21 june

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 195

DIMAPUR, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 Pages 8 ` 4.00

Third wave of Covid inevitable in UK

Follow us on

nagalandpostofficial

Watch us on YouTube

@Nagaland_Post

international, Page 7

Tripartite agreement for 200-bed ACF at CIHSR hospital to ensure that the poorest of the poor got the best facility within the State itself with people -friendly protocols in this regard.

Dr. Sedevi said CIHSR was currently like the biggest ‘Ayushman Bharat’ provider in Nagaland by giving more service than any hospital and to ensure that poor patients got the

Correspondent

KOHIMA, JUN 20 (NPN): Following the signing of a tripartite agreement between the State government, Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR) and Kolkata-based Glocal Healthcare Systems Private Limitedon June 10, ground work for the proposed additional 200-beddedAcute Care Facility (ACF) at CIHSR, has already started and the entire project is expected to be ready soon.

State nodal officer for ACF, Sachin Jaiswal told Nagaland Post that the State government was funding the project, and that work had already started.

He disclosed, that Glocal Healthcare Systems Private Limited, in its presentation, had projected a low cost construction project having a time bound completion period of three to four months.

Jaiswal said the department of health & family welfare (DoHFW) accepted the ACF after which necessary clearance was obtained from the Law and Justice department.

It may be mentioned that state chief minister Neiphiu Rio had disclosed

BAN seeks govt’s aid for entrepreneurs DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): Business Association of Nagas (BAN) has appealed to the state government to ponder over the plight of businesses and come up with some carefully thought out policies and measures, which could give the business community some much needed oxygen to survive this pandemic.

In an open letter addressed to the state chief minister, the BAN president Vitho Zao and general secretary Dr. Lanusangla Tzudir requested the state government to discuss with banks and device a modality to extend loans to genuine Naga entrepreneurs, who pay regular taxes and file returns. With the state having no functional industrial policy, BAN said doing business was not easy. It said that Naga entrepreneurs do not get much government assistance to start new ventures or scale up existing businesses.

Since Naga entrepreneurs were mostly first generation businessmen, BAN said some support from the government would be helpful.

The association also urged the government to focus on existing enterprises in the state. (Full text on p-4)

This is it!

“Best thing is that pan, supari etc can either be food or essential items.

That’s why we don’t need exemption from lockdown” K Y M C

A view of Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research, Dimapur.

addition of 176 beds for covid patients in CIHSR with a budget of Rs.30 crore.

The NPF legislature party had sought clarification on whether the project was entirely new or to be housed in existing facility in CIHSR and how Rs.30 crore was being provided to a private hospital and whether any tender was floated for the project.

However, at a press briefing on June 4, principal secretary DoHFW, A.S. Bhatia stated that the project was pre-fabricated and will be 200-bedded due to addition of 24-bedded paediatric ICU ward for children.

Meanwhile, Director CIHSR Dr. Sedevi Angami, told Nagaland Post that the ad-

dition of 200-bedded facility was part of the preparation against expected third wave of Covid-19 pandemic.

Dr. Sedevi clarified that CIHSR was chosen for the project since the land and building belonged to the State government.

He said as per a tripartite MoU, the state government has leased out the erstwhile proposed yet incomplete Referral Hospital project to CIHSR for 30 years, of which 14 years had already completed.

Dr. Sedevi said the state government could still reclaim back the CIHSR campus if it wished since it is the owner.

He also said it has been his dream to turn CIHSR into an Ayushman Bharat

best and most modern treatment facility.He expressed the hope that his dream would be realised with government’s support.

He said since CIHSR was an autonomous set-up, it does not depend on government for anything and was wholly capable of managing the 200 bedded ACF with its own manpower.

CIHSR can become a medical college

CIHSR, previously Referral Hospital, was handed over on a 30-year lease through a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding between the state government, Christian Medical College Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), could be converted into a fully functional medical college.

Dr. Sedevi Angami, Director of CIHSR has been the propeller of the institute since its formation, in an interview to Nagaland Post, said that postCovid-19, if the government so wished, CIHSR could be converted into a fully functional medical college after addition of 200 beds to the existing 200 beds, to total 400 beds for a medical college.

He said as CIHSR is an

Dr. Sedevi Angami

autonomous institute, it was effective and accountable to the people of Nagaland, the state government and, most importantly, to God. He said converting into a fully functional medical college would require approximately Rs 200 crore which could be sourced from the Centre. He said the fund would be for some additional infrastructure and also getting 130 medical faculty to teach MBBS students.

(Cont’d on p-6)

Euro 2020: Italy, Wales qualify for round of 16 sports, Page 8

Doctors to face action for failing to certify Covid deaths, SC told NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (IANS): Centre has told the Supreme Court (SC) that any death resulting from Covid-19 infection should have to be certified as Covid death, and if not done so, the certifying doctor will face action.

Ministry of Home Affairs, in an affidavit, said: “It is mandated that any death resulting from Covid-19 must have to be so certified that is, as Covid death, failing which everyone responsible, including the certifying doctor, will be responsible for penal consequences.” It emphasised that all deaths with a diagnosis of Covid-19, irrespective of co-morbidities, are to be classified as deaths due to the infection.

MHA affidavit said: “All deaths with a diagnosis of Covid-19 irrespective of co-morbidities are to be classified as deaths due to the infection. The only exception could be where there is a clear alternative cause of death that cannot be attributed to Covid-19 (e.g. accidental trauma, poisoning, acute myocardial infarction, etc) where Covid is an incidental finding.”

It submitted, that for recording of Covid-19 deaths, that there is a statutory mechanism in place either by way of an Act of Parliament or guidelines having the force of mandate and the law. Any breach of the guidelines mentioned here under would be a criminal offence as stipulated under Section 188 of the IPC, it said.

Noting that broad guidelines for recording of Covid-19 related deaths in India were prepared by the Indian Council of Medical Research, it said: “The guidelines clearly state Covid-positive deaths implicate deaths related to the infection. These guidelines are in sync with the WHO Mortality Coding.”

The Centre said as per the provisions of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969, the contemporary system is state governed and implementation of the statute is vested with the state governments/Union Territories administration.

The state authority (Chief Registrar) has been declared as the chief executive authority in the respective state for implementing the provisions of this Act

and rules and the order framed.

The affidavit said under the provisions of Section 10 of the RBD Act, the information related to cause of death is filled up by the medical practitioner attending to the deceased at the time of terminal illness.

On May 24, the SC suggested there must be a uniform policy and some guidelines for issuance of death certificates for those affected with Covid-19.

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and M.R. Shah had said many times, reasons given in a death certificate can be heart attack or lung failure but these could be triggered by Covid-19. The bench asked Centre’s counsel, “So how are death certificates being issued?”

The Centre filed affidavit in response to the petitions filed by advocates Reepak Kansal and Gaurav Kumar Bansal citing Section 12(3) of the Disaster Management Act providing monetary compensation for the families of those who died during a notified disaster. The top court will take up the matter on Monday.

Free Covid-19 vax for all adults from today 3rd wave chokes Brazil, India could be next epicenter

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (AGENCIES): The central government’s new policy for Covid-19 vaccination in the country will come into effect on June 21.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Centre will take over the existing Covid vaccination drive, which was partly being carried out by the states since May 1.

The Centre’s new policy came days after Supreme Court slammed the ongoing vaccination drive for the 1844 age group and called it “arbitrary and irrational.”

Here’s all you need to know about the government’s new vaccination policy: The Centre will provide free vaccines to

the states for all citizens above the age of 18 years.

The Centre will buy 75 per cent of the total vaccine production from vaccine manufacturers and give it to the state governments free of cost.

No state government will have to spend anything on the vaccine.

All above 18 years of age in the country to get free vaccination at government facilities from June 21 (Several states were already giving free vaccines to all in the 18-44 age group) Vaccine doses provided free of cost by the Centre will be allocated to states/UTs based on criteria such as population, disease burden and the progress of vaccination.

Private sector hospi-

tals will continue to procure 25 per cent of vaccines directly from manufacturers.

Service charge of private hospitals to be capped at Rs 150 per dose over fixed price of the vaccine.

The task of monitoring it will remain with the state governments.

All government and private vaccination centers would also provide onsite registration facility, available both for individuals as well as groups of individuals, for which detailed procedure is to be finalized and published by states/ UTs. States may also optimally utilise the Common Service Centres and Call Centres to facilitate prior booking by citizens.

State records 57 fresh Covid cases, 1 death DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): Nagaland on Sunday registered 57 fresh Covid-19 positive cases while one more patient succumbed to the infection in Tuensang.

According to the Health department data, Kohima reported 23 cases, Mokokchung-10, eight in Phek, six in Longleng, four in Wokha, three in Peren and one each in Mon, Tuensang

and Zunheboto, taking the total caseload to 24,248.

The most affected district-- Dimapur reported zero cases of coronavirus for the first time in after the second wave hit the state.

Following the death of a patient in Tuensang, the tally soared to 469 (including 14 non-Covid deaths but with Covid positivity).

PTI: India recorded less

than 60,000 new Covid infections after 81 days taking the total tally to 2,98,81,965, while the active cases further reduced to 7,29,243, according to the Health Ministry on Sunday. A total of 58,419 fresh infections were reported in a day.

The death toll climbed to 3,86,713 with 1,576 fresh fatalities, the lowest in 63 days.

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (AGENCIES): The Covid pandemic in Brazil is showing no signs of slowing down, and it is choking the entire nation with its deadly killing spree. According to the latest updates, coronavirus infection has killed 5,00,000 people in Brazil, as the South American giant faces the heat posed by the third wave of the pandemic, reports the International Business Times.

It should be noted that Brazil is now the only country next to the United States to surpass 5,00,000 Covidrelated deaths, and this toll is expected to reach new heights in the coming days considering the progress of the pandemic in the nation.

Top epidemiologists in the country have warned

that the sudden surge in fresh Covid cases could be indicating the arrival of the third wave of the pandemic.

The vaccination rollout in the country is progressing at a snail pace, and moreover, several regions have already lifted Covid restrictions.

As Brazil is facing the third wave of the Covid pandemic, medical experts in India believe that the country could also face a potential third outbreak soon. Several states in India have already lifted coronavirus restrictions. Moreover, recent data suggest a drastic plummet in the sale of face masks and sanitizers, which clearly indicates that people in the nation are hesitant to follow Covid safety protocols.

Recently, AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria had

suggested that the third wave of Covid in India is not just inevitable, but will happen in the next six to eight weeks.

“As we have started unlocking, there is again a lack of Covid-appropriate behavior. We don’t seem to have learned from what happened between the first and the second wave. Again crowds are building up, people are gathering. It will take some time for the number of cases to start rising at the national level. Third-wave is inevitable and it could hit the country within the next six to eight weeks, maybe a little longer,” Guleria told NDTV. Delta plus variant could become a ‘variant of concern: Delta plus variant, a mutated version of the more aggressive B.1.617.2

strain that drove the second wave of infections in India, is undergoing additional mutation called K417N which could become a “variant of concern” if unchecked, said Dr. Guleria, adding that India needs to learn from the UK where the said variant is causing a surge in cases.

Dr Guleria said India could see a faster surge if aggressive Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed. He also insisted on aggressive surveillance to guard against any spike in the Covid cases following unlocking in parts of the country.

There is need to ramp up genome sequencing, said Dr Guleria, to see if there are more of Delta or Delta plus cases and how the virus is behaving in terms of these two variants in the community.

Petrol, diesel prices hiked again Covid fund demand: WC seeks clarification DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): After a day’s pause, the state-owned oil marketing companies (OMCs) hiked the prices of petrol and diesel on Sunday pushing the prices of the two auto fuel to new historic highs across the country.

According to a price notification, petrol price was hiked by 29 paise per litre and diesel by 28 paise per litre. Following the latest

DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): Working Committee (WC) of the NNPGs has said that the statement made by School Education adviser, K.T. Sukhalu to a news channel, accusing Naga political groups of (Sumi national workers under Zunheboto district) demanding a share in the Covid funds, has come as a rude shock to all right thinking Nagas.

In a statement through its media cell, WC said it was a bitter taste in the mouth of all Sumi Naga national workers in particular and Sumi public in general, who takes pride in the fact that Zunheboto is an impregnable fortress in the Naga national movement.

“The image of Sumi national workers has taken a battering after K.T. Sukhalu’s allegation went viral,” WC stated. In this regard, WC asked Sukhalu to reveal the names of national workers and groups along with the amount of Covid money taken.

Respecting all Covid warriors, WC said it “will take necessary steps against erring cadres through respective governments and work towards recovery of the amount witness even in the future. for it belongs to our people.” (Full text on p-4) Therefore, the Church asserted that everyone should be supportive and be the DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): In a tragic incident, a female agents of hope and comfort around 19-years-old reportedly drowned in Chathe river to one another in trying time near the irrigation dam here on Sunday.

According to police, the young girl had reportedly gone such as this.

“These are difficult to the riverside with two of her friends when flash flood times. We must take ev- swept away all three of them. Two of her friends managed erything that is happening to get out after they got stuck to a post, from where locals around us from eternity per- managed to rescue them. However, the female was swept spective. We must continue away by the strong current, police said.

ADCP crime and PRO T Relo Aye told Nagaland Post to pray that God will be merciful to us and preserve us to that State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) launched a mabe faithful steward to a world jor search operation in the area to rescue the lady. However, that is much in distress. God the search operation had to be called off due to strong river is sovereign and he is the currents and low visibility. The search operation would be continued on Monday, he added. (Staff Reporter) ultimate,” NBCC said. rate revision, petrol price in Dimapur increased to Rs. Rs.95.89 per litre while diesel price breached Rs.90mark to touch an all-time high of Rs.90.09 per litre.

