the League focuses mainly on youth. As a team the League 4 Change through the concert believes in ‘sending a message and having a good time for all music lovers.’ And as musicians, Diatribe avows to take music seriously, do what they love but

Make a Difference-BE THE CHANGE-Start a Revolution

Thursday

23 October 2008

Diatribe Band proﬁle Genre: Melodic Metal fussed with folk music Vocals: Tiatemsu (Kalong) Keyboards: Lipok Changkiri Guitar: Yanger Bass: Abijah Drums: Temsu

Ticket details

(L-R): Kalong, Tiameren, Wabang, Temsu, Salang and Moanungsang at Café Destination, Dimapur after the press conference held for the forth coming Diatribe concert slated on November 5 at DDSC. (Morung Photos)

also do business to create a big music industry. Diatribe’s frontman Kalong while talking about the scenario and growth of music industry in Nagaland said Nagas take things too lightly. “We get destructed too easily. If we want to do things, we have to. There is no turning back. Just focus on what we want to do,” Ka-

long said in responds to a query on music industry in Nagaland during the press conference held at Café Destination. Kalong is a member of Diatribe as well as League 4 Change. Moanungsang, the first Naga Idol, who happened to be present during the press conference, added ‘Diatribe is an original band. Their songs talks about the

present scenario; what you and I are experiencing as lay man.’ Uncomplaining of the fact that concerts have become a daily event especially in Dimapur, Kalong still hopes that the band and the League will be able to send the message across. “Be it 1 % of what you do, if it help others, it matters,” he added.

The Diatribe through their music, audio visual displays and interactions with the crowd, wishes to convey the message that the ‘Youth have the power to change the future of Nagaland.’ The Band will be on tour to Delhi and Patna in the month of December to take part in the Octave Festival under the sponsorship of NEZCC.

Rs. 400: Admit 2 Rs 200: Admit 1 Rs 50: general Tickets for the concert are available at Movie Galore, Big Bite, skins, Unitex, Gravity, Benetton and Hub in Kohima; Screwdriver, K-Lounge, Car Mania, Encore, Crescendo, 10th Planet and Landmark Technology. For Rs 400 ticket buyer, a luck draw will be held on the day of the concert and the winner will get an acoustic guitar which is sponsored by Encore Music Shop.

Opening Show Original Fire Factor (OFF) Vocal: Lui Tzudir Guitar: Temjen Bass: Akum Drum: Meren

Becks & Posh’s marriage ‘on rocks’

occer ace David Beckham and his wife Victoria’s nine-year marriage is said to be going through

a rough patch. According to pals, the couple now spends so much time trying to keep their celebrity ‘stock’ high that it is piling

more pressure on their alreadystretched relationship. David’s England football ambitions and Posh’s American dream means the couple is spending long periods apart and when they do get together, they seem even more glum than normal, pals added. Earlier this month, the 33year-old footballer admitted: “We have quite a lot of pressure, honestly, as a couple.” Pals fear that turmoil over his desire to continue his England career could be the “straw, which breaks the camel’s back”. According to sources, David is desperate to return to Europe but Posh is keen on staying in the States to fulfill her dreams. The reason behind their gloom is David’s proposed loan deal with a top Italian or Spanish side this winter, sources claim. “David has to move back to Europe if he wants to continue to play international football,” the Daily Star quoted a source, as saying. “Victoria still believes they can make it big in America, but she fears a move back to Europe could kill off their Hollywood fu- Actress Keira Knightley is shown on location during the ﬁlming of "Last ture for ever,” the source added. Night," Monday, October 20, in New York. (AP Photo)

The end of an era; ‘Kyunki’ dies an unnatural death

ight years after Ekta Kapoor’s magnum opus sob-sob family drama ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ ruled small screen, the show is finally drawing to a close this November. But sad as it may sound the show has not been allowed to die a natural death, instead it has been forced to go off air as Star group unit has served a notice to the producers of the show calling for a termination of sourcing and telecasting the show. Just like the show itself, the end to the maha saga has been no less than overdramatic as the channel and pro-

duction house are dragging each other to the court. But for those of you who are still unaware as to what happened here’s the sad story. Star group unit has stated that it would terminate sourcing and telecasting popular television show 'Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi' from Nov 10. Once one of India's top-rated shows, 'Kyunki' is produced by Balaji and the termination is in breach of contractual obligation owed by the Star group to Balaji, the content maker said in a statement to the BSE. Shares in Balaji fell as much as 13.3 percent to 94.20

