6 Oct 22

Nagaland

Correspondent

ANATG pushes state govt to the edge CNTC demands implementation of RIIN, review of backward quota

KOHIMA, OCT 5 (NPN): After members of ANATG-2015 batch rejected the proposal (to form a High Powered Committee) arrived at a joint meeting between ANATG office bear ers and Department of School Educa tion (DoSE) in presence of ANSTA on Friday, the agitation has reached a stalemate as ANATG continued its indefinite hunger-strike till regularisa tion of their service.

Asked for comment on the claim made by one of the agitating teach ers of ANATG-2015 that they were appointed under the department’s recruitment policy, an officer in DoSE maintained that the agitating teachers were appointed on ad-hoc basis and not recruited under the department’s recruitment policy.

The officer further opined that the agitating ANATG-2015 teach ers were probably confused between “regularization and recruitment”. He explained that the suitability test was conducted for regularisation of services but that the process had to be halted because the court during the period issued an order banning all ad hoc/contract employees from being

ENSF ‘mass public walkathon’ from October 7

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Eastern Naga Stu dents’ Federation (ENSF), which is set to commence “mass public walkathon movement” across all ad ministrative headquarters across Eastern Nagaland from October 7 as part of first phase of agitation to press for Frontier Naga land statehood demand, has called for mass public participation.

In a press release, ENSF information and pub licity secretary K Keyoung khum Yimkhiung appealed to the “eastern individual” residing outside to extend “consistent prayer and sup port in any manner possible in pursuit for Statehood demand.”

ENSF adopted resolu tion for “public walkathon” at Anatonger, Shamator district during its emer gency federal assembly on September 20, 2022.

The federation has in formed that businesses and offices would be restricted during programme hours, but district administration, police, para military, medi cal, fire & emergency ser vices have been exempted.

ENSF also informed that all its seven federation units (CWS, YAA, KSU, KSU (Konyak), USSC, PSC and TSU) have “endorsed all the logical arrangements” for the proposed agitation. It stated that agitation would be “strictly implemented” all over its jurisdiction and no leniency would be extended to any defaulters.

regularized. The officer also admitted that ANATG-2015 were appointed to various posts without advertisement or recruitment process.

It may be mentioned that ACAUT Nagaland had filed a peti tion in the Gauhati High Court Ko hima Bench in 2017 against ban on appointments on contract and ad-hoc basis and to which the court issued its order on 2018. However the court in 2019 allowed the state government plea for clearing backlog cases based as per 2008 criteria prior to the ban as per Office Memorandum(OM) on June 6, 2016.

The officer in the department admitted that posts to which appoint ments were made to ANATG-2015 employees were not advertised. It was disclosed that ad-hoc teachers were ap pointed on the strength of connections with influential sections.

The officer explained that had the ad hoc teachers been appointed through recruitment policy, then the current issue would not have arisen.

The officer cited the case of teachers appointed under RMSA and SSA who were selected in 2010 and 2013 but who could be absorbed into the service after very long time.

ANATG hunger strike enters 10th day

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Central Nagaland Tribes Council (CNTC)- comprising Ao, Sumi and Lotha tribes, has de manded implementation of Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) at the earliest and also to review the back ward quota policy.

was already submitted to the government after hold ing series of consultations with the tribal organisa tions, civil society and NGOs.

The ongoing indefinite hun ger strike called by ANATG-2015 batch in Kohima continued for a 10th consecutive day on Wednes day with no sign of resolution to the impasse between group and the Department of School Education (DoSE) on service regularisation.

ANATG member Bendang temsu Ozuküm said the protest ing teachers stayed firm in their demand and was planning to further intensify the agitation as the government was not ready to accept any of the three-point charter of demands placed dur

ing Tuesday’s meeting held with adviser School Education, com missioner & secretary, principal director and director School Education.

According to Ozukum, the three-point demand in clude-- (i) Regularisation for ANATG-2015 batch to be on the date the agreement was signed between the two parties, (ii) Se niority to be back dated to when ANATG-2015 batch members were eligible for the suitability test and (iii) State government to give written assurance for service regularisation.

In a statement issued through its media cell, CNTC expressed dismay that the state government despite setting up various committees, and report being submitted by the committees and approved by the cabinet, has not implemented any of these acts or policies in the state.

CNTC said that the committees were just a mere eye wash and lip ser vice to the people.

The council demand ed that the state govern ment act on the RIIN com mission report as the same

Uproar from NBCC, WTH over Naga motifs in Pandal

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN):

Images of Naga motifs used in a Pandal that went viral on social media has had the Na galand Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and Western Tenyimi Hoho (WTH) expressing strong resentment.

In a statement, NBCC gen eral secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho expressed dismay over the usage traditional attires and cultural items as decorative ele ments inside and outside Durga puja pandals in certain part of Dimapur adding religious cel ebrations and rituals should be done within the ambit of one’s own religious practice. He said what was intended to be an at traction could be viewed as an

insult on the community when unrelated culture and religious elements are used by others.

He alleged that the inten tion of the use of Naga motifs appeared to be to provoke and hurt the sentiments of the people and to give false presentation and impression to the outside world that Nagas were Hindus.

Keyho said a propaganda is as serious as false conversion accusation used by the Hindu majority group to persecute and demolish the sacred institutions of the Christians. “Let your Durga puja celebration and rituals which you go through during this season remain yours in a peaceful manner,” he said and urged not to portray wrong

image and picture to the outside world by using Naga attires as decorative piece. He further said using cultural pieces without understanding the deep-seated meaning, would hurt and go a long way in creating misunder standing between communities.

While suggesting to deco rate pandals according to the Hindu culture and religious practices, Keyho said one should not hurt the sentiments of the community by misusing their culture, traditions and practices.

“What the Hindu commu nity has done is not only an insult to the culture of the people of the land but it is a religious bigotry and blasphemy,” Keyho stated.

NDPP-BJP treating teachers as political pawns: RPP

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN):

Accusing the NDPP-BJP leaders of “treating the teachers as politi cal pawns”, the Rising People’s Party (RPP) Wednesday said asked the NDPP-BJP to “stop their disgusting game of oneUpmanship.”

RPP asserted the only conclusion it could draw from this episode was that NDPPBJP leaders were “sick humans without any moral qualms and ethics.”

“What kind of coalition government is this where both the partners are trying to bring pull down each other’s pants over the literally suffering bodies of teachers?” RPP stated.

The party has reminded the agitating teachers to not fall prey

to any commitments whatsoever short of regularisation.

Stating that the ongoing ANATG agitation could only be resolved politically, the RPP has, therefore, advised the teachers to stop talking with the bureaucrats in the education department.

The party stated that the political leadership led by advi sor school education should have addressed the issue from day one. However, RPP expressed dismay that despite the serious nature of the agitation the lead ers were yet to respond to the plight of teachers.

RPP also stated that only the intervention of the chief minister could resolve the issue. The party has advised that the teachers continue to stand their

ground till the state cabinet took a positive decision.

“It’s inhuman that our politicians should remain silent when day after day teachers are being hospitalized including one lady teacher in serious condi tion,” RPP said and questioned who would be responsible if any untoward incident happened?

The party has, therefore, reminded NDPP-BJP coalition partners to get their priorities right and “stop their whispering campaigns” against each other over the issue for petty political mileage.

If at all NDPP or BJP were really serious, RPP said they would have come out openly in support of the teachers by now and got the job done.

Pandal erected in W. Bengal: HSS

When attention was drawn on the controversy surrounding the images/video that went viral on social media on the is sue, president Hindu Seva Samiti Dimapur Y.P.Gupta told Nagaland Post Wednesday that pandal was erected in Kharagpur West Bengal and not in Nagaland.

Gupta, who is also an advocate, in formed that HSS had taken note of the video and inspected all the pandals in Dimapur and Kohima. He said it was later found that no such pandal was erected in Nagaland.

Gupta urged upon all against posting such videos without verifying or authenti cating the facts which hurt the culture or religion of others. He said the Samiti had also issued strict guidelines to all, including setting up of puja pandals. Gupta said every community in Nagaland has been living peacefully, and there has been no differences.

However, CNTC wondered why the govern ment/those at the helm, have not introduced the act which had been initiated by them.

Pointing out some loopholes in the backward quota policy, CNTC de manded that the govern ment review the policy as per the guidelines.

Despite the policy un dergoing several changes, since its implementation in 1977, CNTC, however said that the state government has failed to review the policy as per the guidelines (i.e) to review the policy every 10 years.

With the tenure of the present government coming to an end, CNTC

said the report of the High Power Committee on back ward quota was yet to be implemented. Therefore, the council has asked the state government to come out with proper guidelines as the earliest.

Further, CNTC also demanded early comple tion of the Foothill road. The council said that the ‘People’s Road’ was not given importance by the government due to “unjus tified development” taking place.

CNTC alleged that “there is unequal distribu tion of funds and schemes and some funds meant for these areas have been diverted to those in power.”

The council, how ever, resolved to extend unflinching support to Nagaland Foothill Road Co-ordination Committee for early completion of the foothill road.

NH demands AFSPA withdrawal

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Naga Hoho (NH) has maintained that the extension of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AF SPA) in the Naga areas was “only the justification of how India had forcefully oc cupied the free Naga land” and reiterated its demand for complete withdrawal of the “Draconian Act from the region once and for all.”

NH through its media cell said that the govern ment of India seemed to reject and discard the voice of the people when the popularly elected demo cratic government of Na galand had recommended for repeal of the infamous

Gov, CM extend Tsokum, Yemshe festival greetings

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN):

Nagaland governor Prof. Jag dish Mukhi and chief minister Neiphiu Rio have greeted the members of Khiamniungan and Pochury communities on the occasion of Tsokum festival and Yemshe festival respectively.

In his message, Prof. Mukhi said Tsokum festival is celebrated to invoke blessings for a bountiful harvest and to avoid any unforeseen misfor tune among family members during the time of harvest. Governor said Tsokum festi val, which has the underlying essence of promoting unity, peace and harmony, provides

Durga puja concludes with immersion of idols

DIMAPUR, OCT 5

(NPN): The three-day Durga Puja, an annual Hindu festival, concluded on Wednesday with the im mersion of idols at different river ghats.

This year a total of 58 attractive pandals were set up by Hindu community across Dimapur and Chü moukedima districts, which was thronged by devotees.

Speaking to Nagaland Post , Hindu Seva Samiti (HSS) president and advo cate YP Gupta said a total of 43 Durga idols were immersed at Dhansiri river, Purana bazar Dimapur and others at Dhansiri river near

Rangapahar crossing. Out of five pandals at Chümoukedima, three idols were immersed at Chathe river, 4th Mile and two at Dhansiri river

galand State Disaster Man agement (NSDMA) person nel, HSS also assigned five to six volunteers including some swimmers who could provide assistance in case of any untoward incident. However, there was no re ports of untoward incidents during the celebration.

Gupta also said that immersion took in a disci plined and peaceful man ner. Different stalls selling colourful balloons, toys and sweet were set up at immer sion area.

an opportunity to understand and appreciate the beauty of the underlying ancient phi losophies of the community.

Prof. Mukhi also said it was important for the chil dren to carry on the rich culture and tradition.

In another message, governor said the Pochury community rejoices the fruit of their hard work during the celebration of Yemshe-- a harvesting festival.

Stating that enthusiastic cleaning of the village by the people was an important practice, the governor called upon all especially the youth

AFSPA 1958. “When India had officially recognized the political rights of the Nagas, why should India play fool with the sentiments of the Naga people?” NH said.

Stating that there can not be true peace and mu tual respect through the barrel of a gun, the NH has, therefore, said that the “draconian law must go away from our land.”

NH said it looked for ward with hope for a peace ful resolution to the “IndoNaga” political issue. NH has, however, expressed ap prehension that there cannot be true spirit of peace and tranquillity with AFSPA in place.

IMD predicts rainfall in NE

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rainfall activity in several parts of the country including the North Eastern region in the next few days.

According to IMD, light to mod erate rain may occur over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura and Meghalaya on October 8 and 9.

“A low-pressure area lies over west central Bay of Bengal and neigh bouring areas. It is very likely to move west-northwestwards towards Andhra Pradesh coast in the next two days,” the forecast read.

“A trough runs from the cyclonic circulation associated with the above low-pressure area to Bangladesh in lower and middle tropospheric levels,” IMD added.

WSH, CPO resolve to strengthen relationship

Purana bazar. Gupta said that 43 AR also immersed their idol at Dhansiri river, Purana bazar.

Gupta informed that apart from police and Na

Before the immer sions, women took part in ‘Sindoor Khela’ ritual, wherein they put vermilion on each other in various Puja pandals.

also resolved to reaffirm July 17, 2020 resolution, in which the two apex or ganisations declared not to allow its members to form any organization without the consent and approval from the two organisations within its jurisdiction.

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) and Chakhroma Public Or ganisation (CPO) have re solved to have joint meeting from time to time so as to strengthen their relationship.

In a joint statement, WSH president Shikaho

Zhimomi and CPO presi dent Zhato Kimho said the two bodies adopted the resolution during a coor dination meeting at CPO Hall Chümoukedima on October 4, 2022 under the initiative of CPO.