In the state capital Kohima, petrol and diesel prices soared to record highs of Rs.96.84 per litre Rs.90.85 per litre respectively.

The hike on Sunday was the 27th increase in prices since May 4.

Covid vax: NBCC against wrongful interpretation of the Bible DIMAPUR, JUN 20 (NPN): Drawing attention to the confusion pertaining to Covid-19 vaccination and the Christian faith, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) through its executive committee has requested all responsible to refrain from making irrelevant and wrongful interpretation of the Bible, which the church said could “create anxiety in the minds of the people.”

In a statement, NBCC executive committee asserted that vaccination and

personal salvation, vaccination and Millennial Kingdom of Christ, or even vaccination and comprehensive Christian faith were being allegedly projected by “some sources” as incompatible.

NBCC, which held a virtual meeting on June 18, 2021 and discussed involvement and the role of the associations and churches in the Covid-19 crisis, expressed belief that the best reference to understand vaccination was the medical fraternity. Asserting that there was vaccine hesitation with

varying degrees in different parts of Nagaland, the committee said that Covid-19 vaccine was “a hard earned effort by the community of scientists and researchers, aided by the most advanced research technologies to serve humanity.”

With proofs of vaccine’s efficacy in combating the virus fast emerging, NBCC, therefore, said that casting doubts on the tireless effort of those who made vaccine available would be improper. Maintaining that it was a matter of individual

choice to take or not to take vaccine, the NBCC, however, said that the competent authority had been persistently educating the masses that vaccine was the best available solution, to defend “ourselves as well as others from this raging pandemic.”

Therefore, the committee urged all responsible to make a wise decision and avail what was within their reach for the common good. In line with Biblical revelations, NBCC said the pandemic would not be uncommon for the world to

One drowns in Chathe river

K Y M C

2

state

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

B

C

A Yes. B No. C Can’t Say.

85% 10% 5%

Next poll Q: Is the state govt strategy,

especially if third wave comes, effective against covid?

 Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST June 21

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Mostly cloudy with a shower

31 25

A morning t-storm in spots

26 20

Guwahati A stray afternoon t-storm

33 25

Aizawl Imphal

A stray morning thunderstorm 29 21

Itanagar A thunderstorm in spots

30 23

Shillong

A morning thunderstorm

23 18

Kohima

A shower and thunderstorm

23 18

Dimapur A thunderstorm in spots

32 23

A thunderstorm in spots

26 20

Tuensang Couple of thunderstorm

20 16

Mkg Wokha

A t-storm around in the a.m.

Zunheboto Variably cloudy, a t-storm

26 21 23 18

ANM, Liang from Wakching PHC on her way to Tanhai village for COVID vaccination.

DIMAPUR: During this unprecedented pandemic, health workers of Mon district are not only facing the pandemic in real time by putting their lives at risk to save others but also facing untold challenges while rendering service.

The selfless service of these health workers

was highlighted by National Health Mission (NHM) Mon, Media Officer (MO), LeeyanChemshy, who asserted that during the ongoing pandemic, the lifestyle, freedom and thoughts of these “heroes” have changed. However, the MO maintained that the strength of the health work-

ers remained the same.

The media officer said these health workers have never complained of assigned tasks even under harsh conditions. Despite having to navigate difficult terrain and difficult situations, Chemshy said they still move forward fighting hard to protect the citizens.

SVYO warns against illegal activities DC Kohima informs on damage compensation DIMAPUR: Sovima Village Youth Organisation (SVYO) has warned of action against those individuals or groups indulging in illegal activities within its jurisdiction. In a press release, SVYO president, NeiketouRüpreo stated that several unwanted and illegal activities related to theft, robbery, extortion and

conduct of anti-social elements have been reported in and around Sovima Village jurisdiction. In this regard, SVYO has also appealed all neighbouring villages to remain actively vigil and cooperate render cooperation so as to “eradicate such evil elements predominating our society”.

Book on Jainism released DIMAPUR: Kohima Jain Temple Committee (KJTC) hasvirtually released a book on “100 years of Jainism in Nagaland, a journey from 1885 to 1985”. The book was released in the virtual presence of KJTC, president Pawan Kumar Sethi and secretary Jayant Sethi. It may be noted that Kohima Jain temple completed 100 years in 2020 and Jainism has completed 135 years in Nagaland.

2

ND

DEATH ANNIVERSARY

OF LATE PETENEINUO SUOHU

05th May 1997 – 21st June 2019 Two years have past but it seems like yesterday.

We always remember you with silent tears.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21 Loving mom, dad, brothers and sisters K-1069

4TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF LT. S. YESHILI YEPTHOMI

Died on 21.06.2017

DP-2838

You live now in that realm where angels reside, Where harmony and serenity abide.

And though we cannot share a hug, a smile or a tender touch, I hope you know you are in our hearts, And we love you ever so much.

Your loving husband and children

K Y M C

DIMAPUR: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kohima, Gregory Thejawelie has informed concerned landowners that damage compensation for Kohima - Jessamitwo-lane project would be paid in the office of DC Kohima starting June 21. According to DIPR report, DC Kohima has informed that the payment would be made under the package and chainage numbers as following: Package -1 (Ch 7+880 - Ch 29/600 = 21,800 kms) from June 21 to June 23 at 10 a.m.; package - 2 (Ch 29+600 - Ch. 37+100 = 7500 Kms) on June 24 and June 25 at 10 a.m.

The DC has informed the landowners to be present physically and to submit four recent passport size photos (not to scan) and aadhaar card (photocopy)/ID proof and bank passbook (front page photocopy).

Further the DC has informed that payment to any other representative other than the concerned person shall not be entertained. All beneficiaries have been requested to maintain the laid down Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) issued by the government.

COVID-19 awareness programme on June 19 at Pungalwa, Peren district.

According to AR, during the visits the public were sensitised about COVID-19 pandemic. The battalion organised a medical camp and COVID-19 campaign on June 18-19 at Njauna village and Lalong village.

Yoga day: In a run

up to “International Yoga Day”, Jalukie Battalion of Assam Rifles organisedyoga session for troops and villagers in Perendistrict on Sunday.

According to Assam Rifles, the villagers were briefed about the various postures of yoga and their benefits in the body and were also informed about the growing importance

FIRST DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Died on 21/06/2020

LT. MRS. TOKHELI ASSUMI 18.04.1950 – 21.06.2020

We couldn’t even realize how a year has passed since we lost you. It seems like it was just a few days ago.

Your death has reminded us that in this world nothing is permanent.

We all have to go when God wishes. Just stay peacefully in Heaven.

Fondly remembered by: Husband, children and grandchildren

1ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY LT. L. MHALE ZATSU

The gap you left us can never be replaced but the hope that you are gone to be in a better place always keeps us pushing forward. We will hold you in our hearts forever until the day we meet again in heaven.

Loving Children and family members

Psalms 116:15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints Dearest Iza, On this day we fondly remember you . Your kindness, generosity and love towards us and other still remain fresh in our hearts. You are always cherished beyond measure.

Loving husband, children, grand-children & in-laws.

DP-2793

IN REMEMBRANCE OF

31.03.1952 – 21.06.2021

LATE I. MEDEM AMRI

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

(1st Death Anniversary)

As we grieve the sad demise of our father LATE VINITO K. AYE, words are in adequate to express our deepest heartfelt gratitude and appreciation and our indebtedness to all individual, friends, well-wishers, neighbours for your unreserved contribution physically, materially, financially, prayers and unconditional moral support through words of comfort and encouragement at the sudden demise of our father on 12.06.2021.

Our special thanks to: 1. Kulolau Litsami Kuposhukulu 2. Litsami Baptist Church 3. Viyelho Baptist Church 4. D.I.E.T. Dimapur We deeply regret our inability to mention each and every individual, but we pray that God bless you all abundantly.

Loving Wife, Children, Grandchildren, In-law & Relatives

and popularity of yoga all over the world.

The people were motivated to make yoga as a part of their daily routine which would help them lead a healthier life. To emphasize more on the benefits of yoga and celebration of international yoga day, posters and banners were also placed in the villages, informed Assam Rifles.

1 st DEATH ANNIVERSARY Viyili Chophy

OBITUARY Meiripou Samuel Gengmei, beloved father and husband passed away peacefully after a life spent in dedication to the Lord’s service in many capacities including Choir Lead, S e c r e t a r y, D e a c o n , Pastor and Translator of Theological-works.

H e w i l l b e f o n d l y 07.05.1941 - 20.05.2021 remembered and missed by his wife of 49 years, 6 children, sons-in-law, daughters-inlaw, 7 grandchildren and numerous relatives and friends.

The family would like to thank everyone for the love and support during this time of sorrow.

Loving family members DP-2857

(Top & bottom) Assam Rifles jawans carrying out vaccination drive and awareness on Covid-19 pandemic.

DP-2855

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

DIMAPUR: Assam Rifles under the of Headquarters of Inspector General of Assam Rifles - North (HQ IGAR- North) organised COVID-19 vaccination drive and various other activities across the state.

Kiphire Bn: Kiphirebattalion of Assam Rifles assisted the district administration Kiphire in organising a COVID-19 vaccination cum awareness drive Sunday at Kiphire Town.

According to Assam Rifles, the event was organised collaboration with DTF for COVID-19 and other CSOs in Kiphire Town wherein 175 beneficiaries were vaccinated.

The vaccination drive was led by Dr Amos, Herole VCCM (UNDP) and the medical officer of 7 Assam Rifles.

Phek Bn: Phekbattalion of Assam Rifles in collaboration with DTFPhek organised a COVID vaccination cum awareness drive Sunday atPhek town.

According to Assam Rifles, during the vaccination 227 beneficiaries were vaccinated. The vaccination drive was conducted under the guidance of deputy commissioner (DC) Phek, Razouvolie Dozo and medical team of 22 Assam Rifles.

Jalukie Bn: Jalukie battalion of Assam Rifles Sunday organised COVID19 Awareness drive for the residents of New Jalukie village, Peren district.

Earlier, the battalion also organised door to door

DIED ON 21.06.2020

On this day, you left to a better world where there is no pain and suffering. Love, truth and humility which you showed us is always in our thoughts. Your absence is felt and you are missed, your love never forgotten.

DIED ON 12.06.2021

DP-2840

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Mon HWs brave challenges AR conduct vaccination drive and other activities to deliver medical service

K-1071

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Is the governor of West Bengal denigrating the office by continuously attacking the state govt.?

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

DP-2837

Beloved wife and family members K Y M C

Covid awareness through puppetry in NE AGARTALA, JUN 20 (IANS): The Tripura Puppet Theatre (TPT) group, which has performed in many countries and in states in India, is educating people about Covid-19 through the traditional “Putul Nach” (puppet dance), garnering people’s attention and appreciation.

The TPT, a 47-yearold folk cultural body, since March 21 last year, the World Puppet Day, has started a unique endeavour to make people aware about the danger of novel coronavirus and how to be protected from this disease.

Many videos of the puppet dance on novel coronavirus, prepared by the artists of TPT group, and uploaded on the YouTube platform and other social media are attracting people’s attention and admiration.

The Covid awareness puppet videos in Bengali, Hindi and other local languages are also being telecast on various channels in Tripura and other northeastern states.

One of the founders of TPT, Prabhitangsu Das said that since the beginning of the Covid pandemic last year they are continuously undertaking a variety of performances and shows and these are being shown on various plat-

Puppets created by Tripura Puppet Theatre. Image credit-Youtube.

forms to make the people aware. “The themes of our puppetry programmes are focused on social distancing, preventive measures, Covid appropriate behaviour, useful food and immunity boosting diet and various other measures and actions announced by the government,” Das told IANS. “Our puppetry programmes also highlighted how the coronavirus spread among the people, the necessity of registration of names in the Aarogya Setu and the benefit of Covid inoculation.

“Since we are unable to perform our regular puppet dance events due to the Covid-19 pandemic and related restrictions, we have chosen to go online through diverse social and electronic media to make people aware about the

3

northeast

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

danger of the disease and protective measures,” said Das, who is the programme director of the TPT. In Bengali, Hindi and other languages, TPT’s 17 seconds to 90 seconds awareness videos with English subtitles show a story where a government official coughs and shows flu-like symptoms and is advised by his wife and daughter to consult a doctor.

The doctor in his set of advisories explains to the worried family about the disease. The video, containing three puppet dolls, ends with a slogan, “Stay clean and hygienic” and highlights the messages of the World Health Organisation and other international bodies besides the advice of doctors.

Das, son of TPT’s founder Haripada Das, said that all the characters

(puppets) of the video are made by their members and some of the performances are verbal and some others are non-verbal.

The TPT members bear the entire expenses of these campaigns through puppetry.

“Puppetry is one of the powerful traditional folk cultural medium and it has numerous examples of efficacy in public health issues,” said Das, who was awarded the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2016 besides many other awards in recognition of his contribution to contemporary puppetry.

He said: “My father late Haripada Das started the puppet dance culture in the mountainous northeastern state of Tripura in 1956 to propagate social awareness messages through puppetry.

“As an employee of the Social Welfare and Social Education Department of the Tripura government, my father through the puppet dance had started informing, educating, and entertaining people on diverse issues and making them aware about their social responsibilities and cultural heritage.”

The TPT has participated in various international and national puppet festivals and workshops in India and abroad including Germany.