rupees after the news and recovered slightly to trade 11.42 percent down at 96.20 rupees at the close of trade in a firm Mumbai market. Star was paying a premium for 'Kyunki' due to its popularity and to prevent Balaji from providing other broadcasters with shows at the same time slot, two analysts said. But as newer shows stole ratings, the premium lost relevance, they said. According to TAM Media Research, 'Balika Vadhu', a drama on a child bride, and Star's 'Bidayi' topped the ratings charts, while ‘Kyunki’ didn't feature among the top five shows in the Hindi

general entertainment genre. Analysts say that while they were expecting the show to be cancelled, the announcement came 2-3 months earlier than expected, signalling more losses for Balaji. "For 2-3 months, there will be a decline in revenue of Balaji," said an analyst from a Mumbai brokerage who declined to be named. "It's definitely a negative for Balaji." The 8-year-old series 'Kyunki' gained popularity as an early Hindi soap with the central character of a daughter-in-law, 'Tulsi', played by Smriti Irani and has crossed 1,500 episodes, according to Balaji's website. In August this year, Star and Balaji said they will cancel their joint venture agreement to launch regional language channels and the Indian broadcaster will sell its 25.99 percent stake in Balaji. The founders of Balaji are entitled to purchase the stake on their own or through a third party for 190 rupees a share. Star, whose flagship general entertainment channel Star Plus, is the top-rated channel, faces close competition from new entrant Colors, a joint venture between Viacom Inc and the Network18 group, TAM data showed. Its other rivals include New Delhi Television's NDTV Imagine and general entertainment channels owned by Zee Entertainment, Sony Entertainment and Sahara.

Jennifer Aniston is reportedly pregnant

Dimapur

06:00 - Fashion House; 07:00 Friday Night Lights; 08:00 Seinfeld; 08:30 - Friends; 09:00 - That ‘70s Show; 09:30 - Hope And Faith; 10:00 - Grey’s Anatomy; 11:00 - America’s Got Talent; 12:00 - Bones; 13:00 - Jimmy Kimmel; 14:00 - The Ellen Degeneres Show; 15:00 - Fashion House; 16:00 - General Hospital; 17:00 - Grey’s Anatomy; 18:00 - Friday Night Lights; 19:00 - Friends; 19:30 - Seinfeld; 20:00 - Less Than Perfect; 20:30 - Scrubs; 21:00 - Are U Smarter Than 5th Grader; 22:00 - Ghost Whisperer; 23:00 - Jimmy Kimmel; 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 - General Hospital; 05:00 - Creflo Dollar; 05:30 - Kenneth Copeland

06:00 - Wild South America; 07:00 - Teleshopping; 08:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Animals; 08:30 Lords Of The Animals; 09:00 - Life Of Mammals; 10:00 - Planet’s Funniest Animals; 10:30 - Lemur Street; 11:00 - Max’s Big Tracks; 12:00 - Natural Born Sinners; 13:00 - Corwin’s Quest; 14:00 - Wild South America; 15:00 - Planet Wild; 15:30 - Up Close And Dangerous; 16:00 - Great Savannah Race; 17:00 - Life Of Mammals; 18:00 - All New Planet’s Funniest Animals; 18:30 - Lords Of The Animals; 19:00 - Max’s Big Tracks; 20:00 - Tiger Shark Attack: Beyond Fear; 21:00 - Planet Wild; 21:30 - Up Close And Dangerous; 22:00 Crikey! What An Adventure; 23:00 - Oryx, Antelope Of The Desert; 00:00 - Planet’s Funniest Animals; 00:30 - Lords Of The Animals; 01:00 - Teleshopping; 02:00 - Petsburgh Usa; 03:00 - Monkey Business; 04:00 - Petsburgh Usa; 05:00 - Monkey Business