Further, the meeting

Immersion of Durga idol at Dhansiri river on Wednesday. (NP)

WSH and CPO officials during the coordination meet at CPO Hall, Chümoukedima

ANATG members on hunger strike on the 10th day in Kohima. (NP)

AR organises ‘national integration tour’ for students

LHD informs on Tokhü Emong celebration

DIMAPUR: Lotha Hoho Dimapur (LHD) has in formed all respective vil lages, wards and colonies to celebrate the ensuing Tokhü Emong in a “decen tralised manner” within its jurisdiction.

Ongpang

DIMAPUR: Dimapur battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of IGAR (N) organised a 10-day “national integration tour” to Gujarat for students of Dimapur and Chümouke dima districts from Sep tember 30.

According to PRO IGAR (N), students inter acted with the governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat on October 5, at the Raj Bhavan. Altogether, 16 stu dents and two professors from Tetso College and St Joseph University are part

BSG Kiphire conducts annual training camp

of the tour.

PRO informed that during the tour, students will visit various important institutes and attractions in Ahmedabad, Gandhi nagar and Jamnagar.

The tour will culmi nate on October 10.

NEWS IN BRIEF

AZSU (AMN) elects new team: All Zelian grong Students’ Union (AMN) elected a new team of executive mem bers for the tenure 20222025 during its 24th general conference. The new team will be led by D. Stephen Zeme as president, Edward Nring as vice president, Haiheube Kaume as general secretary along with five other mem bers.

In a press release, LHD chairman, Y.L.Jami and general secretary, N. Mhabemo Mozhui said the decision to celebrate Tokhü Emong during No vember 6-7, 2022 in a “de centralised manner” was taken on August 30, 2022 in the Lotha community as a whole under LHD jurisdiction.

Further, LHD has requested all concerned to observe and strictly fol low all the restrictions and guidelines given by the government from time to time.

DIMAPUR: Ongpang Waipong Zunga (OWZ) celebrated its silver jubi lee on October 4 at Da rogapathar, Dimapur.

In a press release, OWZ stated that during the programme, mission ary Rev. C. Tiyong Ki chu delivered a message

based on Luke 4:16-19 and Psalm 150:1-6, “proclaim ing freedom and praise as the most important footprints we can leave behind”.

The jubilee was graced by Nagaland Leg islative Assembly (NLA) Speaker, Sharingain Long

KBC organises VBS at Itanagar

kumer while OWZ mem ber Capt. Imliakum Ao, a Mahavir Chakra Kargil War Hero and Badminton Association of India, vice president, Dr. Watizulu ex horted the jubilee celebra tor with their testimony of personal achievement.

Other speakers

silver

Campers near 14 IR office during their outing activity.

DIMAPUR: Kiphire district Bharat Scouts & Guides (BS&Gs) conduct ed its annual campingcum-training from Oc tober 1-3 at 14 IR camp Okhezong, Kiphire.

During the camp, camp fire chief, ABI 14 IR, Maluto said scouting movement was an inter national movement where they provided voluntary service to the society.

He encouraged the campers to actively partici pate as such opportunity was rare.

Sessions on Pravesh and Pratham Sobhan were held besides other activi ties imparted by the re source persons.

Adult leaders from different schools under

Govt compensates slain truck driver’s family

DIMAPUR: Nagaland government compensa tion to the family of late Jiten Gogoi, a truck driver who was shot dead by unknown miscreants on September 22, 2020 in Dimapur, was handed over on October 3 at KK Agency Tower, Khatkhati premises.

In a press release, Dimapur District Truck Owner’s Association (DDTOA) vice president, Kisheto Aye stated that the compensation was handed over during a pro gramme held under the banner of joint coordina tion committee Assam, Nagaland.

Along with the Naga land government compen sation, DDTOA informed that the KK Agency Khat khati, DDTOA, Dimapur Truck Drivers Union and Khatkhati Transporters also handed cash donation to the victim’s family in the presence of SDO (CIVIL) Bokajan, OC Khatkhati po lice station, Bokajan Truck Owners Association and all office bearers of the Joint Coordination committee.

Meanwhile, the com mittee has thanked Naga land government for re leasing the compensation to the victim’s family.

Kiphire district who com pleted beginners’ course recently also attended the camp.

Altogether, 184 camp ers participated in the an nual training programme.

BJP Mkg conducts workshop: BJP Mo kokchung district con ducted workshop on NAMO Application on October 4 with coor dinator, NAMO APP, New Delhi, Temsutula Imsong as the resource person.

VBS participants along with KBC members and others.

DIMAPUR: Koinonia Baptist Church (KBC) organised a Vacation Bible School (VBS) on the theme “train up a child in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6), at Techi apartment, Panchali State Museum Road, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, from September 5-October 2.

In a press release,

Koinonia media ministry stated that the seven-day programme was conduct ed with four session teach ers, two praise and worship leaders and other officials from Koinonia Baptist Church.

Highlights of the VBS included fellowship, prayer and counselling, various sessions on Bible lessons,

Bible story, creativity, art, video, singing and games.

Meanwhile on Oc tober 2, a spiritual awak ening programme was held with assistant pastor, Koinonia Prayer Centre, H Rokopra Mekro as the speaker.

Altogether, 80 stu dents attended the vaca tion Bible school.

from Ongpangkong Sen so Telongjem Dimapur (OSTD) and Ongpang kong Senso Telongjem Chumukedima (OSTC) encouraged OWZ to “keep striving for unity, good works and growth and also to mould excellent citizen for the Naga land”.

1st Death anniversary

Lt. Nihoshe Swu (06.10.2021)

"It is not what he has or even what he does which expresses the worth of a man, but what he is."

Today marks the 1st year that we have gone past without you. Thank you for being the Man you were, you've done wonderful deeds, helped and inspired not only us but so many people around you.

You are deeply missed and your memories are always treasured.

Loving Children, Grandchildren and In-laws

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Draft publication of electoral roll of Zunheboto district was administered by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) and ERO Zunheboto, Moakumzuk Tsudir on October 4 at ADC’s chamber in the presence of concerned officers and handed over to town GBs. (DIPR)

Students and professors along with governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat on October 5.

Members of Ongpang Waipong Zunga and others at the programme on October 4.

WEATHER FORECAST

OCTOBER 6

LKS organises training on weaving, bamboo craft

important now, than ever before.

If this trend continues then the next generation would have to relearn ev erything from scratch and lose many valuable knowl edges in that process, she stated.

Neisakuonuo stated the group was now at a point where they acted as the vital linkage between the past, present and the future and therefore, they had taken up the mantle of their role seriously and was acting on it accordingly.

DIMAPUR: Battalions of Assam Rifles under the aegis of Headquarters of Inspector General of As sam Rifles (IGAR-North) organised various civic action programmes across Nagaland.

Ghaspani battal ion: Ghaspani battalion organised a mega plog run-cum-cleanliness drive at Ghaspani, Nihokhu, Kukidolong, Piphema, Zubza and MS42 under Chümoukedima, Niuland and Kohima districts on October 2.

According to PRO IGAR (N), the drive was organised to emphasise the

Correspondent

KOHIMA, OCT 5 (NPN):

Lidi Kro-Society (LKS) organised a training pro gramme on “weaving and bamboo craft” at Melody Hill, here, on Wednesday.

Speaking at the pro gramme, special guest, Kohima Village Council (KVC) chairman, Helievio Solo lauded the group for taking up the initiative to preserve the age practices through the training.

Highlighting the im portance of cultural heri tage, he informed that there were different types includ ing tangible and intangible.

He said passing knowledge through tan gible heritages such as attires and methods they were made was one of the best ways to pass to the upcoming generations.

Helievio Solo pointed out that the need to pre serve and promote rich cultural heritages of the people was enshrined in the KVC constitution and therefore, he said the coun cil was doing its best to propagate similar activities.

He reminded the good practices of the forefathers who were proactive and diligent in obtaining the things they required such

as garments, tools and traditional gears by crafting and weaving themselves.

President of the so ciety, Neisakuonuo Solo stated that the main objec tive of LKS was to preserve the age-old practices by imparting skills to younger generation and students.

She informed that ear lier, LKS conducted skill training on rice pounding, folksongs, bamboo basket weaving etc.

She pointed out that with the change in lifestyle, the upcoming generations were losing such knowl edge and that the need to pass the same was more

Earlier, the inaugural programme was chaired by Khriezohunuo Sote, invocation was offered by Vilazonuo Rutsa while wel come address was delivered by Neizoviü Sekhose.

Later, Kelhoulenuo Keyho proposed the vote of thanks.

Around 15 students from Christ King Higher Secondary School accom panied by their teachers participated in the training.

During the day long training, students received practical lessons on weav ing, spinning yarns, learn ing names of handloom tools, etc.

Guwahati’s mountaineer missing in Uttarakhand avalanche

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 ( AGENCIES): Deepshikha Hazarika, from Assam is among those are reported missing after the mountain eers’ team she was a part of was hit by a avalanche in Uttarakhand, reports East Mojo. Hazarika, who is the daughter of Golap Hazarika, is a resident of Rajgarh in Guwahati, As sam.

The mountaineer was undergoing training at the Nehru Institute of Moun taineering (NIM) Uttar kashi. The 41-member team

of trainee mountaineers were hit by the avalanche that occurred at around 8.45 am on Tuesday when they were returning along with their instructors after climbing the peak.

After the avalance hit, NIM issued a statement saying, “The course arrived at Base Camp on Septem ber 25. As per the training schedule on October 4, the course moved for High Alti tude Navigation and height gain to Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II (5670m) at 4.00 am.

Assam Rifles conducts civic action programmes

The Advance Moun taineering Course met with the avalanche that occurred above camp-1 in which 34 trainees and 7 mountain eering instructors were caught under avalanche while returning back from the mountain peak.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have continued carrying out extensive search and rescue operations on the high mountain peak.

need to keep surroundings clean.

The events were con ducted on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti as part of the “Swatch Bharat Mis sion:”.

Mokokchung battal ion: Mokokchung battalion organised plogrun at Mo kokchung town on October 2 as part of the Fit India Movement and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Altogether, 250 par ticipants including offi cers junior commission officers, warrant officers, other ranks took part in the programme.

Jalukie battalion: Ja

lukie battalion conducted a mega cleanliness drive at various places under Peren district on October 2.

The drive was organ ised as part of Gandhi Jayanti to promote a “clean & plastic free environment and dignity of labour’”.

The drive was jointly conducted with CSOs, lo cal youth, women societ ies and students wherein a total of 430 individuals participated.

Mon battalion: Mon battalion organised a clean liness drive at Naginimora Garrison with students of Assam Rifles Public School, Mon district.

Amid protests on lifting prohibition, Manipur issues draft liquor policy

IMPHAL, OCT 5 (PTI):

The state government is sued the draft Manipur Liquor Regulation Policy even as protests continued over the cabinet’s decision to partially lift the prohibi tion from the state.

Aiming to generate employment and increase the revenue of the state, the draft policy issued on Tuesday night said it was seeking to address the prob lem of the black market in liquor due to prohibition and the menace of illegal drugs.

The draft said the policy seeks to eradicate distillation, transportation, possession, consumption and sale of illicit liquor and restrict the availability of local liquor and Indi an-made foreign liquor (IMFL).

It also seeks to re duce “the impact of illicit and adulterated liquor on health” as well as “the demand of intoxicating drinks”.

The draft said that manufacturing and sale of local brew or country li quor without FSSAI certifi cation would be prohibited.

It said that the manu facturing of local brew would be encouraged through co-operative so cieties.

The aim of the policy is to restrict availability of liquor in the state, and ac cordingly, liquor would not be sold or served to those under 25 years, it added.

Liquor would only be sold at outlets licensed by the government and managed by a government agency or the license hold er, the draft said.

“Dry days at least once a week and on nation al/state holidays/ any day fixed by the government will be implemented,” it said.

Manufacturing of beer and wine from locally avail able fruits and materials for export would be promoted, and application for GI (Geographical Indication) tag would be pursued, it said.

A certain percentage of the revenue generated can be set aside for employ ment generation schemes, and projects for women and youths of the state, it said.

Seeking to promote awareness among the people about the harmful effects of liquor, the draft said that the government would extend support to organsiations working for such public awareness.

Rehabilitation centres would also be established, it said.

The cabinet of Chief Minister N Biren Singh on September 20 decided to partially lift the ban on brewing, consumption and sale of liquor.

The prohibition will be lifted from all the district headquarters, including Imphal city, tourist des tinations, hotels with at least 20-bed lodging facili ties and camps of security forces.

The partial lifting of prohibition would gener ate at least Rs 600 crore in annual revenue, the govern ment claimed.

Several women’s or ganisations have been pro testing the government’s move with Nupi Samaj threatening to start an agi tation from October 11 if the decision is not with drawn.

The students were sen sitised on the importance of cleanliness and were encouraged to inculcate “Swachhta” in their lives.

A total of 100 stu dents, teachers and staff of ARPS joined the cleanli ness drive.

Tuensang battalion: Tuensang battalion organ ised “cleanliness drive” as part of “Swachhata Abhi yan” at AOR Mon district on October 2.

The event was or ganised to spread aware ness among the locals and troops on the importance of hygiene and sanitation.