Fifth black fungus case detected in Assam Dibrugarh (Assam), Jun 20 (PTI): One more case of mucormycosis or black fungus was detected in Assam, taking the total number of such cases in the state to five, an official said.

The latest case was reported on Saturday night from Dibrugarh and it is the first such case in Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH). AMCH Principal Dr Sanjiv Kakati said that a mucormycosis case has been detected on a patient from Lakhimpur district, who was admitted to the hospital with post-COVID complaints. “The case was diagnosed by a joint effort of the Department of Medicine, ENT, Microbiology and Ophthalmology,” he said. The patient, a 47-yearold male, is undergoing treatment at medical unit 1 of the hospital, Kakati added. He was admitted at the AMCH on June 15 and is currently in a stable condition, the principal said.

Health Services Director Dr Rathin Bhuyan said four cases of mucormycosis or black fungus have been reported in the state prior to the Dibrugarh patient.

The Assam government declared mucormycosis as a notifiable disease on May 26, making it mandatory for all health facilities to report such cases to the Health Department.

Sambit Patra convenes meeting with Manipur BJP MLAs

Sambit Patra at a committe meeting with BJP leaders of Manipur. Courtesy @ sambitswaraj twitter.

Correspondent IMPHAL, JUN 20: BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra who is camping in Imphal pertaining to appointment of new president of the state unit of the party on Sunday convened a meeting with legislators of the ruling party.

Patra accompanied by party general secretary (org) Abhay Giri arrived in Imphal on Saturday on a three-day visit in the state with the main purpose of appointment of the vacant post of president of the BJP Manipur Pradesh.

On his arrival, he convened a series of meetings with office bearers, morcha presidents and spokespersons of BJP Manipur Pradesh. He also convened

a meeting with the MLAs of the party including chief minister N Biren Singh at chief minister’s official residence.

The meeting reportedly discussed the upcoming programmes of the BJP, a source that refused to divulge the details of the meeting said.

Reliable sources said that Patra came to the state to discuss issues related with the appointment of new president of BJP Manipur Pradesh and it was deliberated in the meeting.

The post of the state unit of the saffron party has been lying vacant since the death of incumbent president Prof S Tikendra Singh who succumbed to Covid-19 complications on May 13 last.

Earlier in the day, Patra along with Giri and some leaders of the state unit of the party visited the residence of the deceased Prof Tikendra at Nambol in Bishnupur district to offer his condolence to the bereaved family.

It was followed by a virtual meeting with the executive members of the party’s state unit.

Earlier, some national leaders of the BJP national had visited Imphal for appointment of new president of the state unit. As many as six leaders of the state unit of the ruling party are contending for the presidential post. Among them is a woman leader, sources said.

Sambit Patra is planning to leave Imphal on Monday (June 21).

UPRF cadres killed by security force Tiger population in Assam’s Manas jumps to 46 from 30 last year

Two UPRF cadres killed by security forces.

DIPHU JUN 20: In a fierce encounter between police and UPRF (United People’s Revolutionary Front) in Singhason hill range of KarbiAnglong district , two rebels of the underground organization has been gunned down by security forces today during afternoon hours The intense gun battle took place between security forces and the ethnic Kuki militants inside the deep forest near Jolian village located in Singhason hills under the command of Manja police station.

Security forces have salvaged two AK47 rifles, ammunition and incriminating documents from the slain cadres of the militant outfit after the encounter.

Earlier, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta said on social media that “intermittent firing” is still

underway at the encounter site.

“Braving the elements and extreme terrain, KarbiAnglong police neutralized two militants belonging to United People’s Revolutionary Front today. 2 AK 47s has been recovered from them. Intermittent firing is going on at the encounter site,” the Assam DGP tweeted.

He mentioned that “The UPRF militants are actively working under the tutelage of poaching and drug cartels of Churachandpur.”

“Congratulations to Team Karbi Anglong Police! You continue to do us proud” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in his message.

It may be mentioned here that in the month of September 2020 the selfstyled commander in chief

of the outfit Martin Kuki came to limelight when he posed for a photo with picnickers at Takalangso waterfall of Bokajan subdivision where the porch of Singhason hills is extended.

Few days later, Martin Kuki was shot down by the security force in a predawn attack on his hideout. On December 21, many cadres of UPRF came over ground except Birappan and Arjun (pseudonym) who along with four cadres revisited the forest with weapons. Arjun was however arrested by police force recently and is under judicial custody now.

Birappan pull together the cadres and was carrying out insurgent activities including “poaching and Drug cartels of Churachandpur” claimed top cops of Assam.

BARPETA, JUN 20 (PTI): The tiger population in Assam’s Manas National Park increased to 46 in 2021 from 30 last year, bringing cheer among forest officials and wildlife enthusiasts amid the pandemic gloom.

In 2010, there were only 10 tigers in Manas but its population increased to 30 last year and in this year’s census by camera-trapping, 46 big cats were spotted, Park Director Amal Chandra Sarma said on Sunday.

“A rise of 16 tigers, which is over 50 per cent, File photo of a tiger in Manas National Park. in a year is indeed a remarkable achievement and the increased sightings indicate that conservation efforts are

Mizoram reports 193 new COVID cases, 4 new fatalities AIZAWL, JUN 20 (PTI): Mizoram’s COVID-19 tally soared to 16,943 on Sunday as 193 more people tested positive for the infection, while four fresh fatalities pushed the northeastern state’s coronavirus death toll to 81, a health official said.

Mizoram now has 3,733 active cases, while 13,129 people have recovered from the infection so far, including 271 on Saturday.

The recovery rate among coronavirus patients stands at 77.48 per cent, while the mortality rate is at 0.47 per cent.

The state has thus far tested over 4.52 lakh samples for COVID-19, including 2,779 in the last 24 hours. The single-day positivity rate stood at 6.94 per cent.

A total of 3.70 lakh people have been inoculated so far, State Immunisation Officer Dr Lalzawmi said.

NE COVID-19 UPDATE Manipur logs 527 new COVID-19 cases IMPHAL, JUN 20: Manipur recorded 527 new COVID19 cases on Sunday, taking the state-wide tally of cases to 64,064.

The state also reported eight Covid-related deaths in the last 24 hours, taking the cumulative toll to 1,047.

The total number of recoveries reached 53,405, after 444 people recovered from the infection, leaving 9,613 as active cases with recovery rate at 83.36%.

The state health department said that the 527 new positive cases were detected of 4,491 samples tested during the past 24 hours, taking the total number of samples tested so far in the state to 8,57,153.

The health department reported that of the 444 patients discharged upon recovery on Sunday, 288 were from home isolation, 42 from RIMS hospital and 12 from JNIMS hospital. The rest 114 were from different Covid care centres, it added.

Meanwhile, as per the latest information from the department, the cumulative number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the state reached 4,93,501. ( Correspondent).

NEHU to host Toycathon grand finale Correspondent SHILLONG, JUN 20: The North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong has been selected by Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell, All India Council for Technical EducationMIC/ AICTE to host Toycathon, 2021 grand finale, an event conducted by the Government of India to promote indigenous toy industry, which will draw around 10 teams from different parts of the country. Stressing on PM Modi’s ‘Vocal for Local’ in the toy industry, Ministry of Education mooted the idea of multi-track nation-wide inter-ministerial Toycathon. Toycathon 2021 is being organised jointly

by Ministry of Education K Y M C

in coordination with five other Ministries viz: Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, and Ministry of Textiles.

“India needs to emerge as the global toy manufacturing hub in the future. We need to stress upon creating an ecosystem for the domestic toy industry and the localmanufacturers, tapping the untapped resources and utilizing the potential.

Working on the vision of the prime minister and considering the huge potential of our toy market, we can easily become ‘Atmanirbhar’ in toy industry,” says Amit

Khare, secretary, Ministry of Education.

“The National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has placed huge emphasis on innovation and experiential learning. Drawing inspiration from NE, AICTE has been working closely with Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education to conduct various hackathons to provide platforms for the young minds of the country to innovate, experience and materialise their ideas.

On the same line we are conducting this Toycathon to provide a national level platform for our innovators to boost innovation in domestic toy market. We have received huge participation in Toycathon 2021 from our engineering institutions,”

says Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, chairman, AICTE. “The proposed Toy Hackathon will have 3 tracks: Track 1 for junior level participants i.e., primarily school children, with main focus on designing toys for kids of age group 0-3 years and 4-10 years.

Track 2 for senior level participants i.e., students and faculty from higher education institutions with primary focus on electronics, sensors, mechatronics, and toys based on AI and ML approaches, AR-VRXR and robotics. Track 3 for start-up professional level that includes overall innovation and development of prototypes to enable toy industry in boosting up the production along with im-

working in the park,” he said. Among the 46 Royal Bengal Tigers, 19 are adult females, 16 male adults, three sub-adults and seven cubs, he added.

Enlisted in the ‘World Heritage Site in Danger List’ in 1992, Manas came a long way in its conservation journey getting back its world heritage status in 2011, the officer said.

“It is heartening to note that four tigers were sighted outside the core in the 350 sq km First Addition area for the first time,” Sarma said.

The survey covered forest divisions and wildlife

proving the quality of toys in Indian market,” an official statement elaborated.

“The inter-ministerial Toycathon focuses on conceptualizing new and innovative toys using local materials which are economical, affordable, safe, environment friendly, with exceptional high quality for both Indian and global markets,” the statement added. “Around 14,130 teams have submitted 17,770 different ideas on innovative toys based onthemes like Education, Indian History, Culture and Moral values, Social and Human values, P s yc h o l o g i c a l D e velopment, Agricultural Implements and Tools, and Knowledge about India,” the statement informed.

sanctuaries in a phased manner with the camera traps first placed in Bansbari and Bhuyanpara ranges and later at the Kahitama, Panbari, First Addition and Bornadi, he said.

The population of other animals like the Bengal Florican increased to 74 this year from 60 in 2014, while 129 swamp deer were recorded against 99 last year. During the 201920 census, there were 28 leopards and seven black panthers in the park and their populations were also expected to increase this year, Sarma said.

Sikkim logs 87 new COVID cases, two more deaths GANGTOK, JUN 20 (PTI): Sikkim reported 87 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, pushing the coronavirus tally to 19,296, a health department bulletin said on Sunday.

The COVID-19 death toll rose to 293 as two more persons succumbed to the infection, it said.

The new cases were reported from East Sikkim district (57), West Sikkim (22), South Sikkim (6) and North Sikkim district (2).

The Himalayan state now has 2,697 active COVID-19 cases, while 16,056 patients have recovered from the disease, the bulletin said.

At least 250 COVID-19 patients have migrated to other states, it said.

Sikkim’s COVID-19 recovery rate now is 83.2 per cent.

Mulberry nurseries to support silkworm growers in Tripura amid pandemic AGARTALA, JUN 20 (PTI): The Tripura government is setting up mulberry nurseries to support silkworm growers who have lost their livelihoods during the pandemic, an official said on Sunday.

The farmers are engaged on wages in setting up the nurseries and when saplings of mulberry plants grow, those will be distributed among them, said Tapan Chandra, the district sericulture development officer of Sepahijala. The Sericulture Department is setting up such nurseries across the state, he said.

In Sepahijala, the nurseries are being set up on 12 acre of land in four clusters

-- Bishramgaj, Takarjala, Kathalia and Nalchar, Deb said.

The district authorities are targetting new mulberry plantation on 180 acre of land, benefitting 350-400 farmers under the Intensive Bivoltine Sericulture Development Project, he said.

At present, the process for the selection of beneficiaries is underway, he said.

“Mulberry leaves are a key component for silkworm farming. We are creating nurseries to assist the private growers,” the official said.

“We also supply silkworms and provide other supports for the rearing of silkworms. Once the

worms start pupating in their cocoons, the cocoons are collected and sent to the reeling centre for further processing,” he added.

In the process -- from mulberry nursery to postproduction of silk thread, a large number of people, including women, get livelihood opportunities at different levels, he said.

So far, 4 mt cocoons were produced in the state till June and the growers earned Rs 13.50 lakh from a single crop, officials said.

In Sepahijala, 17 farmers were engaged in creating nursery beds, but indirectly hundreds of growers were being benefited because of this initiative, Deb said.

K Y M C

4

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Fuel, healthcare, online biz spur prices

Nagaland Post Vol. XXxI NO. 195 Dimapur, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

Shield against Covid

A

s per the statement of the minister of health and family welfare Nagaland, S.Pangnyu Phom, the current lockdown will continue till the current covid positivity rate (or Test Positivity Rate) which stands at 9.3% drops below 5%.According to criteria published by WHO in May 2020, a TPR of less than 5 per cent is one indicator that the infection is under control in a locality. As per the figure from the department of health and family welfare (DoHFW), it means for every 100 persons tested for covid-19, a little of nine of them are tested positive. A high TPR indicates that testing is inadequate, and new chains of community transmission are being ignored. Even as lockdown continues till June 30 in Nagaland, the state government has to accord vaccination as a top priority. With a population of hardly a little over 20 lakh, the state can easily obtain that many vaccines. However, Nagaland is also among states where the percentage of population that was yet to be vaccinated, especially among the 45 plus is considerably high. Only 19 of the 35 states and union territories in India meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) standards of a TPR under 5%. The high TPR is mainly factored by low rate of testing. Since the TPR of Nagaland is very high, it calls for raising testing throughout the state.An analysis based on Union health ministry data and Google community mobility reports shows that states with a high TPR had a low testing percentage. Maharashtra, which has the country’s highest covid cases, records a TPR of 21.76%.When data is used appropriately, it can also throw light on whether only a subset of the community is at greatest risk for infection. As per the recommendation of WHO in the month of May, the TPR should remain below 5% for at least two weeks prior to considering relaxation of Lockdown or reopening of normal activities. The TPR has been on account of what many medical experts believe, a second and more deadlier wave of covid unleashed by the Delta variant.