04:45 - Tilak; 07:40 - Star Box Office. Com; 07:45 - Aaa Gems; 08:00 Subah Ho Gayi Mamu; 09:30 Jhankaar Beats; 09:45 - Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii; 12:10 - Star Box Office. Com; 12:15 - Style; 16:10 - Star Box Office.Com; 16:15 - Krodh; 19:55 - Star Box Office.; 20:00 Bhagam Bhag; 23:50 - An American Werewolf In Paris; 02:05 - Umar Pachpan Ki Dil Bachpan Ka; 05:30 - Zinda 06:00 - Telebrands; 07:00 - Animal Camera - Surveillance On Survival; 07:30 - Amazing Baby Videos; 08:00 - Hunters; 09:00 - Journey To The Center Of The Earth; 10:00 - Michael Wood: The Story Of India; 11:00 - Mega Builders 2; 12:00 - India With Sanjeev Bhaskar; 13:00 - Wildlife Specials; 14:00 - Michael Wood: The Story Of India; 15:00 - I Shouldn’t Be Alive; 16:00 - Raw Nature; 17:00 - Mega Builders 2; 18:00 Ladakh: Desert In The Skies; 19:00 - Snow Leopards - Beyond The Myth; 20:00 - Wildest Australia; 21:00 - Life In Cold Blood; 22:00 - I Survived!; 23:00 - Extreme Machines - Reversions; 00:00 - King Cobra And I; 01:00 - Telebrands; 02:00 - Extreme Machines - Reversions; 03:00 - Ladakh: Desert In The Skies; 04:00 - I Survived!; 05:00 - Extreme Machines – Reversions 06:00 - Seva Ganga; 06:30 - Vignan Shashwat Sukh Ka; 07:00 - Sangam; 07:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 08:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi; 08:30 - Kayamath; 09:00 Kumkum; 09:30 - Kahaani Ghar; 10:00 - Grihasti; 10:30 - Hamari Devrani; 11:00 - Kayamath; 11:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 12:00 - Bidaai; 12:30 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 13:00 - Kumkum; 13:30 - Hamari Devrani; 14:00 - Karam; 14:30 - Grihasti; 15:00 - Kyunki Saas Bhi; 15:30 - Kis Desh Mein; 16:00 - Sangam; 16:30 - Santaan; 17:00 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 17:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 18:00 - Bidaai; 18:30 - Hamari Devrani; 19:00 - Sangam; 19:30 - Santaan; 20:00 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 20:30 - Kis Desh Mein; 21:00 - Bidaai; 21:30 - Kasturi; 22:00 - Kahaani Ghar; 22:30 - Kyunki Saas Bhi; 23:00 Kayamath; 23:30 - Jahan Pe Basera Ho; 00:00 - Kasturi; 00:30 Kumkum; 01:00 - Bidaai; 01:30 - Kis Desh Mein; 02:00 - Grihasti; 02:30 - Kayamath; 03:00 - Hamari Devrani; 03:30 - Kahaani Ghar; 04:00 Kyunki Saas Bhi; 04:30 - Raja Ki Ayegi; 05:00 - Disney Time 05:20 - Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion; 07:00 - Just My Luck; 09:05 - The Lost Room; 10:55 - Kate And Leopold; 13:15 - Born To Fight; 15:15 - Eurotrip; 16:55 - Crazy In Alabama; 19:10 - Silver Hawk; 21:00 - Tremors; 23:00 - War Of The Worlds; 01:20 - Infernal Affairs Iii; 03:20 - Antonia And Jane; 04:35 - Eurotrip; 05:55 - Silver Hawk 2:15 - Uefa Champions League Basel V Barcelona; 4:15 - Hockey Classics 2007; 5:00 - Great Centuries :Rahul Dravid; 5:30 - Uefa Champions League Chelsea V Roma; 7:30 - Asian Festival Of Speed; 8:30 - Gillette World Of Sports; 9:00 - Icl Hls - Ahmedabad V Kolkatta; 10:00 - Uefa Champions League - Basel V Barcelona; 12:00 - Uefa Champions League Chelsea V Roma; 14:00 - Hockey Classics 2007; 14:30 - Icl Hls - Ahmedabad V Kolkatta; 15:30 - Uefa Champions League 08/09 H/L’s; 16:30 - Wwe: Raw; 18:30 - Icl 20-20 - Preview: Mumbai V Lahore; 19:30 - Icl 20-20 : Mumbai V Lahore; 22:30 - Icl 20-20 Review: Mumbai V Lahore; 23:00 - Sportsnight; 23:30 - Wwe: Raw 06:00 - The Making Of The Island; 06:30 - An Inconvenient Truth - An Update With Al Gore; 07:15 - The Pelican Brief; 10:00 - Mayday; 12:00 - Beverly Hills Ninja; 13:45 - Pictures Of Hollis Woods; 15:45 - The Adventures Of Brer Rabbit; 17:15 - Threshold; 19:00 - Election; 21:00 - The Da Vinci Code; 23:30 - Small Soldiers; 01:45 - Mayday; 03:45 - Three Wishes 06:00 - Sant Nirankari; 06:30 - The Faith Show; 07:00 - Enjoying Everyday Life; 07:25 Exposure Ek Nazar; 07:30 - Sales Slot; 07:55 - Exposure Jhalak; 08:00 - Teleshopping; 08:25 - Exposure Ek Nazar; 09:00 - Saat Phere; 09:30 - Naaginn; 10:00 - Vivaah; 10:30 - Betiyann; 11:00 - Maayka; 11:30 - Waaris; 12:00 - Dulhann; 12:30 - Kasamh Se; 13:00 Saath Saath; 13:30 - Rakhi; 14:00 - Teen Bahuraaniyaan; 14:30 Jhoome Jiiya Re; 15:00 - Dulhann; 15:30 - Maayka; 16:00 - Saat Phere; 16:30 - Kahani Ab Tak; 17:00 - Teen Bahuraaniyaan; 17:30 - Betiyann; 18:00 - Kasamh Se; 18:30 - Waaris; 19:00 - Vivaah; 19:30 - Parrivaar; 20:00 - Dulhann; 20:30 - Maayka; 21:00 Kasamh Se; 21:30 - Saat Phere; 22:00 - Betiyann; 22:30 - Ranbir Rano; 23:00 - Waaris; 23:30 - Kasamh Se; 23:55 - Exposure Ek Nazar; 00:00 - Asian Sky Shop; 00:55 - Exposure; 01:00 - Asian Sky Shop; 02:00 - Khana Khazana; 02:30 - Namaste Cinema; 03:00 - Rakhi; 03:30 - Kahani Ab Tak; 04:00 - Vivaah; 04:30 - Urja; 05:00 - Ramayan; 05:30 - Narseva Narayan Seva 06:00 - Madhur Jaffrey’s Flavours Of India; 06:30 - Chhattisgarh - The Tribal Planet ; 07:00 - Food Paradise; 08:00 - Travel Spies; 09:00 - Adventures Of The Ladies Tailor; 09:30 - Feast India; 10:00 - Shear Genius; 11:00 - Trading Spaces 4; 12:00 - Street Customs ; 13:00 - Nigella Express; 13:30 Cooking It; 14:00 - Chhattisgarh - The Tribal Planet ; 14:30 - Madhur Jaffrey’s Flavours Of India; 15:00 - Monster House ; 16:00 - Food Paradise; 17:00 - La Ink; 18:00 - Project Runway 2; 19:00 - Indian RendezvoUs; 19:30 - Finest Hotels In The World; 20:00 - Seven Wonders; 21:00 - Great Cruises; 22:00 - Dream Hotels; 22:30 - Feast Bazaar Year 2006; 23:00 - High Roller’s Vegas; 00:00 - Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations ; 01:00 - Great Cruises; 02:00 - Travel Spies; 03:00 - Take Home Chef 2; 03:30 - Cooking It; 04:00 - Shear Genius; 05:00 - Superhomes 2; 05:30 - Amazing Vacation Homes