Zunheboto battalion:

BJP Nagaland fetes Phangnon Konyak

DIMAPUR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nagaland has extended its congratula tions to MP Rajya Sabha, Phangnon Konyak, on being appointed as a member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on transport, tourism and culture. BJP Nagaland state through its media cell stated that Phang non Konyak fought her way to become the first woman to be elected as MP in Rajya Sabha from the state, add ing that she has time and again proven her worth as an epitome of empowerment.

Further, BJP Nagaland state expressed hope that she would work with conviction for the welfare of her people and continue to bring more laurels to the state.

Zunheboto battalion organ ised a cleanliness drive as part of “Swachhata Abhi yan” at Zunheboto garri son. The programme was attended by all the troops and over 60 families and children.

The children were sensitised on importance of cleanliness and were encouraged to inculcate “Swachhta” in their lives.

Phek battalion: Phek battalion of Assam Rifles on October 2, organised a “plogrun” as a part of Fit India Movement and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Phek district on the oc casion of Gandhi Jayanti.

Manipur CM Biren Singh inaugurates two open gyms

IMPH AL, OCT 5

(AGENCIES): Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday, inaugurated two open gyms at Cheirao Ching, Thangmeiband in Imphal West and Marjing Polo Complex, Heingang in Imphal East.

The gyms were in stalled under Chief Min ister’s Indigenous Martial Arts Akademi, Manipur, with the support from the Manipur government.

CM Biren Singh ex pressed satisfaction with seeing the equipment and machine installed at the site. Stressing the need for proper maintenance of the open gyms, he instructed the Superintendent of Police, Imphal West to deploy some security per

sonnel to guard the Open Gym at Cheirao Ching and to check on damage and robbery of equipment by unknown miscreants.

Gym trainers who were present at the site also demonstrated the uses of the gym equipment to the

chief minister.

MLA of Thang meiband AC Khumuk cham Joykisan, Chief Secretary Dr Rajesh Ku mar, Additional Chief Secretary V. Vumlunmang and Director (Tourism) W. Ibohal were also present

at the inauguration venue among others.

After inaugurating the Open Gym at Marjing Polo Complex, the chief minister inspected the on going installation work of the Statue of Sagol Kangjei Player at the Complex. He interacted with the concerned engineer and contractor and instructed them to complete the work by 1st week of November this year.

Later, he also inspect ed the ongoing construc tion works of the Manipur Police Headquarters and Civil Secretariat at Man tripukhri. He was accom panied by Chief Secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar and Ad ditional Chief Secretary V Vumlunmang during the inspection.

121 kg gold seized by DRI since September

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The recent gold seizures in the North East by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) indicate a spurt in the smug gling of gold through the NE borders of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

While the porous bor ders have been used for

smuggling in the past, 11 cases of gold seizures of 121 kg in September 2022 alone show that the NE corridor is still extensively being used by smugglers deploying inge nious ways of concealment.

Acting on specific in telligence and in three co ordinated interceptions at Patna, Delhi and Mumbai,

the DRI seized 65.46 kg of foreign-origin gold worth Rs 33.40 crore. The gold was consigned from Aizwal to Mumbai in domestic courier consignment. The gold was concealed in gunny bags declared as clothes.

In yet another case of smuggling through the same route, the DRI seized an

other big haul of smuggled foreign origin gold weighing approximately 23.23 kg and valued at Rs 11.65 crore (approx.) which was being smuggled from Myanmar.

Specific intelligence indicated that a substantial quantity of foreign-origin gold will be attempted to be smuggled from Cham

phai-Aizawl, Mizoram to Kolkata, West Bengal by carrying/concealing them in the vehicle. To interdict the contraband, coordinated action was undertaken on 28th – 29th September 2022.

The DRI officers mounted surveillance on the highway connecting Siliguri – Gu wahati.

Meküli Baptist Arogo Mission Board organised a two-day seminar for Dimapur Meküli Senso Telongjem (DMST) on the theme “Kibong Asüngsashi” on October 4 and 5 at World Impact Community Church, Padumpukhuri, with Youth Harvest Ministry director Rev. Kilang Jamir and Dimapur Ao Baptist Arogo (DABA) associate pastor Rev. Wati Kichu as speakers. A separate seminar was also organised for Dimapur Meküli Shisashir Telongjem on October 5 on the theme “Lisopur Ayak” (indigenous identity). (NP)

Manipur CM Biren inaugurates two open gyms for public in Imphal.

Ghaspani battalion

Jalukie battalion

Mon battalion

Zunheboto battalion

Mokokchung battalion

Army chopper crashes in Arunachal; 1 pilot killed

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 (PTI): A man was arrested in Bongaigaon district of Assam for his alleged in volvement in cybercrimes, mostly in financial matters, police said on Wednesday.

According to a senior officer of the Assam Po lice, multiple raids were conducted on Tuesday in the state in coordination with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

“We conducted the raids in Bongaigaon and Majuli on the basis of cases registered with the Assam Police. One person was arrested from Bongaigaon during the raid,” he added.

ITANAGAR, OCT 5

(IANS): A pilot was killed and another injured when a Cheetah helicopter of Army Aviation crashed near Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang on Wednesday, officials said.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col Mahendra Rawat said that the Cheetah he licopter, which was on a routine sortie, crashed at around 10 a.m. injuring both the pilots and they were immediately evacu

ated to nearest Military Hospital. “With regret to inform that one of the pi lots Lt Col Saurabh Yadav, who was critically injured, succumbed to the injuries during treatment.

“The second pilot is under medical treatment. The cause of the crash at this stage is not known. Details are being ascer tained,” he said. Expressing his deep shock, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu offered all

assistance.

“Pained by the news of crash of helicopter at Nyamjang Chu near BTK area of Jemeithang circle in Tawang district. I am in touch with the Army officials for every possible assistance, and pray for speedy recovery of the in jured pilots,” he tweeted.

Eastern Army Com mand chief, Lt General R.P. Kalita also expressed his deep sorrow over the accident.

Another accused, hail ing from Majuli, has been missing, with his family and locals claiming that he has not returned to the vil lage since 2004, the officer told PTI.

The investigators seized a mobile phone and some documents from the arrested person in Bon gaigaon, and recovered a duplicate NRC list from the residence of the Majuli suspect, he added.

The Assam Police acted on the basis of dif ferent cases registered with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in 2019,

the officer said.

The CBI on Tues day launched ‘Operation Chakra’ in coordination with Interpol, FBI and po lice forces of multiple coun tries against cyber criminals involved in financial crimes, carrying out searches at 115 locations with police forces in multiple states.

The CBI has registered 11 cases against cyber crimi nals involved in financial frauds using the internet and the agency conducted searches at 87 locations in 16 states, while 28 locations were raided by the state police forces.

Police Forces of eight states and union territories, including Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam, Karna taka, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh and Haryana, participated in the operation, CBI said in a statement.

The agencies have seized about Rs 1.8 crore in cash and 1.5 kg gold, while bank accounts with an amount of around Rs 1.89 crore have been frozen in Karnataka.

The action took place in coordination with Inter pol, FBI, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Aus tralian Federal Police.

Militants assault driver for not paying ‘tax’ on Mnp highway

Correspondent

IMPHAL, OCT 5: Driv ers of passenger service vehicles on Wednesday threatened to impose an indefinite blockade along Imphal-Moreh section of NH-102 if militants in volved in the physical as sault on a driver were not booked within 48 hours.

The drivers suspended their services for the day on Wednesday to protest against physical assault of one of their colleagues by cadres of a militant group on Tuesday night.

Drivers also demanded removing militants collect ing illegal taxes along the highway and alleged that they were collecting the tax openly at places close to police and security check posts. Cadres of an armed group assaulted a driver of the passenger service Ecovan, identified as Md Abdul

Hakim (30) of Sora Keithel, physically around 7 pm on Tuesday near a police outpost at Chamol village in Tengnoupal district.

The militants alleg edly beat up the driver for refusing to pay the “tax” collected by them from the drivers on a daily basis.

As informed by the victim, he was stopped

by the cadres on his way back from Moreh town at Chamol village and was asked to pay Rs 250 as tax.

He requested them to exempt the tax for the day as he had a dull business and he was returning without a passenger. The militants, however, insisted he pay Rs 100. He failed to pay the amount as he exhausted his

money on paying entry fees to the police and security check posts

The angry militant then dragged him down from the vehicle and beat him up with a cane, he said. Apart from commer cial transportation, normal passenger service was also severely hit after vehicles stayed off the road to pro

test against militants’ atroci ties and harassment meted out to drivers.

The drivers also staged a protest at Sora in Kak ching district in protest against the assault on their colleague and suspended their services for a day at today Sora..

A driver on the condi tion of anonymity said a meeting of drivers was con vened where it was resolved to set a 48-hour deadline to the government to book the culprits.

The meeting also re solved to impose an indefi nite blockade on the NH102 if their demand is not fulfilled by the government.

He also drew the atten tion of the government to check the prejudicial activi ties of the militants along the highway and relieve the drivers from the atrocities and harassment meted to them by the militants.

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Drawing atten tion to various incidents, including the recent inci dent where an improvised explosive device (IED) was allegedly planed by security forces in Puilang (Kambi ron) village, Tamenglong district, Manipur, on Sep tember 24, 2022, the Global Naga Forum (GNF) has demanded an independent judicial inquiry headed by a retired Supreme Court judge to probe into the inci dent on the ground of prima facie evidence confessed by one Thiyam Ashok Singh.

Expressing anguished by the “deliberate attempt of the Indian Army to kill innocent Naga citizens, again”, GNF alleged that the explosive device was planted by personnel of the 87th CRPF battalion at Kambiron at the instruc tion of one Inspector, and in collusion with the 39th Assam Rifles of Nungba HQ Tamenglong district, Manipur.

GNF said that this was the fourth such device planted in the Nungba area in the last four years alleg edly by the Assam Rifles, who claimed to “Friends of the Hill People.”

demands judicial

It said that the failed attempt to kill innocent Nagas in Tamenglong dis trict came at a significant time when the renovation program for the freedom fighter Jadonang Memorial was underway at Puilang village.

Had it not been thwart ed by the vigilant women folks of the village, GNF said many innocent people would have been killed in the explosive mayhem.

It further alleged that, two weeks prior to this, the Assam Rifles force fully occupied nine Naga villages in neighbouring district of Ukhrul, Mani pur. Also, on December 4, 2021, GNF said Indian commandos massacred 14 innocent civilians in a botched Indian Army ambush against supposed Naga nationalist group near Oting village, Mon district.

And, in April 2022, it said that in the Naga areas of Ti rap, Changlang, and Long ding district in Arunachal Pradesh, 12 Para Special Commando Force willfully shot two Chasa Villagers, who were coming back to their village after fishing.

“This was not just a reckless act; it was an at

tempt to murder. The simple reason all these military crimes against Nagas keep happening repeatedly and predictably is the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which has been in force since 1958, even during ceasefire periods and while the government of India is supposedly in the final stages of negotiations with the Nagas for a peaceful resolution of the 75-year old Indo-Naga political problem,” GNF stated.

GNF said that such armed forces-related mur ders and violations of Naga people’s basic human rights listed above have happened just in the last nine months (from December 2021 to date).

In light of this, GNF said it was duty-bound to demand that the Union home minister Amit Shah, under whose watch such murders and violations of human rights have taken place and continue to take place, should be held re sponsible and the perpe trators of the crimes be prosecuted under civil law.

It also demanded re peal of AFSPA, which it alleged was designed to kill Nagas with impunity.

Wild elephant killed by electrocution in Assam

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): In yet an other tragic incident in volving jumbos in Assam, a wild elephant died due to electrocution in Gos saigaon on Wednesday morning.

The grown elephant is reported to have been killed after coming in contact with a live wire that was hanging from its pole, according to sources, reports The Senti nel Assam.

The incident report edly occurred in Peripur area of Gossaigaon. After receiving information about the incident, forest officials reached the spot, examined the dead elephant and con ducted post mortem, the sources informed.

In another such heart breaking incident earlier, one adult elephant died after the jumbo was elec trocuted in the wee hours of September 2. The incident took

place in the Mirza area of Kamrup district where the elephant came into contact with a live electric fence installed around a paddy field.

Locals from the area saw the elephant lying dead in a paddy field and they informed local police and forest officials. Soon after the incident was reported, police and forest officials rushed to the spot and recovered electrical wires which were illegally in stalled around the paddy field.

Moreover, police have detained two people in con nection with the incident.

Speaking with re porters, DFO of Kamrup (East) Rohini Ballav Saikia informed that the forest department had detected the elephant and had de tained two people in con nection with the incident

“We detected that the adult elephant was electrocuted

in the paddy field. We have seized the electrical wires and other items. We will take action as per law,” the DFO said.

According to the for est officials, the elephant had come down from the hilly forest areas in search of food.

Man- elephant conflict is not new in Assam and it is attributed to the dearth of food in jungles, which force the jumbos to venture near human habitations in search of food.

In fact it has increased in recent times as people intending to keep wild el ephants from eating up their paddy in the fields, resort to tactics like install ing electrical wires.

With little knowledge of the power contained in the electric wires, they use high voltage wires which lead to the death of the jumbos instead of giving them a mild shock.