India’s TPR was as high as over 12% during April-May when cases soared to record levels of over 4 lakhs in some days including 3 lakhs, two lakhs, one lakh to now below 60,000 cease per day. States that ramped up testing have recorded a low positivity rate, reaffirming that tracing, testing and isolating is the only way to contain the virus spread. In this regard, the state government also needs to do a serious rethink about it anti-Covid strategy. The state government must ramp up vaccination through all means if TPR is to come down and lockdown lifted phase-wise. It has to do this instead of giving more importance to regular photo ops, addition of more beds for Covid patients, procurement of equipment etc.

Of course, all these are also required but there is no option for vaccination. Nothing in Nagaland moves without money. This was also revealed in the minister’s remarks that 10% from LADP fund (placed under legislators) and 15% from common pool, will be deducted for expenditure in the name of Covid, despite strong objections from the opposition.

DailyDevotion Have You Come to “When” Yet? The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. —Job 42:10 A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect.

I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every selfeffort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.

If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.

Quotes

We cannot live only for ourselves.

A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~ Herman Melville

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

I

ndian economy may have started recovering with unlock but galloping inflation, increasing healthcare expenses and rising unemployment are major banes.

The global economy is to rise by 4 percent and India would marginally benefit from it with some rise in exports. A World Bank report wants India to create 90 million jobs in non-agricultural organized sector, herculean task as most private sector offices are either closing down or slashing operations. Humantarian crisis, hunger deaths and societal conflicts are growing.

Latest figures indicate 12.69 percent inflation primarily on F2 – food and fuel. The fuel price rise is hitting every sector of the economy with nobody to correct it. The basic price of petrol remains still around Rs 35.99 and over Rs 65 are the central and state tax components.

The edible oil prices have reached crisis points with 62 percent spike, Food Secretary Sudhansu Pande says. This follows withdrawal of edible oil from essential commodities list in September 2020 A State Bank of India report says that massive increase in healthcare, es-

pecially in the hinterland, steadily rising fuel prices and online delivery of articles will increase inflationary pressure much higher on one hand and crowd out other consumer spending on the other, putting a big question mark on overall growth that’s still being driven by consumption demand.

Month-on-month increase in inflation on non-institutional medicines, x-ray, ECG, pathological and other clinical tests is taking a heavy toll not only in urban areas but even on the rural populace.

The SBI report has questioned the headline inflation figures announced by the ministry.

It says that a more important price concept is the relative prices which are not a monetary phenomenon but their movements convey important information about the scarcity of particular goods and services “as now like health”. Health expenditure, which currently constitutes 5 per cent of overall inflation basket, may jump to at least 11 per cent. {It may be noted that health expenditure is around Rs 6 lakh crore or 5 per cent of the private final consumption expenditure (PFCE)}. This

is likely to also result in as well as there would be squeeze in expenditure on commodity price rise globother items of discretion- ally. The RBI under govary consumption. ernment suggestion has The daily increase suppressed interest rates of fuel prices is another but it will not help keep bane. “And if we look at prices low. It will make credit card spends since difficult for the RBI to December, manage the CPI comShivaji Sarkar conf licting puted intargets of inflation for the five month flation, exchange rate and ending April is higher than adequate liquidity amidst the CSO estimate on an weak growth. average by 60 basis points The RBI has already and the higher oil prices lowered its GDP projechad forced consumers to tion to 9.5 percent from ration out discretionary 10.5 percent. It had hoped spends in December”, 18.5 percent recovery in says SBI chief economist the first quarter, considSoumakanti Ghosh. It ered low base given the means the actual inflation contraction last year. Now is 60 percent more than the it is skeptical due to the CSO figures. second wave of lockdown The RBI has virtually that sees decline in degiven credence to the SBI posits, indicating higher finding as it estimates Rs household expenses and 2 lakh crore losses on eco- lower savings. Additionalnomic output. It carefully ly, currency holding – cash says that it may not reflect – with the people deceleron GDP but there would ated to 1.7 percent during be a considerable value April against a growth of loss across the economy. 3.5 percent last year.

The SBI report clarifies It substantiates what it as the share of non- the SBI says that extra discretionary spend which expenses on households has jumped to 59 percent have increased manifold. in April and 52 percent Also, there has been an and in March and “this increase in use of online does not augur well”. delivery platforms which The inflation is to is not considered by the further rise as the US has NSO and if the NSO conmatched its interest rate siders online prices, there rise. It would impact India will be 10-15 basic points

(bps) impact on CPI inflation. The SBI says that the online delivery adds to inflation. The RBI says that the increased healthcare and other expenses have impacted domestic demand. That is the reason of delayed recovery of manufacturing, core sector and other activities.

The recovery process, the SBI says, needs cut in fuel prices by tax rationalisation, otherwise nondiscretionary spends will continue to get distorted and cause inflation.

The RBI has given another formula. It has gone a bit beyond and wants to partner with private sector – in short a prescription for further denuding the PSUs. The recommendation should make the authorities rethink on privatisiation.

Over the last few years, major PSUs have consistently increased payouts to the government despite a dip in their profitability. Since 2016, as per an official dictat they are paying a minimum 30 percent of their profit after tax or 5 percent of their net worth, whichever is higher, as dividend.

The 100 government companies declared a dividend of Rs 71857 dividend during 2018-19, according

to CAG. In 2021, the PSUs paid dividend of Rs 39,022 crore (against estimate of 34717 crore), the RBI paid Rs 99,000 crore dividend and other banks Rs 1619 crore in 2020-21. In short a major part of government expenses are being funded by the PSUs. The government’s efforts to sell PSUs are being stonewalled by poor economy. It should rather change its policies to strengthen the PSUs. Despite this the India remains an investment destination. Healthy flow of FDI into the country corroborates India’s strength and attention of global investors, industry chamber CII says.

Total equity, re-invested earnings and capital rose 10 percent to the highest ever $ 81.72 billion during 2020-21.

The RBI expects recent government boost in capital expenditure to spur activity and investment.

For all this, however, there has to be a major shift in policy thrust. While private investments must rise, the government must relook at strengthening PSUs to tide over the crisis that is beyond the capacity of the private sector. This would alone cut prices and boost demand.

Post-mortem K.T Sukhalu must BAN open letter to come clean: WC, NNPGs Chief Minister of Nagaland

T

everyone, the business com- not easy, as is evident from have been directed to follow Covid Dear Chief Minister, protocols at all times.

First of all, the Business munity is a major employer the state’s “ease of doing Save for the ministers, MLAs Association of Nagas (BAN) for people who can’t find business“ national rankings. and Indian government servants, would like to appreciate the government jobs. Therefore, Naga entrepreneurs today the days are very harsh economi- steps taken by your govern- a stable business community do not get much government cally for the rest of Nagas and when ment to prevent the spread of is an asset for any state. assistance – be it to start new an elected representative blatantly Covid-19 virus. Most Nagas Sir, we understand your ventures or scale up existing make such irresponsible and insen- have not seen such an attack hands are full with problems businesses. As we are mostly sitive remarks as the one made by on humanity by an unseen of all sorts. But give a thought first generation businessmen Mr.K.T Sukhalu, who is not even enemy. Nagaland, to some for the Naga business com- some hand holding and supthe chairman of Zunheboto district extent, as compared to other munity during these difficult port will be of great help. covid management committee, he states has been able to contain times. Even with an assured Focus on existing enteris deliberately provoking a great the spread and the credit goes job and salary, government prises: Since the pandemic mass of helplessly sandwiched to the government for steps employees are unhappy when started, a lot of focus has Naga people fighting pandemic like lockdowns and other even a day’s salary is de- been on start-ups and rehaon one hand and staring at hunger forms of restrictions. ducted for some cause. On bilitating returnees. State and starvation on the other, to react Having said that, your the other hand, we have government has to remember against national workers. In these government has to ponder been keeping our businesses that existing businesses in the testing times, Mr. K. T Sukhalu on the plight of businesses, shut for weeks and months state are the main taxpayers would be held fully responsible if especially businesses run during lockdowns obeying and we employ thousands of any national worker become victim by Nagas – who are mostly the restrictions set by the people. Existing businesses of his covid-fund-demand lie while first generation businessmen. government. who are struggling need to pleasing his master.

Some carefully thought be rehabilitated first.

Since the first wave of the Induced by long hardships pandemic started last year, out policies and measures Departments need to and sufferings, many Naga revo- keeping in mind the gravity may give the business com- get their act together: We lutionaries, individually, may have of the situation, we have munity some much needed do not expect state governfallen short on discipline but never been fully cooperating with oxygen to survive this pan- ment departments to do big on political vision. The Naga po- whatever restrictions that demic. things and make big plans for litical groups under WC, NNPGs, have been imposed upon us.

Financial assistance: us. The government should will never give up the core Naga As the situation seemed The apathy of banks in the make achievable and small political aspiration. The “Agreed to be getting better, the second state towards extending finan- plans in coordination with the Position” signed between GoI and wave has hit us. There are cial assistance (loans) citing business community. Smaller WC,NNPGs on 17th Nov. 2017 is talks going on in the medical previous NPAs is well known. plans and goals are easier to explicit that Nagas have the right community that a third wave Genuine Naga entrepreneurs achieve and can be measured. to self determine their future in is due soon. Many businesses who need financial assistance With the experience gained consonance with their distinct idenare barely surviving – we have to sustain their businesses and from them, the government tity. Meaning, the GoI respects and honours the Jan. 10th 1929 Memo- to pay rent, salaries and repay grow usually end up having can make bigger plans.

The Business Associarandum to Simon Commission, our loan EMIs. As businesses a frustrating time visiting banks.

Given the extra ordiare generating very less proftion of Nagas will always be the 14th August 1947 declaration, nary situation, the state govits to sustain themselves, we ready to discuss, share our the May 16th 1951 Naga Plebicite. ernment has to discuss with fear these tsunami of waves expertise and help the state As and when signed, the agreement will confirm and reflect these created by the pandemic will banks in the state and device government to make decihistorical milestones. The question wash away the businesses a modality to extend loans to sions for the welfare of the is, who is K.T Sukhalu to treat the we have toiled many years genuine Naga entrepreneurs business community. who pay regular taxes and Yours sincerely, Naga National workers with such to build. file returns.

The business community disdain? The contribution, or rather Dr. Lanusangla Tzudir Entrepreneur friendly lack of it, of Mr. Sukhalu’s family helps in revenue generation General Secretary to the Naga political movement over for the state through GST. policies: With a functional Vitho Zao decades too comes under scrutiny. As state government can- industrial policy nonexistent President in the state, doing business is not provide employment to As a bureaucrat in the food and civil supplies dept., his proximity with non-Naga foodgrain hoarders was known as much of the foodgrains actually meant for the poor and marginalised disappeared.

By K.T. Sukhalu’s logic, the plea by regional authorities for vaccination of Naga Army and Civilian workers in various designated camps too would also be interpreted as forceful Covid vaccination demand.

If such is his mindset, vaccination programs in designated camps and Sir, to any national workers be kept in There are piles of garbage at almost every corner of every colony in Dimapur and abeyance.

When Naga National workers, what is worse is that our people lack the knowledge to even dispose off the wastes propthough with many shortcomings, erly. Baby diapers and highly decomposed vegetable wastes are regulars. The stench these are humiliated and fingerpointed decomposed wastes give off are horrible and those families who have dogs at home had to openly in the media, the motive and always go through the struggle of removing the diapers from their properties. If only our intention of such leaders become people knew how to deal with these wastes, we would not be suffering. Besides Coronavirus questionable. Their position and wreaking havoc, lack of civic sense in our people has also been causing a lot of problems too. Therefore let us not be ignorant and try to make each of our lives easier by learning status, thus, become irrelevant. how to dispose of garbage properly.

MEDIA CELL Amen Ao, Dimapur WC, NNPGs. Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

he statement of Mr. K.T Sukhalu, Advisor, Edn. Dept., accusing Naga political groups of (Sumi national workers under Zunheboto district) demanding a share in the Covid Funds, has come as a rude shock to all right thinking Nagas. The negative ripples in mainland India and disappointed Naga friends and well wishers across the world is felt.

It is a bitter taste in the mouth of all Sumi Naga National workers in particular and Sumi public in general, who takes pride in the fact that Zunheboto is an impregnable fortress in the Naga national movement. The image of Sumi National workers has taken a battering after K.T Sukhalu’s allegation went viral.

WC, NNPGs demand that Mr. Sukhalu reveal the names of national workers and groups along with the amount of Covid money taken.

Respecting all Covid warriors of Nagaland, the WC will take necessary steps against erring cadres through respective governments and work towards recovery of the amount for it belongs to our people.

The Covid fund is specifically sanctioned by GoI to mitigate the sufferings and misery of the common man while also providing medical care and assistance to the affected.

All National workers are aware of this. This fund is neither for CM, Dy. CM, Medical Minister, political parties or bureaucrats, nor to be diverted and pumped into other ministries and projects.

Various political parties, civil societies and Naga populace are questioning Nagaland government on the utilization of Covid funds.