ennifer Aniston is reportedly pregnant with John Mayer's baby. The former 'Friends' actress, who recently rekindled her relationship with the 'Gravity' singer, is believed to have decided to give their romance another try after discovering she was expecting her first child, according to Australia's New Weekly magazine. A source said: "Jennifer is over the moon. She doesn't want to be a single mom, so she is willing to give John the chance to prove his parent potential."

The couple have been seen out on several dates recently, while Jennifer's figure is said to be looking a little more rounded than usual. It was recently revealed John penned Jennifer a love song and promised to cut out his unhealthy vices to cement their romance. A source said: "John has written a song about their time together and played it to Jennifer who was incredibly touched. "He has cut right back on his drinking and has pledged to quit smoking roll-up cigarettes - two things that really annoyed Jennifer."

06:00 - Shararat; 06:30 - Exotica; 07:00 - Body And Soul; 07:30 - Tvc Sky Shop; 08:30 - Instant Khichdi; 09:00 - Shaka Laka Boom Boom; 09:30 - Son Pari; 10:00 - Mum Tum Aur Hum; 10:30 - Shararat; 11:00 Hatim; 12:00 - Ssshhhh Phir Koi Hai; 13:00 - Paani Puri; 14:00 - Dill Mill Gayye; 14:30 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 15:00 - Movie; 18:30 Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai; 19:00 - Dill Mill Gayye; 19:30 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 20:00 - Anu Ki Ho Gayi; 20:30 - Dill Mill Gayye; 21:00 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 21:30 - The Great Indian LauGhter Challenge Iv; 22:30 - Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai; 23:00 - Dill Mill Gayye; 23:30 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 00:00 - Siddhanth; 01:00 - The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Iv; 02:00 - Mile Jab Hum Tum; 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 - Hum Ladkiyan; 06:30 - Meet Mila De Rabba; 07:00 - Telebrands; 07:30 Teleshopping; 08:30 - Red Rose; 12:00 - Hum Ladkiyan; 12:30 - Aathvaan Vachan; 13:00 Waqt Batayega Kaun; 13:30 - Sujata; 14:00 Meet Mila De Rabba; 14:30 - Hum Ladkiyan; 15:00 - Aathvaan Vachan; 15:30 - Waqt Batayega Kaun; 16:00 - Babul Ka Aangann; 16:30 - Sujata; 17:00 - Meet Mila De Rabba; 17:30 - Aathvaan Vachan; 18:00 - Hum Ladkiyan; 18:30 - Babul Ka Aangann; 19:00 - Jai Hanuman; 19:30 - Sujata; 20:00 - Meet Mila De Rabba; 20:30 - Hum Ladkiyan; 21:00 - Aathvaan Vachan; 21:30 - Babul Ka Aangann; 22:00 - Sujata; 22:30 - Waqt Batayega Kaun; 23:00 Indian Idol 4; 00:00 - Telebrands; 00:30 - Teleshopping; 01:00 Sujata; 01:30 - Waqt Batayega Kaun; 02:00 - Babul Ka Aangann; 02:30 - Aathvaan Vachan; 03:00 - Hum Ladkiyan; 03:30 - Meet Mila De Rabba; 04:00 - Devi; 04:30 - Jai Hanuman; 05:00 - Babul Ka Aangann; 05:30 - Aathvaan Vachan

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ManU pushes Celtic to the brink MANCHESTER, OCTOBER 22 (AFP): Alex Ferguson has hailed Dimitar Berbatov's double against Celtic as fresh evidence of the added dimension brought to his squad by the Bulgarian forward's sublime touch and intelligence. Two close-range strikes from Berbatov helped United cruise to a 3-0 win over the Scottish champions and brought his United tally to five goals in seven matches since his 30-million-pound move from Tottenham. But it was the striker's all-round contribution to the fluency of United's offensive game that had Ferguson purring with enthusiasm. "He showed some fantastic pieces of football and the players are beginning to understand the kind of player he is," Ferguson said. "They know now that when he takes the ball with his back to goal and turns he will produce a pass that means something. The weight of some of the passes he played was just terrific and he has five goals already which is a fantastic contribution." Although there was a hint of offside about both Berbatov's goals, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan had to admit his side had been comprehensively outclassed by a United side for whom Wayne Rooney capped another outstanding display with his ninth goal in seven matches for club and country. "I said to the players at the end of the game that we cannot be faulted for our guts and determination," Strachan said. "Where we do fall down is not being anywhere hear as good as them at passing the ball. "Over the last few years we've played against some terrific sides but I think that

is the best I've seen." Both managers agreed that Celtic had missed the presence of injured target men Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Georgios Samaras, which left the diminutive Scott McDonald to operate in lonely isolation up front. "They can usually play a lot of balls up to the big strikers and they missed that," Ferguson said. "But saying that the speed and the switching of our play was really good and we kept getting in behind their fullbacks. "We are in a good bit of form at the moment and that was a continuation from Saturday and the previous Saturday. There is a terrific momentum in the team at the moment." The knocks that forced Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo off towards the end of the match ensured it was not an altogether positive evening but Ferguson's side now know a victory in Glasgow in a fortnight's time will be enough to put them through to the knockout stages with two matches to spare. Ronaldo was left grimacing after being caught on the knee by flying studs while Berbatov suffered a hip injury, but Ferguson played down the extent of both knocks. For Celtic, with just one point from their opening three matches, the chances of survival now look slim after what was their tenth consecutive away defeat in the competition. The Scots' efforts on goal were restricted to edge-of-the-area strikes from Aidan McGeady and Gary Caldwell, both of which were competently dealt with by Edwin van der Sar before United's superiority finally yielded a goal on the half hour mark.

Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov, center, scores a goal during their Champions League group E soccer match against Celtic at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester, England, Tuesday, October 21. (AP Photo)

Gary Caldwell failed to clear Nani's corner decisively and, after John O'Shea had prodded the ball back into the six-yard box, Berbatov produced a deft flick with his back to goal to beat Boruc

AC Milan conﬁrm Beckham loan move

In this June 1, 2007 ﬁle photo, England's David Beckham runs with the ball during their international friendly soccer match against Brazil at Wembley Stadium in London. (AP Photo/ﬁle)

Milan have signed Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Andrei Shevchenko and now Beckham, but all four players seem to be long past their best. Ronaldo looked overweight and unfit during his brief and unsuccessful time in Milan, Shevchenko is a shadow of the player who left Milan for Chelsea just over two years ago and Ronaldinho is not the same player who was twice crowned world player of the year, although he is showing glimpses of his old self at times. Beckham is 33 now and was considered to be easing himself into retirement by heading over to the MLS in the United States a little over a year ago. But Galliani insists he is not just a marketing signing. "Milan don't sign figurines, Milan are very proud of what we are doing. "We're the only team going against the grain (of falling attendances in Italy): fans are coming to the stadium to watch Milan. "It's not by chance that 65,000 people came to watch MilanSampdoria. If 65,000 people come to the stadium it's because Milan are a great product. "With respect to those 65,000, Beckham will more likely bring one more fan to the club than one less." Beckham cannot officially join Milan until the transfer window reopens on January 1. Milan currently sit sixth in Serie A but are only one victory behind cross city rivals, champions and league leaders Inter. The rossonero started the season badly, losing their first two scudetto encounters, but have since gone seven games unbeaten in all competitions. Attendances are generally poor in Italy unless two top teams are playing but Milan can attract 50,000-60,000 crowds even for matches against small teams, although that is still well below the capacity of the San Siro, which is more than 80,000.

from what appeared to be a fractionally offside position. United had further reason to be grateful to van der Sar when O'Shea sliced a Nakamura freekick towards his own net just before the interval.

But after Darren Fletcher had squandered a great chance in first-half stoppage time, the match was put beyond doubt five minutes after the restart when Boruc misjudged one of Ronaldo's

dipping freekicks, palming the ball back into the centre of his goalmouth instead of around the post. Berbatov tapped in the rebound and Rooney wrapped things up with

9TH NSF MARTYRS’ MEMORIAL TROPHY 2008

Nagaland Police ﬁnd ﬁnals berth Tribal Spirit to face Kingdom Stewards in 2nd semi finals today

Our Correspondent Kohima | October 22

NAGALAND POLICE today downed rival Anal Students’ Union 6-0 in the 1st semi finals to enter the finals of the 9th edition of NSF Martyrs’ Memorial Trophy 2008 here under the aegis of the Angami Students’ Union. The match witnessed scoreless draw till the first half. Nagaland Police opened their account through Adibu in the 57th minute. Lipok increased the score tally in the 71st minute. Visakholie

and Saku contributed the 3rd and 4th goal for the team in the 76th and 82nd minute respectively. Adding delight to the team, Tiasunup netted two goals in the 85th and 88th minute. Sengul Longam of Anal Students’ Union was declared as the player of the match. Earlier, Prof. K. Kannan, vice chancellor Nagaland University acted as match patron. The organizing committee has announced that L. Dikho Mao, Managing Director, Exotic Juices Limited will be sponsoring the prize money