Assam BJP cadres miffed with reports of Cong leaders joining partyLandslide cuts off NH-37 in Manipur

The landslide took place between Senam and Kotlen villages of the highway in Noney district around 8 am on Wednesday

Hundreds of vehicles including passenger service vehicles and loaded trucks were stranded on both sides of the highway as debris of the landslide completely blocked the second lifeline of Manipur.

Authorities have pressed available machin eries to clear debris and reopen the road for nor mal traffic. However, the works were hindered due continuing sliding of rocks and muds.

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 (IANS): Even as the As sam BJP has cancelled a mega joining camp that was scheduled to be held in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his upcoming visit to the state on October 8, speculation is still rife that many Congress leaders are in the queue to join the saf fron camp.

Among the prominent names doing the rounds is Pranjal Ghatowar, who is the son of former minister and Congress leader Pawan Singh Ghatowar.

goi from his home turf Mo ran. In 2021, Gogoi again won from Moran, defeating Ghatowar’s son Pranjal this time. Meanwhile, BJP lead ers in the state are miffed with the talks of Ghatowars joining the saffron party.

Moran MLA Chakrad har Gogoi said: “The Gha towar family has no con nect with the voters on the ground. The father-son duo lost elections against me twice. The family has always been anti-BJP. There must be some motive behind their desire to join the BJP.”

Correspondent

IMPHAL, OCT 5: Normal vehicular movement along Imphal-Jiribam section of

Militant

NH-37 was brought to a standstill on Wednesday owing to a massive land slide triggered by incessant rains.

GUWAHATI, OCT 5 (PTI): Militant group Dimasa National Liberation Tribal (DNLT), formed less than a month ago in Dima Hasao and Karbi Anglong districts of Assam, has been “neutralised” with the arrest of “all cadres”, the police said on Wednesday.

Special Director General of Assam Police (Law and Order) Gyanendra Pratap Singh said the organisation was formed on September 13 in the two hill districts of the state. “Militant organisation DNLT floated on Sept 13th in Dima Hasao/ Karbi Anglong districts has been neu tralised by @assampolice with arrest of all seven leaders/cadres and recovery of arms and explosives,” he wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, authori ties have issued an advisory to take Old Cachar (Tongjei Maril) as a diversion route for light vehicles travelling on the national highway.

Senior Ghatowar once had a solid grip over upper Assam from where he won elections a number of times. However, he lost in the 2016 Assembly elections to BJP candidate Chakradhar Go

Mohan also said that the party should pay heed to the objections raised by the MLAs. Similarly, Rahul Roy, the son of another former Congress minister, Gautam Roy, is also on the probables list of new joinees.

close aides have claimed that he has already received a green signal from the top.

If BJP takes Rahul Roy into the party, there are high chances of dissent among the current state leaders.

Terash Gowala, BJP MLA from Duliajan, also expressed unhappiness over the development. He said if Ghatowars join the BJP, the morale of the grass-roots cadres will take a blow.

State minister Jogen

Notably, Gautam Roy had switched side ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections and fought on a BJP ticket, but lost. At that time too, speculation was rife that his son Rahul Roy might get an entry into the ruling party though it did not happen eventually.

Rahul Roy, a former congress MLA, had unsuc cessfully contested the 2021 Assembly polls as an Inde pendent candidate. Though he refused to comment on joining the BJP, Rahul Roy’s

It is widely believed that Gautam Roy, the one-time Congress heavyweight, lost the last elections due to sabotage from dissenters within the party.

Meanwhile, Assam Congress’ working presi dent and North Karimganj MLA, Kamalakhya Dey Purkahystha, was seen vis iting a BJP MLA’s house during Durga Puja.

Chief Minister Himan ta Biswa Sarma too visited Purkaystha’s constituency during Durga Puja with the latter accompanying Sarma in pandal hopping.

However, Purkayastha has denied the news of him joining the saffron camp, terming it as a rumour. He said: “During Dur ga Puja, we forget about political affiliations and try to devote time to praying for everybody’s well-being.”

Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita said that the aspirants’ list to join the party is long, but the leadership is yet to decide on the names.

Though Kalita has not spoken any further on this issue, many party leaders are unhappy over the news of fresh entrants to the BJP. This might have been the reason behind the state leadership postponing the joining camp at the last min ute to avoid any controversy during Shah’s visit.

Couple arrested over death of 2-year-old daughter Sangram Party merges with Bhaichung’s Hamro Sikkim Party

AIZAWL, OCT 5 (PTI): A couple was arrested here over the death of their two-year-old daughter, who was suspected to be sexually assaulted, a police statement said. The girl, who hailed from a locality in the western part of Aizawl, died in a private hospital here on Septem ber 16. While the father of the child was arrested on October 1, the mother was arrested two days later (October 3) as they appeared to be the prime sus pects in the case, the statement said. The police had registered a suo-moto cases under rel evant sections of Prevention of

Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on September 20 following an information received from a medical officer of the private hospital and the subsequent examination of the minor’s body indicated sexual abuse, the statement said.

According to information from the private hospital, even though the child was diagnosed to have died of acute Loryn gotracheobrontis (ALTB) with severe respiratory distress, when her body was being prepared to be handed over to her family some unnatural signs were spot ted in her private parts, which

could indicate sexual assault, the police statement said.

Subsequently, the child’s body was examined by doctors in the government run Aizawl Civil hospital during which old healed wounds were found on her private parts, it said.

However, the examina tion of the child’s samples at a forensic science laboratory revealed that “semen was not detected from the exhibits,” the statement said. Suspect ing sexual abuse, the police registered a case and launched investigation from September 20 during which many people,

including the child’s parents, grand parents, other relatives and local leaders of the girl’s locality were questioned.

“The parents of the child were the prime suspects, as they had always maintained during examination, that the custody of the child always remained with them only. Hence, on the basis of the circumstantial evi dences, the father of the child was arrested on October 1 and subsequently the mother was also arrested on October 3 for sustained and thorough custo dial interrogation,” the police statement said.

GANGTOK, OCT 5 ( AGENCIES): On the 82nd birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Nar Baha dur Bhandari, his politi cal party Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) handed over the flag and ‘legacy of Nar Bahadur Bhandari’ to Bhai chung Bhutia’s Hamro Sik kim Party (HSP) reports East Mojo. Bhutia accepted the flag and subsequently declared the white and red bands as the official colours of the new party flag of

HSP. Bhutia announced this decision to honour and carry forward Bhandari’s legacy and vision for a developed Sikkim.

Sikkim Sangram Pari shad was among the five po litical parties from Sikkim among the 86 registered, unrecognised political par ties which were delisted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in September.

Bhandari established the Sikkim Janata Parishad in 1977.

Rescue operation after a Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. (PTI)

Drivers of Imphal-Moreh passenger service vehicles protesting against physical assault on one of their fellow driver.

J&K polls after electoral rolls published: Shah

BARAMULLA (J-K),

OCT 5 (PTI): Union

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said assembly polls will be held with “full transparency” in Jammu and Kashmir after the Election Commission publishes the revised electoral rolls and asserted that the Modi government will wipe out terrorism from the Union territory.

Addressing a public rally in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, Shah lashed out at those advocating dialogue with Pakistan.

“...I don’t want to talk to Pakistan but I want to talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Urging the youths to shun the path of violence, Shah said terrorism has claimed 42,000 lives in Jammu and Kashmir since the 1990s and asked whether it has ever benefited anyone.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has almost ended the ecosystem of terrorism in J-K, Shah said, adding the Modi government does not tolerate terrorism and wants to wipe it out.

“We want to make Jammu and Kashmir the most peaceful place in the country,” he said. Shah said due to the improved security situation, 22 lakhs tourists have visited Jammu and Kashmir this year so far.

“Earlier it was a terrorist hotspot but today it

is a tourist hotspot. Imagine how many people have benefited from this,” he said.

He blamed the families of the Abdullahs (National Conference), Muftis (PDP) and Nehru-Gandhi (Congress) for the “lack of development” in Jammu and Kashmir as they ruled the erstwhile state for most of the years since the country’s independence.

“There are some people who have ruled for the last 70 years and are advising me to talk to Pakistan but I have a clear mandate that I don’t want to talk to Pakistan, but I want to talk to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

On holding assembly polls, Shah said a political process has started in this regard. “I want to assure you that once the work of publishing electoral rolls by

the Election Commission is completed, elections will be conducted with full transparency and your own elected representatives will govern here,” he said.

Shah said some people often talk about Pakistan but he wanted to know how many villages in Pakistanoccupied Kashmir have electricity connections.

“We have ensured in the last three years that all villages in Kashmir now have electricity connection,” he said.

Coming down heavily on the three political families for the second consecutive day, the home minister alleged that their rule was full of misgovernance, corruption and lack of development.

“Mufti and company, Abdullah and sons and the Congress have done nothing for the welfare of the people of Jammu and

Deadlock continues over CJI’s move to elevate 4 judges to Supreme Court

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (IANS):

The Chief Justice of India U.U. Lalit-led collegium may not be able to recommend any name to the Centre for filling up four vacant Supreme Court judges’ posts, as the deadlock over the proposal to recommend new judges continues.

It is learnt that two of the five-member apex court collegium have opposed the proposal to recommend four new judges, which includes an apex court lawyer, to the top court through a written note instead of a formal meeting. Chief Justice Lalit is slated to retire on November 8, and the apex court is scheduled to reopen on October 10, by which the less than one-

month-rule - in which an outgoing CJI cannot make any recommendation if the length of his remaining tenure is less than a month - would kick in.

According to sources, the two judges who have opposed to the written proposal to recommend judges for the appointment to the apex court are of firm view that holding a collegium meeting by circulation of proposal, instead of a face-to-face discussion, is not heard of.

The Chief Justice of India, who heads the collegium, had written to its four members Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, S.K. Kaul, S. Abdul Nazeer, and K.M. Joseph -- earlier this month seeking their

consent for the elevation of Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Ravi Shankar Jha, Patna High Court Chief Justice Sanjay Karol, Manipur High Court Chief Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar, and senior advocate K.V. Viswanathan.

One of the collegium members had said that he has no objection to the CJI’s proposal. However, two judges maintained that decision over names of judges for the appointment to the apex court cannot be done by circulating a proposal. The one-month rule will not allow Chief Justice Lalit to hold a collegium meeting after October 8 - while the apex court will reopen two days later.

Kashmir,” he alleged.

The home minister repeated what he had said at his rally in Rajouri on Tuesday that earlier, power in Jammu and Kashmir was with three families, 87 MLAs and six MPs.

“Now 30,000 people, who were elected representatives of panchayat and districts councils, are part of the governance process,” he said.

He said the first work done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that democracy has reached the grass root level.

Shah said due to Article 370, there was no reservation for the SCs and STs but after its abrogation, quota benefits could be given to Gujjars, Bakarwal and Pahadis.

“Everyone will get their due share under the reservation. There will be no loss of share for anyone,” he said.

On Tuesday, Shah announced that ST reservation benefits will be given to the Pahadi community along with Gujjar and Bakarwal communities following a recommendation of the Sharma Commission.

He said that Rs 56,000 crore investment has come to Jammu and Kashmir in the last three years which will give employment opportunities to five lakh people, while just Rs 17,000

crore investment had come since independence.

“Today I have come to ask Farooq Abdullah Sahab and Mehooba Mufti ji to give an account of how much investment has come into Jammu and Kashmir during their rule of 70 years. How many industries had come up? How many factories were set up and how many youths benefited from employment,” Shah said.

The home minister said the Modi government has given one lakh houses to the poor in Jammu and Kashmir. He alleged that rampant corruption led to underdevelopment in Jammu and Kashmir and said the Modi government has ensured that every rupee being spent goes to those most deserving.

He said even though 42,000 people lost their lives due to terrorism, no politician lost his son.

The home minister said, “Mehbooba ji and Farooq sahab handed over stones and guns to the youths but Modi ji, by bringing industries to the Valley, has handed over mobiles and laptops to these youths so that they are able to find employment,” he said.

He said it was the third day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir and he was happy to see that development has taken place in the union territory.

33 killed as bus carrying marriage party falls into gorge in Uttarakhand

PAURI (U’KHAND),

OCT 5 (PTI): Thirty-three members of a wedding party were killed and 19 injured when a bus carry ing them fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garh wal district, police said on Wednesday as the search and rescue operation con cluded nearly 24 hours after the accident.

Local villagers were the first to reach the site as the tragedy struck at around 7 pm on Tuesday and used mobile phone flashlights to look for the victims in the dark before assistance arrived. There were over 50 people in the bus, which was on its way to Kanda village in Bironkhal from Laldhang town in Harid war, when it plunged into

the 500-metre deep gorge near Simri bend. The rescue operation was carried out throughout the intervening night and on Wednesday, the police said. Thirty-one bodies were retrieved while two injured succumbed on way to the hospital tak ing the death toll to 33, State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) incharge Vikas Ramola said this evening.

“Climbing down the steep gorge in the darkness, with just mobile phone flashlight, was really chal lenging,” said a villager Ra jkishore who lent a helping hand to the SDRF person nel in extricating the victims from the mangled remains of the bus.

Twenty people injured in the accident were pulled

out and rushed to hospitals in Bironkhal, Rikhnikhal and Kotdwar, police said. Two of them died on the way to the hospital, they said.