The people’s verdict is that there is no transparency whatsoever in utilization. Is Mr. K.T Sukhalu conveniently hiding the siphoning off of covid funds by government and shifting the blame to national workers? Habitually he hide behind the Naga political issue to cover his abject incompetence, non performance, insatiable greed and corruption. God forbid! Let Mr. K.T Sukhalu produce full detail of the alleged payment of covid fund to national workers and should he fail to name the persons and amount, Naga National workers in particular and Sumi people in general would consider it a dangerous ploy to whip up anger of Sümi people against national workers.

Currently, WC, NNPGs, comprises of seven Naga groups negotiating with the government of India. The groups are clear in their objective that the pandemic must be defeated by strictly following the advice of doctors and medical experts. Thousands of Naga National workers, civil and military members

Reader’s Post

Dispose garbages properly

5

national

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

‘Cooped up’ Indians throng malls, markets

Centre to clear path to J&K statehood, PM to discuss blueprint in June 24 meet

thronged the open-air warren of shops and stalls at Lajpat Nagar market, bargaining for scarves, bangles and cheap cosmetics.

There was lively trade for food vendors, who sold kulchey-chholey — flatbread served with spicy chickpeas — and other favourites to punters, masks dangling as they ate.

“I would not have come today but it was very urgent,” Prerna Jain, 21, a college student who had come with her mother, told AFP. “My cousin is getting

married and I needed to buy some stuff. I know it’s not yet safe but what can I do? This (event) is equally important.”

Delhi, a megacity of 20 million people, saw horrendous scenes in April and May when coronavirus cases went through the roof, as they did across the country. Crematoriums ran out of space, burning bodies day and night, as gasping patients died outside hospitals, unable to get beds, oxygen and drugs.

India’s death toll more than doubled to more than 330,000, according to official figures. Many experts suspect the true toll is over a million. The surge was blamed on new virus variants but also on the government having allowed massive religious festivals, state elections and crowds at cricket matches.

Now, the surge is over and Indian authorities are loosening lockdowns, letting people work and shop again.

On some days in Delhi

now, there are no funerals for Covid-19 victims, down from 700 a day during the recent peak.

Sandeep Budhiraja, medical director at Max Healthcare in the capital, said he was surprised at people’s short memories.

“People are just behaving as if nothing happened just about two, three weeks back. And this is... amazing,” Budhiraja told AFP. But while this will likely lead to a sharp rise in cases, for a new “explosion” a new virus variant would have to take hold, he said.

A new variant, “Deltaplus”, has been identified, which appears more transmissible and more resistant to treatment, he added.

One reason for hope, however, is that unlike in January and February, the authorities are preparing the healthcare system for another wave, Budhiraja said.

But vaccinations remain slow. Barely five per cent of Indians have had two shots.

Chirag announces yatra from father’s birth anniversary, Paras hits back

Cab rejig: PM holds meet with union ministers

Lakshadweep admin moots proposal for shifting HC jurisdiction from Kerala to K’taka

to Lok Sabha from there for eight times, and Paras represents the seat now in the House. Chirag Paswan said Hajipur had been “karmabhoomi” of his father and added that the yatra will roll out across the state and culminate with a meeting of the party’s national council.

As he fights an all-out battle to reclaim his father’s legacy with all other party MPs, including his cousin Prince Raj, siding with Paras, Paswan launched an emotional attack on the rival members of his family for not waiting for even the first death anniversary of Ram Vilas Paswan and stabbing him in the back. Paras alleged that the national executive meeting called by Paswan was attended by very few genuine members and was full of “renter crowd”.

He claimed that the national executive meeting in Patna, which was called by him a days back, was genuine.

New Delhi, Jun 20 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held a meeting with BJP president J P Nadda and several Union ministers, including Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, at his official residence here, sources said.

Earlier this month, he held about five meetings with union ministers in groups, apparently to take stock of the work done by them so far.

Both cabinet- and minister of state-rank ministers were present in these meetings, sources said. All the meetings lasted for nearly five hours and BJP president J P Nadda was present in most of them.

Besides Shah and Singh, Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, Narendra Singh Tomar were among those who attended Sunday’s meeting, the sources said.

KOCHI/NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (PTI): The Lakshadweep administration, which has been facing widespread protests from the islands’ people over some of its policies, has mooted a proposal to shift its legal jurisdiction from the Kerala High Court to the Karnataka High Court, officials said.

The proposal was initiated by the administration after several litigations were moved before the Kerala High Court against the decisions taken by the islands’ new administrator Praful Khoda Patel.

These decisions included revising standard operating procedures for Covid appropriate behaviour, introduction of the “goonda act” and demolishing hutments of fishermen for widening of roads.

Patel, who is the administrator of Daman and Diu, was given the addi-

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 ( AG E N C I E S ) : A f ew weeks ago, New Delhi’s crematoriums were operating around the clock dealing with Covid-19 victims.

Now the Indian capital’s shopping malls and markets are buzzing again.

But doctors are worried that India is letting its guard down again, just like in January and February before a devastating coronavirus surge that led to a near-collapse of the healthcare system.

Clutching a bag of clothes as she shopped with her new husband at Delhi’s busy Select City Walk mall, Surili Gupta said she was “fed up being cooped up inside”.

“I needed this break, for how long you can remain locked up?” the 26year-old sales executive told AFP as she waited for a table at the mall’s packed food hall.

“The coronavirus is not going any time soon, so one has to learn to live with it. I am sure with the

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (PTI): Lok Janshakti Party leader Chirag Paswan on Sunday announced “aashirvaad yatra” from July 5, the birth anniversary of his father and party founder Ram Vilas Paswan, from Hajipur in Bihar, as he seeks popular legitimacy in a battle with the rival faction headed by his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras for the party’s ownership.

Accusing his family rivals of “stabbing” him in the back, Paswan made the announcement following a meeting of the LJP national executive which endorsed his leadership and hit out at the faction headed by his paternal uncle for working against the party’s constitution. Paras, in turn, dismissed the meeting as an assembly of “rented crowd” and claimed that it held no legitimacy. The Election Commission will now decide whether his group is

People at Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar market (AFP)

vaccinations and all, we will be fine.” Behind her, a big weekend crowd chatted and laughed over Indian dosas and Chinese noodles, paying scant regard to public announcements reminding them about social distancing and wearing masks.

A couple queueing at a popular burger joint squabbled, masks hanging from their faces. Mall staff performed perfunctory temperature checks and reminded people to sanitise their hands.

Not far away, shoppers

Chirag Paswan the real LJP or whether the Chirag-led faction is right, he told reporters.

The meeting chaired by Chirag Paswan also urged the Modi government to confer Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, on Ram Vilas Paswan, a popular Dalit leader from Bihar who died last year.

He asserted that over 90 per cent of the national executive members were in the meeting. The decision to launch the yatra from Hajipur is significant as Paswan’s father was elected

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (AGENCIES): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will discuss restoring Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)’s statehood when he meets mainstream political parties from the region on Thursday-- a significant milestone that India’s top leadership has set its eyes on after months of strategising by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, CNN-News18 has learnt from official sources.

The sources, who are privy to the developments, said J&K will be granted statehood soon, as promised in the past by PM Modi and home minister Amit Shah, but there will be no talks on restoring the region’s special status.

On August 5, 2019, the central government withdrew J&K’s special status under the Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — J&K with a legislative assembly and

Praful Khoda Patel tional charge of the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in the first week of December last year, when the former administrator Dineshwar Sharma died after a brief illness. This year, as many as 23 applications, including 11 writ petitions, have been filed against the administrator of Lakshadweep and also against the alleged highhandedness of either the police or the local government of the islands.

However, for reasons best known to the island’s administration, which is

Ladakh without one.

The historic move led to the imposition of restrictions on several political leaders and activists in the Kashmir Valley. Gradually, authorities lifted the curbs and released politicians under detention.

“Centre will present blueprint on election. As far as timing of statehood is concerned, it will depend on good conduct from the other side,” a top source privy to developments said.

The restoration of statehood will be counted as the culmination of a monumental achievement by the National Democratic Alliance government, which has nullified all doomsday prognoses about the ramifications of its move to fully integrate J&K in the union of India.

In the months since it decided to carve out Ladakh from and administer J&K as a union ter-

under the spotlight over its handling of these issues, it has made a proposal for shifting its legal jurisdiction from the high court of Kerala to Karnataka.

Efforts to seek comments from the advisor of the administrator, A Anbarasu, and Collector of Lakshadweep S Asker Ali did not fructify.

Mails to their official e-mails and WhatsApp messages did not elicit any response to a question asking the rationale behind mooting of the proposal for shifting of legal jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction of a high court can be shifted only through an act of Parliament, according to the law. “Parliament may by law constitute a high court for a Union Territory or declare any court in any such territory to be a high court for all or any of the purposes of this Constitution,” according to Article 241 of the

ritory, the government appears on track to securing all of its strategic objectives. The security situation in the Kashmir valley is under control; elections to the district development councils went off peacefully last year; political leaders from Kashmir, who were detained, are back to politicking; and a ceasefire with Pakistan (announced in February) is holding well.

The June 24 meeting in this backdrop is significant, as it is being viewed as the beginning of direct talks between the Valley’s leadership and the Centre at this scale.

Representatives of regional powerhouses such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the National Conference (NC), as well as those from the Centre’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, among others, have been invited for the talks in Delhi.

Constitution. Section 4 of the same article mentions that “nothing in this article derogates from the power of Parliament to extend or exclude the jurisdiction of a high court for a state to, or from, any Union Territory or part thereof ”.

Talking to PTI over phone, Lok Sabha member Mohammed Faizal P P said, “This was his (Patel) first attempt to shift the judicial jurisdiction from Kerala to Karnataka.”

“Why was he so particular to transfer it... it’s totally a misappropriation of the post. The mother tongue of the people on these islands is Malayalam,” he said. “One should not forget the name of the high court is Kerala and Lakshadweep High Court. This proposal was conceived during his first visit to the islands,” Faizal said and asked was there a need for this and how could he justify the proposal.

‘Hate crimes’ increase when elections approach, says Jamiat chief Badal to appear before SIT in 2015 firing case are being cut. It is unfortunate that the miscreants did this to the elders to spread religious hatred which is regrettable,” he said, in a statement.

“This truth has been fully exposed... the general opinion and tendency is that whenever an election is approaching, all of a sudden, a certain section of the society is engaged in fanning the flames of sectarianism and religious hatred,” Maulana Madani said.

He said that some time ago, when the second wave of corona was killing humans, people were helping each other, irrespective of their religion, cast and creed. “Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians were all coming together to help the corona victims. What our rulers and politicians could not do was fulfilled by the spirit of human sympathy created due to corona,” he said. The Jamiat chief also said that from the print and

Restore J&K statehood: Cong NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (PTI): Ahead of a meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress on Sunday said the Centre should accept the demand for restoration of statehood to J-K in the interest of the Constitution and democracy.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, did not say whether the party will participate in the June 24 meeting or not. Surjewala drew attention to the August 6, 2019 resolution of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) where the party clearly demanded the restoration of full statehood for the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We believe that undoing it is a direct attack on democracy and the constitutional principles,” he told reporters when asked about the issue. His remarks came after invitations were sent out to 14 political leaders

Randeep Surjewala from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers, for participation in a high-level meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Modi at his residence here at 3 PM on June 24.

The meeting is expected to set the road map for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

Sur jewala said the Congress believes that grant of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir as also holding elections, so that people can elect their representatives and have an assembly of their own to carry on the affairs

of the state instead of a rule by Delhi, is the only way forward to guarantee full restoration of democratic rights in Jammu and Kashmir. “It is now for the prime minister and the BJP to decide whether to hold a meeting or to accept the demand of the Indian National Congress in the interest of constitution, democracy and the people to restore full statehood to the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” Surjewala said.

This will be the prime minister’s first interaction with all the political parties of Jammu and Kashmir since August 5, 2019 when the Centre scrapped J-K’s special status and divided it into two union territories. The erstwhile state has been under the Centre’s rule since November 2018. The political affairs committee (PAC) of PDP has authorised party chief Mehbooba Mufti to take a call on the invitation of the Centre.

electronic media to social media, it was being said that the epidemic had united all Indians and “torn down the wall of hatred that sectarian parties and organisations had built between them for their political interests”.

“Then every peaceloving citizen of the country breathed a sigh of relief but as the elections approached, the game of hatred started once again,” he said.

Noting that the corona epidemic has exposed the

“grim reality of development”, he said: “When we could not provide oxygen to the people, thousands of people died due to lack of oxygen. Many people did not get hospital beds, and some who got beds, they could not get the medicines they needed.”

“If ours soul do not awake even after this, and if we continue to play the game of religious extremism and hatred, it is the sign of disappointment,” he added.

CHANDIGARH, JUN 20 (IANS): Five-time Punjab chief minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Parkash Singh Badal will appear before a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Kotkapura police firing case of 2015 at his residence here on June 22.

Earlier, Badal had expressed inability to appear before the panel on June 16, citing ill-health and his

PERI MONTESSORI TEACHERS TRAINING INSTITUTE (An ISO 9001:2008 Certified Institute) Internationally recognized ADMISSION OPEN FOR JULY BATCH-2021 Courses Duration Requirement Advance Diploma 1 year (10 +2) Pass or above Diploma 6 Months Certificate Course 3 Months 10 pass or equivalent Dimapur Centre - 3 : Lhomithi Village (Signal Bosti) near Lhomithi Baptist Church Call : 6009459412, 9089958990 DP-2841

DC-501

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (IANS): Citing alleged incidents of mob lynchings at Haryana’s Mewat, UP’s Loni and some other places, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani on Sunday said that cases of hate increase when elections are around.