14th Inter-District Volleyball Tourney Girls’ Match of October 22, 2008 held at State Stadium, Dimapur Peren defeated Mokokchung by 25,15; 18,25 and 25,18 Longleng defeated Dimapur by 25,15 and 25,13 Kohima defeated Peren 25,15; 17,25 and 25,15 Phek defeated Longleng by 25,17 and 25,19 Today’s Girls Semi-Final Match Kohima Vs Longleng Phek Vs Peren Boys Peren defeated Zunheboto Longleng defeated Kiphere Mokokchung defeated Peren Dimapur defeated Longleng Phek defeated Zunheboto Kohima defeated Kiphire

amounting to Rs. 35,000 to the runners-up team of this year’s edition. Meanwhile, Angami Students Union (ASU) range officials will meet ASU officials in the exhibition match scheduled for October 23 at 12:00 Noon. Sentiyanger, IAS, commissioner and secretary, Horticulture and Information & Public Relations will grace the grand finale on October 25 at 1:00 PM. 2ND SEMI FINALS October 23: Time 2:00 PM Tribal Spirit vs Kingdom Stewards

quarter of an hour left, accepting Carlos Tevez's pass before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards. "Unplayable" was Strachan's assessment of the England forward in his

current form. "We tried everything we could to stop him. When you see players like that you just have to hold your hands up and say you've just seen a world class player."

Sports association Tournament to close today

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 22 (MExN): The closing ceremony of the Chakhro Sports association Tournament will be held on October 23 at 2:00 pm at the Chumukedima Local Ground with Dr. Kavingulie Khro, Medical Superintendent, District Hospital, Phek as the Chief Guest. The Chumukedima Town Council has invited all concerned to attend the ceremony.

MDFA Trophy 2008

Today’s Results Exodus Club 2 – Diamond Club 0 Medemchanger 0 – Amokmolu 0 Fixture for 23rd November 2008 Artang Youth Association vs Aongza Youth Association Majakong Sporting Club vs Prodigy Sporting Club

CORRIGENDUM In the news item “Half Marathon to be held at Mokokchung” that was carried on 21/10/08 in the local print media, the prizes of 1st, 2nd & 3rd were inadvertently left out some figure during typing. The correction may therefore be kindly read as Rs.25,000/-, Rs.15,000/-, Rs.10,000/- respectively by all concerned. The omission is regretted. Issued by DPRO, Mokokchung

NLA speaker to grace State Level School tournament KOHIMA, OCTOBER 22 (DIPR): Speaker Nagaland Legislative Assembly, Kiyanilie is to grace the inaugural function of the State Level Higher/High Schools tournament as the chief guest. The tournament is to be held from October 28 to 31, 2008 at Indira Gandhi stadium Kohima.

ROME, OCTOBER 22 contact had been made with (AFP): Italian giants AC Mi- Beckham's agent and that a lan confirmed on Wednes- loan deal is in the offing. day that former England "Will he come? Yes, I'm captain David Beckham will sure of that. He will stay at join the club on loan during Milan on loan for several the January transfer window. months, we're speaking with Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti his agent," he said. "He will and vice-president Adriano join us for a few months and Galliani revealed the news then leave. Beckham has at Milan's Malpensa airport chosen Milan. Our team is before the team set off to the ultra-competitive and will Netherlands, where they stay that way, but Beckham will play Heerenveen in the gives us other options." MiUEFA Cup on Thursday. lan seem to have taken over Beckham, who plays from Real Madrid in opting for LA Galaxy, will join the for a policy of signing 'galacseven-time European cham- ticos' in recent seasons, expions during the off-season cept that whereas the Spanbreak in the MLS. "For me it ish champions signed the will be a pleasure, Beckham likes of Ronaldo, Zinedine is a serious athlete, a great Zidane, Luis Figo and Beckprofessional," said Ancelot- ham in their prime, Milan ti. "If he is available for four are picking up their global C months for us we will be very stars once past their best. Australian batsman Brad Haddin is clean-bowled during the ﬁnal day of the second cricket M pleased." Galliani confirmed In the last two years test match between India and Australia, in Mohali, India, Tuesday, October 21. (AP Photo) Y 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. K Email : editor@morungexpress.com/newsdesk@morungexpress.com, morung@gmail.com. RNI No : NAGENG /2005/15430. House No.4, Duncan Bosti, Dimapur 797112, Nagaland. Phone: Dimapur -(03862) News Desk- 281043, Admin -236871, Fax: (03862) 235194, Kohima - (0370) 2291952 For advertisements and circulation, please contact: (03862) 236871, Fax-235194 or email : morungad@yahoo.com

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