Another man who was injured in the accident had tried to walk to safety on his own. The rescue teams could not spot him but he later walked back to the ac cident site, the SDRF said adding he has also been hospitalised. The bus ac cident in Pauri district did not just snuff out lives but also ruined many families.

Among them was 58-year-old Chandra prakash who lost sons Satish (34) and Anil (30), their wives Varsha (28) and Anjali (24) respectively, and a grandson in the accident.

‘Community-based population imbalance shouldn’t be ignored’

NAGPUR, OCT 5 (PTI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Wednesday India should frame a well thought out, comprehensive population control policy applicable to all social groups equally and flagged the issue of demographic “imbalance” as he also asserted there was no danger to minorities.

Speaking at the annual RSS Dussehra rally at the Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat called for women empowerment and covered a wide range of issues, from “Hindu Rashtra”, education, selfreliance to India’s help to crisis-hit Sri Lanka and the ongoing UkraineRussia conflict during his more than 60-minute-long address.

‘This time Ravan is different’: Uddhav’s dig at Shinde

party too,” he said, accusing the new Chief Minister of “stealing” his father.

Shinde, who is fighting to claim the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray –Uddhav Thackeray’s father and the founder of Shiv Sena – had rubbed in the point quoting couplets from renowned poet

Harivanshrai Bachchan.

“My son will not be my heir by being my son; whoever is my heir will be my sonHarivanshrai Bachchan,” the Maharashtra Chief Minister tweeted, implying that legacy of a man need not necessarily be passed onto his son.

He said communitybased “population imbalance” is an important subject and should not be ignored. Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries, he said.

“Seventy five years ago, we experienced this in our country. In the 21st century, three new countries that have come into existence - East Timor, South Sudan and Kosovo –they have been the results of population imbalance in certain territories of Indonesia, Sudan and Serbia,” he said.

The new population policy should be applicable to all communities equally to strike a balance, he said. “There has to be a balance among the communities in this country,” he added.

“Alongside the differences in birth rate, conversions by force, lure or greed and infiltration are also big reasons. All these factors have to be mulled over,” he said.

Bhagwat emphasised on the use of mother tongue and said “English language is not important for building a career”.

“When expecting the government to institute the promotion of mother tongue, we should also

consider whether we sign our names in our mother tongue or not? Whether the nameplates affixed on our residences are rendered in mother tongue or not? Whether household invitations bear the texts in the mother tongue or not?” Bhagwat said.

The RSS invited acclaimed mountaineer Santosh Yadav as the chief guest for the event. She is the first woman in the world to climb the Mount Everest twice. Pointing out at China’s “one family one child” policy, Bhagwat said, “While we are trying to control the population, we should see what happened in China. That country went for the one child policy and now it is getting older.”

“With 57 crore youth population in India, we will

remain a young nation for the next 30 years. However, what will happen to India after 50 years? Will we have enough food to feed the population?” he added.

Bhagwat raised concerns over India’s huge population.

“Our country has a huge population – this is a reality. Nowadays there are two kinds of evaluation done on population. Populations require resources, if it keeps growing it becomes a big burden, perhaps an unbearable burden,” he said. Therefore, with the perspective of population control, plans are made. There is another dimension in which population is considered an asset. Focus is on appropriate training and maximum usage, Bhagwat said.

MUMBAI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The big Sena versus Sena battle on the occasion of Dussehra today started off with a stern warning from former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. “Ravan will burn,” Thackeray told the Eknath Shinde camp, pointing to the huge crowds at Mumbai’s Shivai Park – the traditional venue for the party’s Dussehra celebration. Shinde is holding a parallel rally at the MMRDA grounds, a short way off from Thackeray’s home, Matoshree.

The two factions of Sena -- eye-ball to eyeball since the vertical split in June -- are holding what has been billed as a huge show of strength. For the first time since the Shiv Sena’s inception 56 years ago, two Dussehra rallies are being held in Mumbai by the rival factions.

“What will happen to Shiv Sena? Seeing the

crowd here, the question now is -- what will happen to the traitors? All have gathered together. Like every year, this time too Ravana will burn. But this time Ravana is different,” he told the crowd at Shivaji Park.

The BJP, Thackeray insisted, had betrayed the Sena and this was why the alliance broke. “I swear by my parents that there was talk of half-term. Then Amit Shah said nothing of the sort was decided,” Thackeray said.

The BJP, he added, is now in the situation they tried to avoid by making Eknath Shinde the Chief Minister. “Why didn’t you do it earlier?” he said.

The majority of Thackeray’s wrath was reserved for Shinde, who, he said, had betrayed the party.

“How much should a man’s greed be? He was given the Chief Minister’s post. Now he wants the

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s claim over being leader of the real Shiv Sena suffered yet another blow on Wednesday when his brother Jaidev Thackeray said “his full support” was with rival Eknath Shinde.

“For the last 5-6 days, I have been asked whether you are in Shinde faction. Thackerays can’t be in any faction. I like the steps taken by Shinde’s side and out of love, I have come here,” he said, speaking at the Dussehra event organised by Team Shinde.

“Don’t let Eknath be alone. You all should support him. Shinde is working for poor and for farmers. Shinde is similar to our farmers; he is very hardworking,” Jaidev Thackeray said. “I will say, let Shinde Rajya come back. Let there be elections and let Shinde Rajya come back.

My full support is with Eknath Shinde,” he added. Since orchestrating the coup that usurped Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister in June and eventually replacing him with the support of most MLAs of the Shiv Sena, Shinde has ramped up his claim on the legacy of the party’s founder Bal Thackeray. For Dussehra, the two factions, eyeballto-eyeball since the split, organised what was billed as a show of strength: two separate rallies in Mumbai, a first since the Shiv Sena’s inception 56 years ago.

While the Thackeray faction won the legal battle to hold its rally at the historic Shivaji Park in Dadar in central Mumbai, a venue associated with the Sena since it was founded, the rebel group led by Shinde organised their event at the MMRDA ground at BKC in the suburbs.

KALABURAGI, (KARNATAKA) OCT 5 (IANS): There was high vigil in Karnataka’s Kalaburgi district on Dussehra day on Wednesday following the Dalit Sena’s announcement that if the effigy of Ravan is burnt, the effigy of Lord Ram would also be set on fire. The Dalit Sena is opposing the organisation of Ravan dahan programme in which effigy of Ravan would be burnt on the occasion of the Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra)

Police said that Hindu groups have organised burning of a 50-foot tall Ravan effigy in the premises of the Appa Jatra Grounds in Kalaburagi. Dalit organisations have objected to it and claimed that the programme is being held without permission from the authorities.

VISITING CONSULTANTS

VISITING

NDRF personnel shift the body of a victim during a search and rescue operation after a bus carrying members of a marriage party fell into a gorge, in Pauri Garhwal district. (PTI)

Amit Shah (PTI)

Mohan Bhagwat (PTI)

InSenasaga,Uddhav’sbrother pledgessupporttoEknathShinde

CM Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray on the Duseehra rally stages in BKC and Shivaji Park respectively.

An effigy of ‘Ravana’ burns during Dussehra celebrations at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Wednesday. (PTI)

If Ravan effigy burned, Ram’s will also be in flames: Dalit Sena

Nagaland

Report card on civic sense

There is so much to do with regard to having hygienic environment as well as living condi tions in Nagaland which fared poorly in 12th position out of 14 of states with less than 100 Urban Local Bodies(ULBs). The performances of two pre mier municipal cities-Dimapur and Kohima- have decided the fate of Nagaland. It does no credit to the civic authorities in Dimapur and Kohima that both these premier cities of Nagaland have been placed way below in the ranking for states having below 100 Urban Local Bodies in the seventh edi tion of the Swachh Survekshan. In the ranking, Di mapur was 376th out of 382nd with 1112.87 points in the category of cities having 1 lakh to 10 lakh population. On the other hand, Kohima, the capital city scored 1098.08 points in the same category. Tripura was ranked first in the same category of fewer than 100 ULBs. Under segregated door-todoor waste collection, cleanliness of public toilets, daily sweeping in residential areas and citizens’ grievance redressal Dimapur scored less than 25% while it scored between 25% to 50% in cleanliness of market areas, residential areas, non-availability of open garbage dumps. One area where Dimapur scored high was in cleanliness of water bodies at 90%. On the same scale Kohima fared poorly with less than 25% on door-to-door waste collec tion, cleanliness of public toilets, daily sweeping in residential areas and citizens’ grievance redressal. Kohima however scored high at 90% in cleanliness of market areas and residential areas, cleanliness of drains and water bodies and non-availability of open garbage dumps. The Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of sanitation, hygiene, and cleanli ness in Indian villages, cities, and towns. It includes a pan India evaluation across all states and union territories. The best performing states have been divided into two categories - states with more than 100 Urban Local Bodies and states with less than 100 ULBs. Among the states with more than 100 Urban Local Bodies, Madhya Pradesh topped the list followed by Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra. In countries like Singapore, keeping the city clean is no longer an issue nor a problem. The country’s strict enforcement against littering over several decades has made its citizens perhaps among the most health and hygiene conscious in the world. Though it may not be possible, at least as of now, to create the same kind of sanitized surroundings as that in Singapore; yet the initial step which is of primary importance is to launch a high level aware ness campaign on cleanliness. Citizens have to be confronted with the challenge and responsibility to be active participants in changing the face of their towns through a conscious effort not to litter or willfully create unhygienic conditions. Keeping our cities towns clean require effort, resources and manpower. Citizens who violate the rules must re alize there is a penalty. Imposition of penalty alone can discourage people from creating unhygienic conditions and eventually help improve not only the looks of the cities or towns but also the concept of cleanliness among its citizens. The consciousness on cleanliness will also create a healthier attitude towards good citizenship which is also very much needed in our fast other growing towns.

DailyDevotion

The Nature of Degeneration

Just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned… —Romans 5:12

The Bible does not say that God punished the hu man race for one man’s sin, but that the nature of sin, namely, my claim to my right to myself, entered into the human race through one man. But it also says that another Man took upon Himself the sin of the human race and put it away— an infinitely more profound revelation (see Hebrews 9:26). The nature of sin is not immorality and wrongdoing, but the nature of self-realization which leads us to say, “I am my own god.” This nature may exhibit itself in proper morality or in improper immorality, but it always has a common basis— my claim to my right to myself. When our Lord faced either people with all the forces of evil in them, or people who were clean-living, moral, and upright, He paid no attention to the moral degradation of one, nor any attention to the moral attainment of the other. He looked at something we do not see, namely, the nature of man (see John 2:25).

Sin is something I am born with and cannot touch— only God touches sin through redemption. It is through the Cross of Christ that God redeemed the entire human race from the possibility of damna tion through the heredity of sin. God nowhere holds a person responsible for having the heredity of sin, and does not condemn anyone because of it. Condemnation comes when I realize that Jesus Christ came to deliver me from this heredity of sin, and yet I refuse to let Him do so. From that moment I begin to get the seal of damnation. “This is the condemnation [and the critical moment], that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light…” (John 3:19).

Jeff Bezos says 10 choices lead to a life without regrets A big leap in internet connectivity

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is widely re spected for a num ber of qualities. Patiently building a company with a juggernaut of a flywheel.

Turning an internal ini tiative into Amazon Web Services, a subsidiary that rakes in over $17.4 billion in revenue. Knowing how to hire the right people.

Making smart expansion decisions.

In short, for being un usually smart.

But, as Bezos learned as a 10 year-old during a road trip with his grand parents, intelligence alone won’t make you successful -- or help you live a life you’ll look back on with few regrets.

According to Bezos, cleverness is a gift. “You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you’re not careful,” Bezos said to Princeton graduates in 2010, “and if you do, it’ll probably be to the detriment of your choices.”

Research shows we more often regret things we didn’t do than the things we did, even if things we did turned out badly. Makes sense: With time and ef fort, you can fix almost any mistake. But you can’t go back and do the things you dreamed of doing, but didn’t.

In fact, this study takes that idea even further, prob ing the kinds of regrets we have about the people we

don’t become -- which is a natural extension of the actions we didn’t take.

As Bezos said, “When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of re flection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made. In the end, we are our choices.”

What choices will make the biggest impact on your life story -- and whether you look back on that story with regrets?

These are the questions Bezos says to ask yourself:

• Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?

• Will you follow dog ma, or will you be original?

• Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?

• Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?

• Will you bluff it out when you’re wrong, or will you apologize?

• Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?

• Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?

• When it’s tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?

• Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?

• Will you b e clever at

the expense of others, or will you be kind?

Like most great lists, it’s also a hard list. Take ignoring criticism and fol lowing your convictions. That’s far from easy. Plus, most of the time we should worry about what other people think.

But not if it stands in the way of living the lives we really want to live.

If you really want to start a business -- which you can do in just a few hours -- some people might say you’re crazy, especially now. If you really want to go back to school, some people might think you’re crazy, especially now. If you really want to open a new restaurant, some people will definitely think you’re crazy.

Especially now.

But if you let the nay sayers deter you, you’re much more likely to look back someday and wonder what might have been. Re search shows you’re most likely to regret thinking you didn’t reach our full poten tial. You’ll most regret not becoming the person you feel you could have become, if only you had tried.