“People of a certain ideology started targeting unarmed Muslims on the basis of their religious identity. Even the elders are not being forgiven, their beards

DC-502

age.

“Still not in good health, Mr Badal however is keen to fulfill his legal and constitutional duties as a law abiding citizen of the country,” a statement quoting Harcharan Bains, Principal Advisor to SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Sunday.

In his two-page response to the summon from the SIT investigating the handling of the Kotkapura

incidents by the previous government, Badal last week said, “the entire process of investigation already stands brazenly compromised through blatant and unapologetic political interference and it reeks too strongly of political vendetta to inspire any confidence about a fair process of law being followed.”In spite of this, Badal had said, he will “cooperate fully” with the investigative process.

6

national/state

Nagaland Post, Dimapur monDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

Can’t pay Rs. 4L to Covid victims: Centre to SC CIHSR can become a medical college

the Centre.

“Therefore, if ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh is given for every person, who lost life due to COVID-19, the entire amount of SDRF may possibly be spent on this alone, and indeed the total expenditure may go up further”, said the 183-page affidavit.

The MHA argued that the finances of states and Centre are under severe strain, due to the reduction in tax revenues and increase in health expenses on account of the pandemic.

MHA stressed that utilisation of scarce resources for

giving ex-gratia, may have unfortunate consequences of affecting the pandemic response and health expenditure in other aspects and hence cause more damage than good.

“It is an unfortunate but important fact that the resources of the Governments have limits and any additional burden through ex-gratia will reduce the funds available for other health and welfare schemes”, added the affidavit.

The MHA contended that unlike floods, earthquake, cyclone, etc, during

MVA alliance for 5 years, not permanent fixture: Congress

MUMBAI, JUN 20 (PTI): The three-party MVA alliance, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, was formed in Maharashtra for five years and is not a permanent fixture, state Congress president Nana Patole has said.

His remarks came after Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said people would “beat with footwear” those who only talk about contesting polls alone without offering solutions to people’s problems.

Talking to reporters here, Patole said there was no clarity in Thackeray’s speech about who he was referring to.

Even the BJP has spo-

ken of contesting elections independently, Patole said, noting that previously all the four parties - Congress, NCP, BJP and Shiv Sena had contested local bodies and Assembly polls independently.

“We formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-in 2019) for five years to stop the BJP. This is a not a permanent fixture. Every party has the right to strengthen its organisation and the Congress has always given priority to providing relief to COVID-19 affected people by making available blood, oxygen and plasma at various places,” Patole said.

The Sena and Congress, adversaries for de-

Crossword

Su doku

KAKURO

K Y M C

cades, formed government in Maharashtra along with the NCP after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP in 2019.

In a veiled swipe at local Congress leaders, Thackeray on Saturday said people would “beat with footwear” those who only talk about contesting elections alone without offering solutions to people’’s problems.

All political parties should keep ambitions aside and focus on economy and health, the CM had said.

Patole said Thackeray made the comments on the occasion of the Shiv Sena’s 55th foundation day as the party president and not as chief minister.

the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana Package announced in March, 2020, the government has provided insurance cover of Rs 50 lakh per person. The MHA contended this insurance cover has been made available from the inception of the pandemic and it provides a sum more than 12 times larger than the sum being sought in the writ petition. Contesting Rs 4 Lakh ex-gratia, the Centre insisted that a broader approach, which involves health interventions, social protection, and economic recovery for the affected communities, would be a more prudent, responsible and sustainable approach.

“It is further submitted that, in the case of various disasters, for which such ex-gratia is provided under SDRF norms, the disaster is of a short and finite duration, occurring and ending quickly. There is no precedent of giving ex-gratia for an ongoing disease or for any disaster event of long duration, extending for several months or years”, said the affidavit.

Man, who ‘died’ in 2010 found alive KO L K ATA , J U N 2 0 (PTI): A man, whose family had claimed that he died in the 2010 Jnaneswari Express derailment in WestBengal and got a job and compensation, was allegedly found tobe alive, a railway official said.

The sister of the man who got the job and their fatherwere called for questioning on Sunday in connection with thematter, a CBI official said.

At least 148 people were killed in the incident thathappened in May 2010.

Several bogies of the Howrah-MumbaiJnaneswari Express got derailed at Sardiha in Jhargram, whilea goods train coming from the opposite side ramming into it.

It was alleged to have been caused by sabotage as theregion was grappling to

deal with Maoist violence at thattime. Claiming that his son died in the incident, a man fromKolkata allegedly identified a body through DNA sampling, theSouth Eastern Railway official said. As per the railway’s announcement following theincident, a member of the family was given a job in therailway apart from monetary compensation, he said.

The sister of the man has been working in thesignalling department of the Sealdah division of the EasternRailway, another official said. On receiving a complaint that the man is alive, theVigilance Department of the railways conducted a probe andfinding substance in the allegation, referred the matter tothe CBI, the SER official said.

No. 9953 Yesterday’s solution No. 9952

No. 4573 Yesterday’s solution No. 4572

No. 3597 Yesterday’s solution No. 3596

Across 3. Snow house (5) 8. Light boat (5) 10. Animal’s nose (5) 11. Information (3) 12. Flutters (5) 13. Merry (7) 15. Arrive at (5) 18. Can (3) 19. Couch (6) 21. Truthfulness (7) 22. Group of three (4) 23. Slimming plan (4) 24. Of the stomach (7) 26. Revoke (6) 29. Pitch (3) 31. Utter contemptibly (5) 32. Advantage (7) 34. Happen again (5) 35. Crib (3) 36. Bedtime drink (5) 37. Drinking tube (5) 38. Fortunate (5) Down 1. Golf term (5) 2. Not very (4,3) 4. Unit of liquid measure (4) 5. Fish hawk (6) 6. Beginning (5) 7. Liquid from fruit (5) 9. Born (3) 12. Burial, cremation (7) 14. Flipper (3) 16. Garret (5) 17. Bulky or heavy (5) 19. Stammer (7) 20. Celebrities (5) 21. Hippopotamus, in short (5) 23. Regulates, controls (7) 24. Rich cake (6) 25. Managed (3) 27. Find pleasure in (5) 28. Boy’s name (5) 30. Essential (5) 32. Male rabbit (4) 33. In favour of (3)

(From p-1) He also disclosed that Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, which was currently one of the top medical institutions in the country, was willing to mentor the process of converting the institute into a medical college.

Sharing details, Dr. Sedevi said that CIHSR is governed by a society comprising the State Government, Christian Medical College, Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) with the state’s chief secretary as society president. He said the governing body of the society holds a meeting once a year while the board meeting is held thrice a year to review all activities of the institute.

Dr. Sedevi maintained that CIHSR belonged to the people of Nagaland and as stewards of the institute, the staffs were mandated to meet the healthcare needs of the State and Northeastern region.

He said CMC send hundreds of its experienced staff from Vellore to teach and train the staff of CIHSR. He said with CMC Vellore being repeatedly awarded best employer of the year in the country, Dr. Sedevi, said CIHSR emulated the best practices and processes of CMC in its operations.

He further said that the state government does not give any fund to CIHSR, except for its share of specific projects or those related to specific national programmes.

Similarly, as no national or foreign funding agency provided any funds, all expenses needed for running the institute ,including paying salaries to staff, were generated from hospital operations, he added.

Dr. Sedevi claimed that

all income from operations was spent on staff salaries, charity to poor patients, outreach programmes and in further development of the institute.

He also said CIHSR paid highest salaries to its staff in the market to its staff, barring the doctors who get much less than the current market standards.

He said doctors were paid less than other hospitals since they joined CIHSR with a sense of commitment.

Every year, CIHSR spent over Rs. 3 crore from its income on charity and subsidising poor patients, even as patients’ bills were written off if they could not pay.

At least four financial audits were done in a year and presented to financial committee. Dr. Sedevi also said CIHSR was the only mission hospital in the country with a finance manual that was followed in letter and spirit and thus considered one of the best organisations in terms of financial management processes and accountability by the auditors. Currently, he said CIHSR has 478 staff, with 407 of them being Nagas and the rest from other North-eastern states and a handful from Vellore and other States.

Dr. Sedevi said CIHSR has partnerships with Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC); Eleuther o s C hr istia n So c ie ty (ECS) in Tuensang; Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM); Catholic church, Berean Medical Centre, Ukhrul; several NGOs, schools and colleges, besides initiating Arukah network Northeast cluster to work among people with disabilities and partnering with several NGOs in this regard.

He said CIHSR also runs a cancer centre with

radiotherapy, supervised and mentored by CMC Vellore, whose teams regularly visit the institute to provide guidance.

CIHSR also has a dedicated ICU, NICU, Hemodialysis unit, cosmetology unit, 24x7 emergency service, endoscopy centre, lithotripsy machine and a state-of-the-art laboratory with strict quality assurance programme with CMC. Also, the institute runs a special school for children with special needs.

He said staff of CIHSR regularly go out to schools and churches, besides getting in touch with NGOs, to scout children with learning difficulties.

“A palliative care team also goes every week to houses to provide home-based care to those who are terminally ill or cannot come to the hospital,” he added.

Sedevi also said that CIHSR planned to have an integrated centre for disability and was currently working towards acquiring funds for the same, adding it was also working towards setting up a regional paramedical institute with several paramedical and allied healthcare courses.

Dr. Sedevi said at least 18 senior staff of CIHSR had administrative training and good understanding of the whole spectrum of hospital management. He said CIHSR has a transparent HR process wherein a 360-degree performance appraisal of its entire staff was done every year.

A c c o r d i n g t o D r.

Sedevi, CIHSR staff are its greatest assets on whom the institute invest heavily for progress in all fields.

They are regularly sent outside the State for various workshops, conferences and seminars while some are sent to CMC Vellore or some other institution to learn new skills.

‘Misplaced, exaggerated’: India on UN special branch’s criticism of new IT rules NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (AGENCIES): India today termed “misplaced, exaggerated, and disingenuous” concerns over the country’s new Information and Technology (IT) Rules raised in a recent report by a special branch of the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC). It pointed to the country’s democratic credentials, saying free speech was guaranteed under the Constitution and reinforced by an independent judiciary and a robust media.

“The rules are designed to empower ordinary users of social media. The victims of abuse on social media platforms shall have a forum for redressal of their grievances,” the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said in a letter.

It was responding to concerns raised by the Special Procedures Branch of the UNHRC regarding India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and

Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The UN special rapporteurs had said that these rules do not conform with international human rights norms. Writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, they expressed “serious concerns” with certain parts of the legislation which could curb free speech.

“We worry that intermediaries will over-comply with takedown requests to limit their liability, or will develop digital recognition-based content removal systems or automated tools to restrict content,” they wrote.

The Indian government has faced off with multiple social media and messaging platforms, including Twitter and WhatsApp, in recent months over some aspects of the rules, especially the one pertaining to the setting up of grievance redressal systems.

(Only in Dimapur)

LAND FOR SALE

at Rs. 1300 Per Litre Contact No : + 91 8974267898 + 91 8794232506

Ph No. : 9774331069 8787826923

HOME DELIVERY Pure Citronella Oil

Signal Angami Sq. Ft 410/-

DP-2798

LAND FOR SALE 1. at New Showuba - Rs. 140/- sq. ft.

- 1 Pura near Four Lane 2. Nihokhu Village - 16 Puras Highway touched - Rs. 1.65 Crore (Negotiable) Contact No. : 8729814776

DP-2832

Inconsolable relatives of Covid victim cry as their close one succumb to Covid.

the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of crores of rupees have been spent

by Centre and states on prevention, testing, treatment, quarantine, hospitalization, medicines and vaccination, etc and it is still continuing.

“It is not known how much more is required. Thus, Central and State Governments are taking all possible measures to prevent and prepare for future waves of COVID19”, said the affidavit.

The affidavit has been filed in response to a PIL seeking “minimum standards of relief ” and exgratia payment to Covid-19 deceased.

The Centre emphasized the compensation of Rs 4 lakh cannot be paid to those who succumbed to COVID-19, as the disaster management law mandating compensation applies only to natural disasters like earthquake, floods etc. “Due to its scale and impact, it would not be appropriate to apply the scheme of assistance, eligible for natural disasters, to the epidemic”, added the MHA. The MHA said under

DP-2827

NEW DELHI, JUN 20 (IANS): The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the finances of states and Centre are under severe strain, due to the reduction in tax revenues and increase in health expenses on account of the coronavirus pandemic. And Rs 4 lakh compensation can’t be paid to all those who died due to Covid-19 as it would exhaust the disaster relief funds, and also impact the Centre and states’ preparation to address future waves of COVID-19.

In an affidavit, the Ministry of Home Affairs submitted that ex-gratia relief under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, to 12 notified disasters is provided through the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), and the annual allocation for the year 2021-22 for SDRF, for all states combined is Rs 22,184 crore. The pandemic has caused more than 3,85,000 deaths, a number which is likely to increase further, and it also exceeds the number of deaths in any other natural disaster in the past, in the country, added

HAPPY 90TH BIRTHDAY 21st June 2021 (Mrs. Bendangsenla)

We are so blessed that God had given you such a long and rich life.

You are our pillar of strength and we live under your graceful aegis.

May God continue to grant you good health and a long life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Aja/ Otsü

MKC-168

With love from your Children, In-laws, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren K Y M C

Third wave of Covid inevitable in UK

London, Jun 20 (IANS): A new wave of coronavirus infections is “definitely under way” in England due to the Delta variant first identified in India, a British government advisory scientist said on Saturday.