Because that’s one mis take you can never go back and fix.

But if you ask yourself the Bezos questions, that might be one mistake you can stop making. Starting today.

Jeff Haden

The much- awaited 5G service was launched by prime minister Narendra Modi on October 1.The technology seeks to provide seamless coverage, high data rate, low latency and highly reliable com munications system. 5G services are also expected to play a major role to achieve the economic goal of mak ing India a $5-trillion economy by 2024-25.

According to experts, 5G will have a cumulative economic impact of $1 trillion by 2035 and can deliver an additional GDP of $150 billion for the country, between 2025-40.

Here are 10 ways that 5G could change your life

-For consumers, 5G promises higher data speeds over 4G. At its peak, internet speeds on 5G could touch 10 Gbps, compared to the 100 Mbps peak of 4G.

-5G technology offers latency as low as 1ms. For the unversed, la tency is the time taken by the device to send packets of data and get a response. Shorter the latency, quicker the response.

-5G technology will provide seamless coverage in remote areas across the country. It will increase energy efficiency, spectrum efficiency and network efficiency.

-5G will also usher in the ear of technology advances in the country such as Virtual Reality (VR), Aug mented Reality (AR) and more. These technologies will have have end-to-end affect on multiple sectors - healthcare, agriculture, education, disaster management and others.

-5G will enhance the fan experi ence at live music festivals and sports events like football matches.

The low latency offered by 5G will offer immersive experience to sports lovers.

-5G will also enable new services and products powered by Internet of Things (IoT) technolog ies. The

Post-mortem

During a question-andanswer session, a vol unteer asked Yadavrao Joshi, the then head of Sangh workers of South India, “We say RSS is a Hindu organization. We say we are a Hindu nation, and India belongs to Hindus. We also say in the same breath that Muslims and Christians are welcome to follow their faith and that they are welcome to remain as they are so long as they love this country. Why do we have to give this concession?

Why don’t we be clear that they have no place if we are a Hindu country?” Joshi replied, “As of now, RSS and Hindu society are not strong enough to say clearly to Muslims and Christians that if you want to live in India, convert to Hinduism. Either convert or perish. But when the Hindu society and RSS become strong enough, we will tell them that if you want to live in India and love this country, you accept that some generations earlier you were Hindus and come back to the Hindu fold.”

To have differences of opin

advanced abilities offered by 5G networks will also drive new busi ness models.

-The arrival of 5G will also transform the transport and mobil ity sector. Using 5G, a network of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging stations can be established to help maximise the cost-effectiveness of the EV ecosystem;

-Next-generation 5G network will also aid the remote working more effectively. 5G-powered smart buildings can help provide more comfortable working environment for the employees, boosting produc tivity along with reducing costs for employers.

-5G technology will give a boost to the Industrial Revolution 4.0. The all-new 5G services will connect a variety of IoT (Internet of Things) sensors and devices to automate the scheduling of various processes.

-5G will enable customers to watch 4K video on their phones. It will also enable the use of AR/VR, mobile gaming apps, and a number of other immersive activities and new applications.

-Next-generation 5G technology will also have an impact on the way of production and distribution of goods. Applications of 5G in the manufac turing sector includes reduced costs, lower down time, minimum wastage and improve productivity.

5G is expected to bring the logistics cost to 5% from 13-14% at present.

-5G will also have a big impact in the safety and surveillance sector. 5G technology and its applications will enable remote control over disaster hit areas, live 4K feed from HD camera installed in public spaces and more. It will also help in minimising the role of humans in dangerous industrial operations such as in deep mines, offshore activities etc.

(As p ublished in Live Mint)

Hate speeches in Indian politics

ions is part of the democratic principle. But, unfortunately, there is intolerance of different opinions in secular India. Hindu fundamentalists’ long-awaited aspiration is being asserted with bigger authority, with Modi Sarkar at the center. So, where are we heading is a ques tion that all the citizens must become aware of and stick to what we have gained through the freedom movement epito mized in our Constitution. Our secular democratic principles need to be saved and protected from the sectarian motivated agenda. We need to know that the sentiments of the religious identity of the majority are being manipulated for ulterior goals of power and benefits by fundamentalist-communal groups.

Time and again, one comes across statements such as that of Dharm Jagran Manch leader Rajeshwar Singh, of the Aligarh Christmas conversion program fame, who stated in December 2014, “India’s inner voice has spoken. Just wait and watch. 31

December 2021 is the last for Christianity and Islam in this country. We will finish Christi anity and Islam in this country by 31 December 2021. This is our aim”. We hear this kind of hate and communal speeches almost every day.

Ram Punyani records in his article, “One Year of Modi Sarkar: Hate Speech Galore,” that Sakshi Maharaj, the man who called Nathuram Godse a patriot, exhorted that Hindu women should produce four children as Muslims are overtak ing the population. Likewise, Sadhvi Prachi prescribed eight children for Hindu women. Pravin Togadia has been the leading person in making hate speeches; he has the highest number of cases regarding hate speech against him. Yogi Adityanath has been making derogatory remarks before be coming Chief Minister of UP. He once said that if one Hindu girl is converted to ‘love jihad,’ 100 Muslim girls should be converted to Hinduism. The propaganda around love jihad

Another One Bites the Dust

In this contemporary World of life in a fast lane of highly advanced hi-tech, when Nations, Countries and People are talking about 5Gs, Smart City, Smart Town, Smart Village and Smart Liv ing, the aggrieved teachers (ANATG-2015), without basic amenities and with no other option left than to resort to ‘Hunger Strike’ is so unfortunate, distasteful and preposterously leaving a reeking aura of fetid atmo sphere in bad light.

The hopelessly ag grieved ‘Noble Teachers’ who had no other choice but to call for this ‘Extreme Step’ which perhaps is the last resort for agitation in a People’s Democratic Gov ernment speaks volumes of an indifferently loveless at titude and repugnant apathy of the authority concerned towards the teachers who otherwise are respected and considered as ‘Noble Professionals’ the World

over, except not so in our beloved Nagaland.

The Ad-hoc teachers who had been relegating their duties and responsi bilities for 8-10 years after which were subjected to face ‘Suitability Test’ in 2015 and still not regularised even in the long 7 years is so ironi cal and a ‘Tragic Comedy’.

The teachers, in order to fulfill the criteria and creden tial had to put in their efforts for 8-10 years as Ad-hoc teachers and who faced the suitability test in 2015 had already staked their precious 16-17 years and I believe, most of them could now be ‘Over aged’ to look for other jobs.

But despite these facts, the competent authority turning cold shoulders to wards its bonafide employ ees and citizen is nothing short of a foul kick below the belt, and also a heartless attitude of “Live And Let Die” mindset.

Now, the authorities, instead of addressing the

grievances of the aggrieved teachers, still offering to forming an HPC is nothing but a sugar-coated facsimile facade of a treacherous and sinister ploy of delay tactic to procrastinating the issue on and on.

The amusing drama, yet a ludicrous joke is, could the competent authority come to this HPC forma tion, after all these 7 years???

Secondly, the authori ties are pointing their fingers towards the ‘Court Order’, but mind you, though we all know that there is a ‘Sepera tion of Power’ as in Legisla tive Power, Executive Power and Judicial power, yet no matter what, the bottom line is each and every power whatsoever is a formation of people’s Government, sworn in to serve, to protect, to defend and to address it’s citizen, and hence if the au thority are truly and sincerely concerned, then anything could be discussed, shared and expressed amongst these

keeps simmering, and various small and big leaders keep us ing it to divide society. Yogi Adityanath also has said that Mosques should be converted into a den of pigs and that Muslims should not be allowed to come to Hindu holy places.

‘Hate Speech’, in the case of India, is an accompaniment of politics in the name of religion and language. It often precedes violence or helps in the po larization of communities for electoral benefits.

In some of the textbooks used at the primary level in Saraswati Shishu Mandirs, a highly virulent communal view of Indian history is presented in intolerant and extremely crude style and language. So also, historical ‘facts’ are fabricated in such a way to promote not patriotism, as is claimed, but blind bigotry and fanaticism. For example, it is written on the rise of Islam: “Wherever they went, they had a sword in their hand. Their army went like a storm in all four direc tions. Any country that cam e

respective authoritative pow ers and a conducive solution and possibilities be simply and easily worked out to at tend to the impending issue but which unfortunately is not so in this case.

Having said all, the higher and competent au thority must remember, that while the high power players are gleefully trading these finger pointing blame game, you should also un derstand that the deserving teachers, who could mostly be the sole ‘Breadwinners’ for their dependent children and families are suffering silently and with no fault of theirs, are made to bite the dust...yet again.

Nota Bene: The above statement are all expressed in my individual capacity and does not reflect the views of any organisation that I may represent.

AV Chophi_Nagason, Dimapur, Nagaland, (avchophinagason@ gmail. com)

(in) their way was destroyed. Houses of prayer and universi ties were destroyed. Libraries were burnt. Religious books were destroyed. Mothers and sisters were humiliated. Mercy and justice were unknown to them”. So also about Christians, it is said: “It is because of the conspiratorial policies of the followers of this religion that India was partitioned. Even today, Christian missionaries are engaged in fostering antinational tendencies in Naga land, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Kerala, and other regions of our country because there is a grave danger to the integrity of present-day India”. Such hate speeches are dividing people, and we have to know that such an ideology of religion-based nationalism is narrow and excludes ‘other’ from its notion of nationhood. India needs liberation from narrow Hinduvta nationalism.

Dr. S. Akatoli Chishi, Asso. Professor, TTC, Thakekhu, Dimapur, (akaty0001@yahoo.co.in)

Vehicles disabled by potholes

Sir, Potholes and water-logging points have been slowing down vehicular movement, causing traffic chaos which might even lead to accidents. In many villages from what I hear, the churches and village community are taking the initiative by re-filling potholes. If you look at certain areas, layer after layer they make roads of thin and cheap quality. One rainfall and it becomes bad. Potholes on the road should be filled and paved before the monsoon, most importantly, maintenance of drainage and other pipelines should be done by end of June every year. While planning for new roads infrastructure structure needs of the future should be considered and scientific methods to be applied.

Contractors and corporators instead of taking cuts should use the best material for road construction. Considering the safety of people, the government and concerned authorities should make permanent solution to solve these problems promptly.

Asang Aier, Dimapur

PM Modi sounds poll bugle in Himachal

BILASPUR (HP), OCT 5

(PTI): The previous govern ments only laid foundation stones and forgot about the actual projects once the elec tions were over, Prime Min ister Narendra Modi said Wednesday as he sounded the poll bugle – literally -- in Himachal Pradesh.

At a rally held here Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur presented the PM with a “Ransingha”, a trum pet-like traditional instru ment. Modi played it and later said, “This marks the beginning of each future vic tory.” He said the BJP gov ernment not only lays the stones but also inaugurates the development projects.

He was addressing the meeting at the Luhnu ground after inaugurating an AIIMS hospital and a hydro engineering college, the foundations stones for which were laid by him in 2017.

The BJP government in Himachal Pradesh hopes to return to power after the assembly polls before this year-end.

Modi headed next to Kullu to witness the Dusseh ra celebrations there.

The PM was scheduled

to visit Mandi in the state on September 24, but couldn’t make it to the rally venue due to bad weather. He had then addressed it virtually.

Modi said Bilaspur has got a “double gift” of devel opment with the inaugura tion of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and the Hydro Engineering College. “I am fortunate to have been a part of Himachal Pradesh’s development jour ney,” he said.

He said development in the state has been possible because its people voted the BJP to power both at Centre

and in the state.

Modi began his speech with the slogan “Jai Mata Naina Deviji”, the temple to which is located in Bilaspur district itself. He also ex tended Dussehra greetings.

He said Himachal Pradesh plays a crucial role in ‘Rashtra Raksha’ (nation al security) and now with the new AIIMS in Bilaspur, it will also play a pivotal role in ‘Jeevan Raksha’ (saving lives).

Modi said there were only three medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh in 2014. Eight more medical

Thirteen Indians trapped in Myanmar’s Myawaddy area rescued

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (PTI): Thirteen Indians, who were among a group that was trapped in Myan mar’s Myawaddy area after falling prey to an interna tional job racket, have been rescued. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arin dam Bagchi said the Indians reached Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. Last month, 32 Indians were rescued from Myawaddy following joint efforts by Indian missions in Myanmar and Thailand.

“We have been actively pursuing the case of Indians being trapped in fake job rackets in Myanmar.Thanks to the efforts of @Indiain Myanmar & @IndiainThai land, around 32 Indians had already been rescued,” Bagchi tweeted.

“Another 13 Indian citizens have now been rescued, & reached Tamil Nadu today,” he said.

Myawaddy area in southeastern Myanmar’s Kayin state bordering Thai land is not fully under the control of the Myanmarese government and certain eth nic armed groups hold sway over it. “Some more Indian citizens have been rescued from their fake employers and are in custody of Myan mar authorities for illegal entry into that country,” Bagchi said. He said legal formalities have been initi

ated to get them repatriated at the earliest.

“Details of agents al legedly involved in this job racket have been shared with relevant authorities in various States in India for appropriate action,” Bagchi said. “Instances of similar job rackets have also come to light in Laos and Cam bodia. Our Embassies in Vientiane, Phnom Penh and Bangkok have been helping in repatriating people from there,” he added.

On July 5, the Indian mission issued an advisory cautioning against unscru pulous elements offering jobs. “The mission has ob served in recent past that some lT companies engaged in digital scamming/forge crypto activities located in remote eastern border areas of Myanmar are recruiting Indian workers from dif ferent places through their

recruiting agents on the pretext of potential employ ment opportunities in the IT sector,” it said.

After initial recruit ment, the mission said In dian workers are taken to Myanmar illegally without proper documentation lead ing to their “entrapment”.

“In view of the above, Indian nationals are hereby requested to exercise due caution and verify the an tecedents of the recruiting agents. It is advisable to have all requisite information (job description, company de tails, location, employment contract etc.) before accept ing any employment that has been offered,” it said.

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours and it shares a 1,640-kmlong border with a number of northeastern states in cluding militancy-hit Naga land and Manipur.

colleges and the AIIMS have been set up in the last eight years, he added.

He said the state can benefit much from medical tourism.

Modi congratulated Himachal for becoming the first state to formulate a drone policy. Drones will be used for transportation of medicines and other goods, he added. He said his gov ernment is ensuring ‘Ease of Living’ for the poor and the middle class.

Speaking at the same rally, BJP president J P Nad da asked if any Congress

6 drown during Durga idol immersion in Raj

JAIPUR, OCT 5 (PTI): Six people drowned in a ditch filled with rainwater during the immersion of a Goddess Durga idol in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district on Wednes day, police said. The incident occurred at Nandla village under the Nasirabad Sadar police station.

Ajmer Superintendent of Police Chuna Ram Jat said the ditch is used for idol immersion by locals often, but it appeared they had no idea of the depth this time around. He said five bodies were recovered initially, but later it was reported one more person was missing following which a rescue operation was started.

The sixth body was re covered in evening, he said.

SHO Hemraj said the victim thought it was a shal low ditch and went down “but the ditch was deep and they all drowned.” Ajmer collector Ansh Deep, SP Chuna Ram Jat and other district administration and police officials rushed to Nasirabad as soon as they received information about the incident.

The police identified the deceased as Pawan Rai gar (35), Gajendra Raigar (28), Rahul Meghwal (24), Lucky Bairwa (21) Rahul Raigar (20) and Shankar whose age was not immedi ately known.

prime minister had laid a foundation stone and then inaugurated the same proj ect. Modi had laid the foun dation stone for the Bilaspur AIIMS in October 2017 and for the college in April the same year.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said Himachal Pradesh got projects worth Rs 10,000 crore from the PM.

He said after Modi be came prime minister the trend of states electing dif ferent parties every election has changed. He predicted that Himachal Pradesh will see a similar result next.

The AIIMS in Bilaspur has been built under the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana and cost Rs 1, 470 crore.

It is described as a state-of-the-art hospital with 18 specialty and 17 super specialty departments, 18 operation theatres and 750 beds, 64 of them in the ICU.

Spread over 247 acres, the hospital also has a Cen tre for Digital Health to provide health services in hard to access tribal areas. It will also hold health camps in remote places like Kaza, Saluni, and Keylong.

Now, TRS is Bharat Rashtra Samithi

SRINAGAR, OCT 5 (PTI):

Former chief minister Meh booba Mufti and Jammu and Kashmir Police engaged in a Twitter spat on Wednesday after she claimed that she was placed under house arrest to prevent her from visiting an area in north Kashmir.

The police rebutted the claims of the PDP chief and said she was free to travel anywhere.

Mehbooba claimed that since Union Home Minister Amit Shah was travelling to Baramulla, 54 kilometres from here, in north Kashmir and addressing a public rally there, she had been stopped from attending a wedding of a party worker in Pattan, 27 kilometres from here.

“While HM is going around Kashmir beating drums of normalcy, I am under house arrest for simply wanting to visit Pattan for a worker’s wedding. If an ex CM’s fundamental rights can be suspended so easily, one can’t even imagine the plight of a commoner,” she said in a tweet and tagged the home minister and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

She also put out pictures of the alleged locking of the door of the main gate of her house.

However, almost 40 minutes later, the Srinagar Police tweeted that there were no restrictions on her travel to Pattan. The police even claimed that she herself had locked the gate from inside.

“It is clarified that no restriction of any kind (of) travel to Pattan, travel to Pat tan at 1 pm as intimated to us. The picture tweeted by her is of inside of the gate with own lock of residents who stay in the bunglow. There is no lock or any restrictions. She is free to travel,” the police said in the tweet.

They also put out pic tures of her gate with no locks from the outside.

HYDERABAD, OCT 5 (PTI): Seeking to expand its electoral footprint beyond Telangana, the ruling Telan gana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Over two decades after the founding of the party with the objective of carving out a separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, the party adopted a unanimous resolution at its general body meeting here, rechristening it as BRS. Now, the goal is to take on the BJP and emerge as a national force to reckon with, bringing together likeminded parties.

In the presence of JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, Tamil Nadu’s VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan, TRS president and Chief Minis ter K Chandrasekhar Rao proposed the name change resolution and it was unani

Mumbai: Caller threatens to blow up Reliance Hospital & ‘Antilia’

mously passed at the meet ing. Rao’s announcement of the name change was welcomed by party func tionaries with a big round of applause and amid chants of “KCR Zindabad and TRS Zindabad.”

The change of name is to expand the party’s ac tivities nationwide and the party’s constitution is also amended accordingly, Rao said. The TRS rank and file, who gathered outside the Telangana Bhavan, the TRS headquarters here, went ec static and burst crackers and distributed sweets soon after the announcement.

“Desh ke neta KCR” chants reverberated and similar slogans were seen in posters. “Desh ke neta KCR,” “Dear India he is coming”, and “KCR is on the way”, were among the slogans prominently dis played in banners, that could

be seen in and around the venue of the meet besides other locations in the city.

Rao, who has been very critical of the BJP for about a year, is expected to step up his attack against the saffron party and its government at the Centre.

Significantly, the name change move comes against the backdrop of next year’s Telangana Legislative As sembly election and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The BRS would show case the welfare programmes being implemented in Telan gana like ‘Rythu Bandhu’ investment support schemes for farmers and ‘Dalit Band hu’ (grant of Rs 10 lakh per household to Dalits). The change of name by the TRS was welcomed by its friendly party AIMIM of Asaduddin Owaisi, while the opposition BJP and Congress dismissed it as a non-starter.

Avalanche: 10 bodies retrieved, 27 mountaineers missing

DEHRADUN/UTTAR

KASHI, OCT 5 (PTI):

MUMBAI, OCT 5 (PTI): The Sir H N Reli ance Foundation Hospital here received two calls on Wednesday, in which the unidentified caller threat ened to blow it up along with Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’, besides issuing life threats to the industrialist and his family members, of ficials said.

The person called up the landline number of the Reliance Foundation Hos pital, located at Girgaon in south Mumbai, first at 12.57 pm and then at 5.04 pm from an unknown number, a police official said.

A spokesperson of Re liance Industries Limited (RIL) said the caller threat ened to blow up the Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospi tal and issued life threats to Mukesh Ambani, his wife Nita Ambani and two sons Akash and Anant.

“The caller also threat

ened to blow up ‘Antilia’. A police complaint has been lodged and we are provid ing all necessary details to the police to facilitate the investigation,” the spokes person said.

The police official said, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered at the D B Marg police station against the unidentified per son and an investigation is on into the matter, he added.

In August this year, a jeweller was arrested after he allegedly called up the hospital and threatened to kill Mukesh Ambani and his family members.

In February 2021, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) laden with explosives was found near Ambani’s south Mumbai residence ‘Antilia’.

Later, some people, including the then police officer Sachin Waze, were arrested in connection with the incident.

Twenty-seven mountain eers remained missing on Wednesday after rescue workers brought 14 injured members of their team to safety, a day after an ava lanche claimed 10 lives in Uttarkashi. The Uttara khand Police said on Face book that 10 bodies have been retrieved so far as a multi-agency search and rescue operation aided by IAF helicopters continued through the day to find those missing.

CM Pushkar Singh Dhami did an aerial inspec tion of the area, which is at a height of 17,000 feet, that was hit by the avalanche on Tuesday and told report ers that 27 climbers are still missing. He said he prayed for their safety even as personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF),

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and mountaineers from the Nehru Institute Of Mountaineering (NIM) are trying to find the missing climbers. “Out of 34, 27 are still missing,” Dhami told reporters after the aerial survey along with Harid war MP and former Union Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.

Meanwhile, 14 injured mountaineers were airlifted to the ITBP camp at Matli out of which five were ad mitted to district hospital Uttarkashi and nine who had sustained minor in juries were sent back to the NIM, the Uttarakhand Police said on the social media. However, it is still not clear whether the 14 injured mountaineers res cued on Wednesday were part of the 41-member team that had gone to summit the Draupadi ka Danda-II peak or waiting at the NIM basecamp.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during inauguration of AIIMS Bilaspur, Wednesday.

13 Indian citizens, who were rescued, reached Tamil Nadu.

Reliance Hospital in Mumbai

TRS President and Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao reads out the unanimous decision of party’s General Body to change the name of the party from TRS to BRS. (PTI)

Mehbooba, J&K cop in Twitter spat over her ‘house arrest’ claim

WTO cuts trade, GDP forecast for 2023

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The World Trade Organization on Wednesday raised the global merchandise trade volumes will grow by 3.5% in 2022— slightly better than the 3% forecast in April. However, it lowered the forecast to 1% for 2023, from the previous estimate of 3.4% as spiral ling energy prices, rising interest rates and higher bills for food and fertiliser curb import demand, ET reported.

“World trade is ex pected to lose momentum in the second half of 2022 and remain subdued in 2023 as multiple shocks weigh on the global economy,” the Geneva-based organisation said.

It also said that world GDP at market exchange rates will increase by 2.8% in 2022 and lowered the forecast for 2023 to 2.3% from 3.2% earlier.

“Trade and output will be weighed down by several related shocks, including the war in Ukraine, high energy prices, inflation, and mon etary tightening,” it said.

Highlighting the high degree of uncertainty asso

Credit line for airlines enhanced

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The Union Finance Ministry on Wednesday allowed airlines to avail of up to Rs 1,500 crore loan under the Emer gency Credit Line Guaran tee Scheme (ECLGS), to help them tide over their cash flow problems.

Earlier, an airline could avail of a loan of not more than Rs 400 crore under the ECLGS. The Centre had in 2020 started the ECLGS to provide collateral-free and government-guaranteed loans to businesses affected by the Covid pandemic, Business Standard reported.

The Finance Ministry’s decision is likely to ben efit financially-beleaguered airlines, such as SpiceJet, which have been looking for the Centre’s assistance to run their operations.

ciated with the forecast due to shifting monetary policy in advanced economies and the unpredictable nature of the Russia-Ukraine war, the WTO said that trade growth in 2022 could end up between 2% and 4.9% if current assumptions hold.

“However, if the down side risks materialize, trade growth in 2023 could then be as low as -2.8%,” it cau tioned, adding that trade growth next year could be

high as 4.6% if the “sur prises are on the upside”.

As per the Genevabased organisation, grow ing import bills for fuels, food and fertilizers could lead to food insecurity and debt distress in developing countries.

Middle East is expect ed to record the strongest export growth of any WTO region this year at 14.6%, followed by Africa at 6%, North America at 3.4%,

Asia 2.9%, Europe 1.8% and South America 1.6%.

“While trade restric tions may be a tempting response to the supply vul nerabilities that have been exposed by the shocks of the past two years, a retrench ment of global supply chains would only deepen infla tionary pressures, leading to slower economic growth and reduced living stan dards over time,” said WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

As per the report, be cause of changes in prices, merchandise trade values are growing at double digit rates even as trade growth in volume terms remains in the low single digits.

“What we need is a deeper, more diversified and less concentrated base for producing goods and ser vices,” Okonjo-Iweala said.

Exports of travel and transport services rebound ed strongly in many coun tries as pandemic-related restrictions have eased. Chi na is an exception, with travel spending held back by the country’s zero-COVID policy.

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (PTI):

The Reserve Bank is plan ning to extensively use ad vanced analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyse its huge database and improve regu latory supervision on banks and NBFCs. For this purpose, the central bank is also look ing to hire external experts.

While the RBI is already us ing AI and ML in supervisory processes, it now intends to upscale it to ensure that the benefits of advanced analytics can accrue to the Department of Supervision in the central bank.

The department has been developing and using linear and a few machinelearnt models for supervisory examinations. The supervi sory jurisdiction of the RBI extends over banks, urban cooperative banks (UCB), NBFCs, payment banks, small finance banks, local area banks, credit informa tion companies and select all India financial institutions. It undertakes continuous super vision of such entities with the help of on-site inspections and off-site monitoring.

Uproar from NBCC, WTH over Naga motifs in Pandal

(From p-1)

Keyho, however, called upon all to build bridges and not walls which would widen the misunderstanding that has been created.

“Let us be sensitive to each other and avoid things that will create further divi sion during religious festi val and ceremony. Let us learn to respect each other and peacefully celebrate our festivals and religious ceremonies,”Keyho stated.