“The race is firmly on between the vaccine program... and the Delta variant third wave,” said professor Adam Finn, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), Xinhua news agency reported.

Acknowledging the recent surge in infections, Finn told the BBC: “Perhaps we can be a little bit optimistic it’s not going up any faster, but nevertheless it’s going up -- so this third wave is definitely under way.”

Noting that the highest number of cases of the Delta variant is among 1625 year-olds, Finn said that older people are still “much more likely to end up in hospital.”

“As far as vaccines are concerned, the main emphasis everywhere at the mo-

7

international

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

People wait to enter a Covid-19 vaccination center in Blackburn, Britain. (IANS).

ment is immunizing adults because it’s adults that suffer predominantly from this infection,” he said.

Meanwhile, epidemiologist Mike Tildesley said he is “cautiously hopeful” that hospital admissions in Britain will not be on the same scale as in January.

Tildesley, a member of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), another government advisory body, said cases have been “creeping steadily” over the past month “but we haven’t yet

seen that reflected in hospital admissions and deaths”.

“I’m cautiously hopeful that whilst we probably will expect some sort of wave of hospital admissions over the next few weeks, it won’t be the same scale that we saw back in January.”

The recent data published by Public Health England showed the AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant after two doses, and the Pfizer vaccine is 96 per cent effective against hospi-

talization after two doses.

More than 42.4 million people have been given the first jab of a coronavirus vaccine while more than 30.8 million people have been fully vaccinated with a second dose, according to the latest official figures.

Experts have warned that coronavirus may continue to evolve for years to come, and eventually it is likely current vaccines will fail to protect against transmission, infection, or even against disease caused by newer variants.

Hungary on heatwave alert

B u dap e st, J u n 2 0 (IANS): Hungarian authorities have issued a secondlevel heatwave alert, as the first hot spell of the summer hit the central European country.

The alert took effect from Saturday until Tuesday midnight, chief medical officer Cecilia Muller informed.

“High temperatures put a strain even on a healthy body, it can cause different complaints, discomfort and a lack of concentration,” the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) said in a statement.

“Young children, the elderly and those with cardiovascular disease are particularly at risk.”

According to OMSZ, the average temperature in most parts of the country will be above 25 degrees Celsius, except for three counties located in the mountainous northeast, reports Xinhua news agency.

The temperature is forecast to warm up to 3135 degrees Celsius during the day.

China’s nuclear leak cover-up: Top scientist dies mysteriously NEW DELHI, JUN 20 ( AGENCIES): Zhang Zhijian, a CCP member, a nuclear scientist of great repute and the former vicechancellor of the world renowned Harbin Engineering University, turned up dead on June 18 under mysterious circumstances, officially from a fall from a high building. His death comes amid a scandal of a geopolitical scope, reports News X. A few days ago, at China’s Taishan Nuclear Power Plant, 5 fuel rods suffered unknown amounts of damage, though the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was quick to declare that no radiation leak occurred and the situation was contained in a timely manner. Several governments, journalists and other entities are questioning the statement by China and call for an investigation. Amid this scandal of a geopolitical scope.

Interestingly, on June 16, just two days before Zhang’s death, another nuclear scientist named Yin

Zhang Zhijian

Jingwei had been appointed to the post of vice-chancellor at Harbin. The Harbin University released a statement mourning Zhang’s death and informing that the investigating police had discarded murder as a cause of death. No further details regarding the investigation were revealed.

There is speculation

about the death of Zhang and the nuclear plant accident being connected and while this may not be impossible, it it is still highly far-fetched. Unsurprisingly, the police has very conveniently declared that there was nothing suspicious in his death. A scientist falls from a building and there’s nothing suspicious, how?

China vaccine doses pass one billion mark Israeli PM: World powers must ‘wake up’ on Iran nuke deal

A university student receiving the CNBG Covid-19 vaccine at a university in Wuhan, Hubei province.

received shopping coupons.

A recent outbreak of the more contagious Delta variant of the virus in the southern city of Guangzhou has also served as a wake-up call for many dragging their feet. China reported 23 new coronavirus cases Sunday.

The country has four conditionally approved vaccines, whose published efficacy rates remain behind rival jabs by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have 95 percent and 94 percent success rates respectively.

China’s Sinovac previously said trials of its shot in Brazil showed around 50 percent efficacy in preventing infection and 80 percent

in preventing cases requiring medical intervention.

Sinopharm’s two vaccines have efficacy rates of 79 percent and 72 percent respectively, while the overall efficacy for CanSino’s stands at 65 percent after 28 days.

Many of them require two doses.

China is expected to produce more than three billion vaccine doses this year, state news agency Xinhua reported in April.

Health authorities have not said when China will reach herd immunity or what proportion of its vaccine doses will be sold abroad.

Pope supports Myanmar bishops’ appeal VATICAN CITY, JUN 20 (AGENCIES): Pope Francis on Sunday appealed to Myanmar’s military leaders to allow aid to reach displaced, hungry people who have fled fighting since the February 1 coup and to respect religious sites as places of sanctuary, reports Reuters.

Speaking at his Sunday blessing to crowds in St Peter’s Square, Francis said he wanted to “add my voice” to an appeal last week by Myanmar’s Catholic bishops. The pope, who has made many

Pope Francis

appeals for the release of political prisoners in Myanmar, spoke of the “heartbreaking experience of thousands of people in that country who are displaced and are dying of hunger”. He backed the

bishops’ appeal to authorities to allow humanitarian corridors in order to get aid to displaced people and to respect churches, pagodas, monasteries, mosques, temples, schools and hospitals, as neutral places of refuge.

The United Nations General Assembly on Friday called for a stop to the flow of arms to Myanmar and urged the military to respect November election results and release political detainees, including detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Jerusalem, Jun 20 (AP): Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Sunday opened his first Cabinet meeting since swearing in his new coalition government last week with a condemnation of the new Iranian president. He said Iran’s presidential election was a sign for world powers to “wake up” before returning to a nuclear agreement with Tehran.

Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief, Ebrahim Raisi, was elected Saturday with 62% of the vote amid a historically low voter turnout.

He is sanctioned by the US in part over his involvement in the mass execution of

thousands of political prisoners in 1988, at the end of the Iran-Iraq war. Raisi has not commented specifically on the event.

Bennett said at the Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem that “of all the people that (Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei could have chosen, he chose the hangman of Tehran, the man infamous among Iranians and across the world for leading the death committees that executed thousands of innocent Iranian citizens throughout the years.”

Iran and world powers were set to resume indirect talks in Vienna on Sunday to resurrect Tehran’s tattered

Naftali Bennett

2015 nuclear deal, which granted Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program.

For weeks, Iranian and American diplomats have been negotiating a return to the accord in the Austrian capital through European intermediaries.

Sunday’s talks are the first since the election of Raisi, which will put hardliners firmly in control across Iran’s government.

The landmark nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, which Israel opposed, collapsed after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the accord in 2018. That decision has seen Iran, over time, abandon every limitation on enrichment and Tehran is currently enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though still short of weapons-grade levels.

Bennett said Raisi’s election as Iranian president

was “the last chance for the world powers to wake up before returning to the nuclear agreement and to understand who they’re doing business with.

“These guys are murderers, mass murderers: a regime of brutal hangmen must never be allowed to have weapons of mass destruction that will enable it to not kill thousands, but millions,” he said.

Israel has long stated that it opposes arch-enemy Iran’s nuclear program and said it would prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes.

APPRECIATION

CONDOLENCE

The Lengrijan Villlage Council (LVC) extend our deepest appreciation to the 5 Assam Rifles, 99 APO, Firing Range Dimapur for assisting the council by contributing essential commodities towards daily wage workers living in Lengrijan Village.

The 5 Assam Rifles contributed food items meant to be contributed to 100 daily wages workers and families which were handed over to the Lengrjian Village Council at the Lengrijan Council Hall on June 18th 2021. The council has distributed the essential commodities to the daily wage workers.

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire society and in particular the daily wage workers. The generous and valuable contribution made by the 5 Assam Rifles will greatly help the families who are in dire need of basic and daily essentials.

T. ANUNG PONGEN AYIMSALANG LONGCHARI Chairman Secretary Lengrijan Village Council Lengrijan Village Council

Pathso Nokeng Union Kohima is shocked and grief at the untimely demise of Er. P. Jakpou Khiamniungan after a prolonged illness at Bethesda Hospital Kohima on 19.06.2021.

Er. P. Jakpou, was a visionary and fatherly figure who always had great interest and concern for the upliftment of his people and shouldered various pioneering roles. He was a responsible citizen and a great mentor of Pathso Nokeng Union Kohima who was also serving the Union as treasurer since its inception in 2002 till his last breath.

His passing away has left a large void for the union in particular and community in general. His good deeds and advises will always be cherished in our hearts. It is painful to bid adieu but it is our prayer that you will be with our loving God in peace.

The Union convey heartfelt condolences and pray that our Almighty God give strength and comfort to the bereaved family.

DP-2854

DP-2853

BEIJING, JUN 20 (AFP): The number of Covid-19 jabs administered in China has passed the one billion mark, health officials said Sunday, more than a third of the doses given worldwide.

The announcement by the National Health Commission comes after the number of shots administered globally surpassed 2.5 billion on Friday, according to an AFP count from official sources.

It is unclear what percentage of China’s population has now been inoculated but its vaccination drive got off to a slow start after a successful fight against the virus left little sense of urgency to get jabbed.

A lack of transparency and previous vaccine scandals have also led to resistance among residents.

Authorities have set an ambitious target of fully vaccinating 40 percent of the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people by the end of this month.

Some provinces are offering vaccines for free to encourage people to roll up their sleeves. Residents in central Anhui province have been given free eggs, while some living in Beijing have

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur

Near City Tower, Circular Road, Dimapur - 797112 ; Nagaland Govt. Regd. No. H/RS-4275, Dated 13-05-2005

OBITUARY

OFFICE OF THE Russia’s ambassador heads back to NATIONALIST DEMOCRATIC US after recall PROGRESSIVE PARTY (NDPP)

K Y M C

27th MOKOKCHUNG TOWN ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCY APPRECIATION

The all ranks and file of NDPP 27th Mokokchung Town Assembly Constituency would like to bring forth our sincere gratitude and appreciation to Shri Metsubo Jamir, Hon’ble Minister, Rural Development, Government of Nagaland for his immense service in reaching out to less privileged people of 27th Mokokchung Town constituency at this pandemic situation by contributing 2500 kg of rice.

We also would like to take the opportunity to thank our leader for providing emergency Covid-19 fund to all the 18 party offices in the constituency and also for providing 12000 numbers of N-95 masks for the people of the constituency.

May our Almighty God continue to bless you and your family abundantly.

C. Tia Longkumer Sashi Imchen President General Secretary (Admn)

MKC-169

Moscow, Jun 20 (AP): Russia’s ambassador is returning to the United States three months after being recalled as tensions rose between Moscow and Washington. Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Joe Biden agreed at their summit in Geneva last week on the return of Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov and US Ambassador John Sullivan, who left Moscow in April. Antonov on Sunday boarded an Aeroflot flight to New York and then was to travel to Washington. No date for Sullivan’s return has been announced.

26-12-1981 to 17-05-2021 With profound gratitude, the family of Late Imtimayang Jamir (Ungma) convey our heartfelt appreciation to one and all who stood by us physically, spiritually & financially during his brief illness and sudden demise on the 17th of May 2021. The appreciation for the compassion which we received in every way from neighbours, friends, relatives, churches, groups & well wishers towers above the emotion of grief following our loss.

To all those who could not make it to the funeral but sent your condolences, we thank you for your prayers and thoughtful words.

Loving Wife, Son & family members MKC-170

The congregation of the Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur convey heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family of Late Rev. Dr. Ellis Murry and pray for peace for the departed soul.

Late Rev. Dr. Ellis Murry was a man of God, filled with wisdom for the upliftment of God, a torch bearer to those living in spiritual darkness.

During his lifetime, he served God in any way possible for the glory of God. He was a pioneer of Lotha Baptist Church Dimapur and helped the Church in many capacities. He served the Church as a Deacon. Under his apt and dynamic leadership, he organized a Revival in 1977. he was served as the Youth Director at Kyong Baptist Ekhümkho Sanrhyutsü (now known as Lotha Baptist Churches Association). He also translated the Lotha Naga Bible. He was the founder of Christian Medical Centre, Vankhosung Wokha Nagaland.

He was the founder and full time General Secretary of Nagaland Missionary Movement in 1970, (now known as Nagaland Mission Movement).

His departure for glory has created a great void and will be greatly felt even in the days to come.

(Rev. Zanao Mozhui) Pastor, LBCD DP-2856 K Y M C

8

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021

Euro 2020: Italy, Wales qualify for round of 16 ready booked their ticket to the knockout rounds with a game to spare.

Wales, semi-finalists in 2016, suffered in a game they played a man down for most of the second half after

Ethan Ampadu was sent off for a foul on Federico Bernardeschi. Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, Wales’ all-time leading scorer with 33 international goals, could not add to his tally missing a chance

Switzerland keep knockout hopes alive

Italy’s Matteo Pessina celebrates after scoring his side’s opening goal in Rome, Sunday. (AP/PTI)

Rome/ Seville, Jun 20 (IANS/ANI): Italy and Wales on Sunday qualified from Group A into the round of 16 stage of the ongoing Euro 2020.

Matteo Pessina scored as Italy made it three wins out of three at Euro 2020 by beating 10-man Wales 1-0 to finish top of Group A on Sunday with both teams advancing to the last 16.

Italy topped its group

with nine points, while Wales and Switzerland finished with four points, but the former progressed to the next stage on the basis of goal difference.

Pessina’s goal means Italy will play the runner-up from Group C in the next round, with Wales facing the team that comes second in Group B. In his 35th game in charge of the Azzurri who

failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Roberto Mancini’s side also matched an 80-year Italian record.

Italy extended their unbeaten run to 30 games -- 25 wins and five draws -- a feat last achieved under two-time World Cup winning coach Vittorio Pozzo between 1935 and 1939.

It was also an 11th consecutive win with a clean sheet for Italy who had al-

wtc: New Zealand 101/2 at stumps in reply to India 217

Ishant Sharma, center without cap, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of New Zealand’s Devon Conway at the Rose Bowl in Southampton, England, Sunday. (AP/PTI)

Southampton, Jun 20 (PTI): India’s batting superstars struggled to decode the “big riddle” called Kyle Jamieson while the bowlers found new batting sensation Devon Conway a difficult customer as New Zealand finished the third day of the World Test Championship final in a strong position.

Jamieson’s second fivewicket haul against India in three Tests had Virat Kohli’s men all out for 217 in overcast conditions.

In reply, New Zealand were 101 for two at stumps, trailing India by 116 runs as Conway (54 off 152 balls) scored his third successive Test half-century before flicking one off Ishant Sharma to Mohammed Shami before the close of play.

Jamieson decimated India with marvellous figures

of 22-12-31-5 with generous help from the relentless Neil Wagner (15-5-40-2) and the crafty duo of Tim Southee (22-6-64-1) and Trent Boult (21.1-4-47-2).

Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor were batting on 12 and 0 respectively when bad light forced early stumps. Ishant Sharma removed opener Devon Conway (54 off 153) towards the end of the day to give India a much needed breakthrough.

India were all out for 217 and Kyle Jamieson was the pick of the New Zealand pacers, taking two wickets including the prized one of India skipper Virat Kohli, who could not add to his overnight 44.

Ajinkya Rahane (49 off 117) was playing well until he threw his wicket away with a half-hearted pull off

Neil Wagner.

The dangerous Rishabh Pant (4 off 22) did not last long, falling to a loose drive off Jamieson with Tom Latham taking a brilliant catch in the slips.

R Ashwin scored a valuable 22 off 27 in difficult conditions. Ravindra Jadeja was the last man to be dismissed on 15. India had resumed the day at 146 for three.

Brief Scores: India 1st Innings: 217 all out in 92.1 overs (Virat Kohli 44, Ajinkya Rahane 49, Rohit Sharma 34; Kyle Jamieson 5/31, Neil Wagner 2/40, Trent Boult 2/47).

New Zealand 1st Innings: 101 for 2 in 49 overs (Devon Conway 54, Tom Latham 30; Ishant Sharma 1/19, R Ashwin 1/20).

Xherdan Shaqiri scored twice to lead Switzerland to a 3-1 win against Turkey on Sunday in their Euro 2020 Group A match that kept their hopes of reaching the knockouts alive.

Turkey exit the competition after a third straight defeat while the Swiss hope to progress to the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams after finishing level with second-placed Wales on four points but behind on goal difference.

Haris Seferovic opened the scoring for Switzerland in the sixth minute when he took a pass from Steven Zuber before pivoting and driving a left-footed shot into the net from just outside the penalty area.

Switzerland doubled their lead in the 26th minute after Zuber picked up a blocked shot and slipped it to Shaqiri who took a touch and then unleashed a vicious longrange shot that gave the sprawling keeper no chance.

He doubled his tally in the 68th minute when he swept home a cross on the counter, minutes after Irfan Can Kahveci had pulled a goal back for Turkey.

Indian women archers crash out of Olympic contention Paris, Jun 20 (IANS): The Indian women’s recurve archery team lost 0-6 to Colombia in the first match and crashed out of an Olympic qualification tournament here on Sunday.

It was the last opportunity for them to win a team quota place.

Only the top three teams will earn a quota place for the Tokyo Olympic Games, starting July 23.

In the morning session of the final qualification, India finished second behind Mexico.

In the afternoon session, the team, consisting of Deepika Kumari, Komalika Bari and Ankita Bhakat, failed to live up to expectations and lost their first match to Colombia -0-6 to bow out of contention for the Olympics.

Deepika Kumari will now be the sole entry in the women’s section in the Tokyo Games. She will be in her third successive Olympics.

In the 2019 Olympic qualification cycle, Deepika Kumari had qualified in an individual event for the Olympics.

The men’s recurve team of Atanu Das, Tarundeep Rai and Pravin Jadhav had won team quota place during the 2019 World Championships in the Netherlands.

The qualification tournament will be followed by the World Cup Stage 3 from Monday.

Spain, Poland in danger of early exit after 1-1 draw

Both Spain and Poland are in danger of failing to qualify for the knockout stage of the European Championships after drawing their second Group E game 1-1. The result leaves Spain with two points from their first two matches and the Poles with just one and both probably need to win their last group games to avoid an early exit. Spain took the lead with a moment of suspense in the 27th minute when Moreno crossed for Morata to slip the ball past Wojciech Szczesny. The flag went up for offside, but after being reviewed by VAR the goal was given as legal.

Lewandowski drew Poland level in the 53rd minute, out-jumping Aymeric Laporte to score with a towering header as the defender complained about a push, but Spain were awarded a penalty barely a minute later when Jakob Moder was penalised for catching Moreno high and late with his studs.

Moreno picked himself up but sent his penalty against the post and the onrushing Morata was unable to direct the rebound into the open goal.

Points table GROUP A Pos Team MP W D L 1 Italy (Q) 3 3 0 0 2 Wales (Q) 3 1 1 1 3 Switzerland 3 1 1 1 4 Turkey 3 0 0 3 GROUP B Pos Team MP W D L 1 Belgium (Q) 2 2 0 0 2 Russia 2 1 0 1 3 Finland 2 1 0 1 4 Denmark 2 0 0 2 GROUP C Pos Team MP W D L 1 Netherlands (Q) 2 2 0 0 2 Ukraine 2 1 0 0 3 Austria 2 1 0 1 0 0 2 4 North Macedonia 2 GROUP D Pos Team MP W D L 1 Czech Republic 2 1 1 0 2 England 2 1 1 0 3 Croatia 2 0 1 1 4 Scotland 2 0 1 1 GROUP E Pos Team MP W D L 1 Sweden 2 1 1 0 2 Slovakia 2 1 1 1 3 Spain 2 0 2 0 4 Poland 2 0 1 1 GROUP F Pos Team MP W D L 1 France 2 1 1 0 2 Germany 2 1 0 1 3 Portugal 2 1 0 1 4 Hungary 2 0 1 1

Belgrade, Jun 20 (IANS): India’s Sajan Prakash won gold in the men’s 200 meters butterfly event in the Belgrade Open Swimming competition, but narrowly missed qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Prakash, 27, clocked one minute 56.96 seconds, but fell short of the ‘A’ qualification time of 1 minute 56.48 seconds late on Saturday.

Teenage Srihari Nataraj won gold in men’s 100m backstroke with a time of 54.45 seconds. His timing was, however, slower than the ‘A’ qualification time of 53.85 seconds. He has achieved the ‘B’ qualification time, but on Saturday he failed to get into a good rhythm and missed the qualification mark.

Shoan Ganguli won the third gold medal for India, in the men’s 400m medley with a time of four

Sajan Prakash who won gold in the men’s 200 meters butterfly event.

minutes 37.70 seconds.

However, he has so far not overcome the ‘B’ qualification time.

Maana Patel clocked 29.79 seconds to clinch silver in the women’s 50m backstroke while Tanish Mathew settled for bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly. Six Indian swimmers, including Prakash, have

GF 7 3 4 1

GA 0 2 5 8

GD 7 1 -1 -7

Pts 9 4 4 0

GF 5 1 1 1

GA 1 3 1 3

GD 4 -2 0 -2

Pts 6 3 3 0

GF 5 4 3 2

GA 2 4 3 5

GD 3 1 0 -3

Pts 6 3 3 0

GF 3 1 1 0

GA 1 0 2 2

GD 2 1 -1 -2

Pts 4 4 1 1

GF 1 2 1 2

GA 0 2 1 3

GD 1 0 0 -1

Pts 4 3 2 1

GF 2 4 5 1

GA 1 3 4 4

GD 1 1 1 -3

Pts 4 3 3 1

MONDAY’S MATCHES Ukraine Vs Austria: 9:30 pm Netherlands Vs North Macedonia: 9:30 pm Russia Vs Denmark : 12:30 am (Tuesday) Finland Vs Belgium: 12:30 am (Tuesday)

Belgrade swimming: Indians win 3 gold, miss Olympic qualification

achieved the ‘B’ qualification time in the 20192020 Olympic qualification cycle. ‘A’ qualification time guarantees an automatic berth.

Indian swimmers, particularly Nataraj and Prakash, will get one last chance to crack the ‘A’ qualification time next week in Rome.

Honda’s Marquez wins German Grand Prix

L o n d o n, J u n 2 0 (Agencies): Honda’s Marc Marquez won the German Grand Prix to claim his first victory since 2019.

This was the 28-yearold’s third podium finish in a row and his 11th straight victory at the Sachsenring circuit.

The Spaniard, a sixtime world champion, made his return this season after breaking his arm at the Spanish Grand Prix last July.

Por tugal’s Miguel Oliveira finished second ahead of championship leader Fabio Quartararo in third.

“The victory was a low possibly, but when I saw a few drops on laps four and five I thought: ‘this is my race’,” said Marquez.

“It was hard to concentrate because of all the memories and all the sensations of the past year.”

Verstappen wins French GP ahead of rival Hamilton L e Ca s t e ll e t (France), Jun 20 (AP): Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton on the penultimate lap to win the French Grand Prix and extend his lead over his title rival to 12 points.

Verstappen used the DRS system to catch Hamilton on Lap 52 and pass him on the inside before zooming off to clinch his third win of the season and 13th of his career. A bonus point for the fastest lap made it a great

Bucks beat Nets in thrilling NBA semi-final decider L o n d o n, J u n 2 0 ( Ag e n c i e s ) : G i a n nis Antetokounmpo’s 40 points helped the Milwaukee Bucks win the NBA Eastern Conference semi-final decider 115-111 against the Brooklyn Nets.

Kevin Durant scored 48 points for the Nets and made it 109 apiece with a second left to force overtime, BBC reported.

His toe was judged to be on the three-point line for the late effort as he earned two points instead of three before the Bucks went on to win.

They will now play the Atlanta Hawks or the Antetokounmpo shot 15-of-24 and had five assists in the decider against the Nets.

Philadelphia 76ers in the game like this,” said Khris “We got lucky with his toe The Nets had led 101final.

96 with four minutes re“I’ve never been in a Middleton of the Bucks. being on the line.”

for the equaliser in the final quarter of an hour.

Bale also missed a golden chance to level after 75 minutes with Moore crossing for the unmarked skipper who volleyed over.

maining of regulation time but had Durant to thank for taking the game into overtime.

Antetokounmpo then levelled the scores at 111111 before Middleton put his side 113-111 up and, after Durant missed with an effort, Brook Lopez sealed the win for the Bucks.

“I want to be great,” said Antetokounmpo. “We had to give everything. We knew we were going to be tired at the end of the game.”

Durant finished on the losing side, despite his tally of 48 being the most points scored in a game seven in NBA history. “We got looks, we just didn’t knock them down,” he said.

Max Verstappen, right, celebrates from the podium after winning with second place Lewis Hamilton. (AP/PTI)

day for Red Bull, which had Verstappen has 131 never beaten Mercedes on points to Hamilton’’s 119 the Paul Ricard circuit in after seven races. Red Bull’’s southern France.

Sergio Perez sneaked past

a dejected Valtteri Bottas to take third place and strengthen Red Bull’’s lead in the constructors’’ championship. Verstappen took an impressive pole position ahead of Hamilton and his teammate Bottas. Verstappen got away cleanly, but then made a basic error cutting the kerb on Turn 1 and gifted Hamilton the lead.

Right at the end of another exciting race, he made up for it heading into the Austrian GP in a week’’s time on Red Bull’’s home track.

Tendulkar pips Sangakkara to be the greatest Test batsman in 21st century

New Delhi, Jun 20 (IANS): Former India batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the record for most Test and ODI runs as well as most centuries across the two formats, pipped former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara as the greatest men’s Test batsman of the 21st century in a poll.

“This was a tight one.

Both Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar are icons of the game but the vote, the winner of the greatest Test batsman of the 21st century, is my fellow Mumbaikar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar,” Gavaskar said in a video uploaded by Star Sports,

Sachin Tendulkar (File)

who organised the poll in which cricket commentators and fans voted.

Tendulkar’s 15,921 runs and 51 centuries are the most in Test cricket history.

The man nearest to

him in the run-getters’ list is former Australia captain Ricky Ponting who is 2,543 runs behind.

In terms of centuries, he is six clear of Jacques Kallis who has 45 Test tons.

Printed, Published and Edited by Geoffrey Yaden at G.M. Printers, Circular Rd. Dimapur-797112. Ph: Desk 248489, Fax: 225366, e-mail-npdesk@gmail.com. Adm.& Advertisement  :248267 Fax: 248500 e-mail-npostadvt@gmail.com Kohima: 2290567, R.N. 40978/90 RN/NE 707 K Y M C

K Y M C