WTH: Western Teny

imiHoho (WTH) also raised objection to the usage of traditional Naga symbols/ motifs in Durga puja pan dals without permission or consent, saying it was a “sacrilege to our traditions and religion”.

In a letter to the Hin du Seva Samiti Nagaland, WTH president Vekhosay iNyekha said it has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Tenyimi people in particular and the Nagas in general.

Reminding that the

Naga society was intrinsical ly linked to age-old practices and cultures, Nyekha said: “Our traditional symbols/ motif hasitsown cultural significance to which Nagas holds dear and random use of it cannot be tolerated.”

As a social organiza tion, he said it was WTH’s obligation to protect Na gas’ rich culture, traditions and religion from being misused,diluted or abused.

“We have always believed in respect andpeaceful co-

existence with every com munity and will continue to do so and we also expect you all to respect our traditions as a highly respected body,” he said. Further, WTH said it was their sincere desire to maintain cordial relations with every section of people practicing various traditions and religion. Therefore, WTH appealed to HSS to re ciprocate the same andtake necessary actions to main tain peace and tranquillity in the society.

Crypto losses reach $428 mn in Q3 globally

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (IANS): The world saw crypto losses up to $428 million in the third quarter (Q3), down 36 per cent from Q2, from hacks and frauds, a new report has shown. An analysis of the crypto losses by bug bounty platform Immunefi found that fraud accounts for only 7 per cent of

the total losses in the Q3 2022, while hacks account for 93 per cent.

“The global Web3 space was valued at $3 trillion in 2021, and with billions locked across different smart contracts, this capital represents an unparalleled and attractive opportu nity for blackhat hackers,” the report

mentioned.

In the Q3 of 2022 DeFi (decen tralised finance) continues to be the key target for exploits as compared to CeFi (centralised finance).

DeFi represented 98.8 per cent of the total losses, while CeFi represented 1.2 per cent of the total losses.

Registration mandatory for sale, distribution of medical devices: Centre

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The Centre has made it mandatory to have a registration certifi cate for the sale and distri bution of medical devices to regulate the medical devices industry in the country, according to the amended Medical Devices Rules 2022. The ministry of health and family wel fare made the rules public through a gazette notifica tion last week.

“Any person who in tends to sell, stock, exhibit or offer for sale or distribute a medical device including in vitro diagnostic medi cal device, shall make an application in Form MD41 to the State Licensing Authority for grant of reg istration certificate to sell, stock, exhibit or offer for sale or distribution,” read the health ministry notifi cation regarding Medical Devices (fifth amendment) Rules 2022. “The medical devices shall be purchased only from the importer or licensed manufacturer or registered or licensed entity.”

The state licensing authorities have been di rected to individually ap point a licensing authority dedicated to the purpose of issuing registration certifi cates. The state licensing authority will have the authority to either grant a registration certificate or reject the application, with reasons documented in writing. The application will have to be disposed of within ten days, the notifi cation read.

In case of rejection, the applicant can appeal before the respective state government within fortyfive days from the date of receipt of having received intimation regarding the rejection, it added.

“The amended rules have come into effect. The notification has all the details mentioned,” said a senior official, requesting anonymity. Among the prerequisites for obtaining a registration certificate, the Centre has laid out de tailed criteria that include an adequately trained per son supervising sales.

ANATG hunger strike enters 10th day

(From p-1)

Ozuküm said the group was hoping for an amicable solution, but there has been not positive response from the government.

Meanwhile, four more members-- three on Tuesday and one on Wednesday, were rushed to Naga Hospital Authority Kohima on ambulances after some of them collapsed at the protest site, as their health deteriorated owing to prolonged hunger and malnutrition.

One of the members from Kiphire district, after re gaining his strength at the hospital, said he tried his best to remain strong for his fellow protestors but his body started behaving otherwise. He said all those on fast were doing their best to encourage each other.

A female teacher from Zunheboto, who was also hospitalised, said she had completely skipped solid food for the past few days. She hoped that to get better soon and re-join her friends at the protest site.

ANATG pushes state govt to the edge

(From p-1)

The officer informed that the process of regulariza tion takes time however regretted that ANATG demanded immediate regularization which the government does not function that way.

ANATG-2015 has thrown the ball in the chief min ister’s court to decided on their demands but have made it clear that nothing short of regularisation of their services will be acceptable.

The backdoor appointment is also rampant in other departments and this is the consequence of the ‘KhushiKhushi’ syndrome indulged to by politicians and bureaucrats with the ‘favoured’ ultimately facing the brunt.

NH demands AFSPA withdrawal

(From p-1)

The hoho alleged that the recent “deliberate attempt” of the Indian Army to kill innocent Naga citizens with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted in Puilang (Kambiron) village under Tamenglong district on Septem ber 24, 2022 was one glaring proof.

NH said that Naga people were “outraged and an guished by the terrors created by the Indian Army over the Naga people.” It stated that the patience of Naga people should not be misunderstood as weakness.

LAND

“… details of com petent technical staff, un der whose direction and supervision the sales ac tivity of medical device shall be undertaken, who shall possess the following educational qualification and experience, namely:— (a) hold a degree from a recognized University/ Institution; or (b) is a reg istered pharmacist, or (c) has passed intermediate examination or its equiva lent examination from a recognised Board with one-year experience in dealing with the sale of medical devices..,” read the rules.

The applicants have been directed to main tain separate records, “in the form of invoice or register or electronic de tails including software of purchases and sales of medical devices showing the names and quantities of such medical devices, names and addresses of the manufacturers or import ers, batch number or lot number and expiry date (if applicable)”.

Gov, CM extend Tsokum, Yemshe festival greetings

(From p-1)

to take active interest in safeguarding and pro moting the rich cultural heritage of the Nagas in herently reflected in our festivals.

Governor wished good health, peace and prosperity to all on this auspicious occasion.

Rio: Greeting the Po chury community on the occasion of Yemshe, chief minister Neiphiu Rio said it was a festival of wel coming new harvest and blessings.

“May it foster unity and bring blessings of pros perity and wellness to every household,” Rio said in a tweet.

Further, Rio also ex tended Tsokum greetings to the Khiamniungan com munity. “May the essence of the festival of promot ing peace, unity and har mony be strengthened. Best wishes for the well-being of everyone,” he said.

Putin signs unification laws for annexed regions

KYIV, OCT 5 (AP): Rus sian President Vladimir Pu tin has signed laws formally absorbing four Ukrainian regions into Russia, even as its military struggles to control the territory that was illegally annexed.

The documents final izing the annexation, car ried out in defiance of international laws, were published on a Russian government website on Wednesday morning.

Earlier this week, both houses of the Russian parliament ratified trea ties making the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions part of Russia. That followed Kremlin-orchestrated “ref erendums” in the four re gions that Ukraine and the West have rejected as a sham.

On the ground, Mos cow’s war in Ukraine has entered a new, more dan gerous phase. Russia faces mounting setbacks, with Ukrainian forces retaking more and more land in the east and in the south — the very regions Moscow has pushed to annex.

The borders of the ter ritories Russia is claiming still remain unclear, but

the Kremlin has vowed to defend Russia’s territory — the newly absorbed regions too — with any means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy re sponded to the annexation by announcing a fast-track application to join NATO and formally ruling out talks with Russia. Zelen skyy’s decree, released Tuesday, declares that holding negotiations with Putin has become impos sible after his decision to take over the four regions of Ukraine.

The head of Zelen skyy’s office, Andriy Yer mak, wrote on his Telegram channel shortly after Putin signed the annexation that “the worthless decisions of the terrorist country (Rus sia) are not worth the paper they are signed on.

“A collective insane asylum can continue to live in a fictional world,” he added.

Russia and Ukraine gave conflicting assess ments Wednesday of a Ukrainian offensive in the strategic southern Kherson region — one of the four

areas that Russia is annex ing.

A Russian-installed official in the Kherson region insisted that Ukrai nian advances in the region have been halted.

Kirill Stremousov, in comments to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, said that “as of this morn ing ... there are no move ments” by Kyiv’s forces. He vowed that “they won’t enter (the city of) Kherson, it is impossible.”

However, Kyiv’s mili tary said Wednesday they have recaptured more vil lages in the Kherson region as a part of their massive counteroffensive effort. Op erational Command South said that the Ukrainian flag has been raised above seven villages previously

Nobel prize for 3 chemists who made molecules ‘click’

STOCKHOLM, OCT 5 (AP): Three scientists from the United States and Den mark were jointly awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a way of “snapping mol ecules together” that can be used to design better medicines.

Carolyn R. Bertozzi, Morten Meldal and K. Barry Sharpless were cited for their work on click chemistry and bioorthogo nal reactions, which are used to make cancer drugs, map DNA and create ma terials that are tailored to a specific purpose.

“It’s all about snap ping molecules together,” said Johan Aqvist, a mem ber of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences that announced the winners Wednesday at the Karolin ska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sharpless, who previ ously won a Nobel Prize in 2001 and is now the fifth person to receive the award twice, first proposed the idea for connecting molecules using chemi cal “buckles” around the turn of the millennium, said Aqvist. “The problem was to find good chemical buckles,” he said. “They have to react with each oth er easily and specifically.”

Meldal, based at the

University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Sharpless, who is affiliated with Scripps Research, Califor nia, independently found the first such candidates that would easily snap to gether with each other but not with other molecules, leading to applications in the manufacture of medi cines and polymers.

Bertozzi, who is based at Stanford University in California, “took click chemistry to a new level,” the Nobel panel said.

She found a way to make click chemistry work inside living organisms without disrupting them, establishing a new method known as bioorthogonal reactions. Such reactions are now used to explore cells, track biological pro cesses and design experi mental cancer drugs that

work in a more targeted fashion. Bertozzi said she was “absolutely stunned” to receive the prize.

“I’m still not entirely positive that it’s real, but it’s getting realer by the minute,” she said.

Last year the prize was awarded to scientists Benjamin List and Da vid W.C. MacMillan for finding an ingenious and environmentally cleaner way to build molecules that the Nobel panel said is “already benefiting hu mankind greatly.”

A week of Nobel Prize announcements kicked off Monday with Swedish scientist Svante Paabo receiving the award in medicine for unlocking secrets of Neanderthal DNA that provided key insights into our immune system.

occupied by the Russians.

Military hospitals are full of wounded Rus sian soldiers, and Russian military medics lack me dicaments, wrote Deputy Head of Kherson regional administration Yurii Sobo levskyi on Telegram. After the condition of Russian soldiers stabilizes, they are sent for further treatment in Crimea. “Not everyone arrives,” he wrote.

On the battlefield on Wednesday morning, mul tiple explosions rocked Bila Tserkva, setting off fires at what were described as infrastructure facilities in the city to the south of the capital Kyiv, regional leader Oleksiy Kuleba said on Telegram.

Early indications are that the city was attacked by so-called kamikaze or suicide drones, he said.

Bila Tserkva is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Kyiv.

Russia has increas ingly been using suicide drones in recent weeks, posing a new challenge to Ukrainian defenses. The unmanned vehicles can stay aloft for long periods of time before diving into their targets and detonat

Taliban report mosque blast in Kabul

KABUL, OCT 5 (AP):

A blast struck a mosque at a government ministry building in Kabul Wednes day as workers and visitors were praying, a Taliban official said. The afternoon explosion went off inside the mosque of the Interior Ministry, which is respon sible for security and law enforcement in the country.

A Taliban-appointed spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Abdul Nafi Takor, said in a tweet: “Unfortu nately there was an explo sion inside a(n) ancillary mosque where some Inte rior Ministry workers and visitors were praying. Will share the details later.”

He did not say if the mosque was inside the min istry or near it. There was no immediate information about casualties and no immediate claim of respon sibility. The mosque blast follows last week’s suicide bombing at an education center in Kabul that killed as many as 52 people.

ing their payload at the last moment.

Many of the earlier at tacks by the Iranian-made drones happened in the south of the country and not near the capital, which hasn’t been targeted for weeks.

In a later post, Kuleba said that a total of six Sha hed-136 drones struck the city, one of the largest in the region after Kyiv itself. One person was wounded in the attacks.

Dozens of rescue workers were on the scene and still working to extin guish the fires hours after the attacks were reported, he said.

Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least five civilians have been killed and eight oth ers have been wounded by the latest Russian shelling, according to the country’s presidential office.

In the Donetsk region, the Russian forces shelled eight towns and villages. In Sviatohirsk, which was reclaimed by Ukrainian forces, a burial ground for civilians was found and the bodies of four civilians were discovered, accord ing to Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko.

After death of 66 children in Gambia, WHO warns about 4 Indian cough syrups

NEW DELHI, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): After the death of 66 children in Gambia, the World Health Organisation has urged people not to use four fe ver, cough and cold syr ups–Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup–all of which were manufac tured by Haryana-based Maiden Pharmaceuticals, reports The Indian Ex press. “Laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unac ceptable amounts of dieth ylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. To date, these four products have been identified in The Gambia, but may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions,” the WHO said in an alert on Wednesday.

It stated that all batch es of the products “should be considered unsafe” till they are analysed by the respective national regu latory authorities. “The substandard products ref

erenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, es pecially in children, may result in serious injury or death.”

Diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol can cause toxic effects including ab dominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state and acute kidney injury that may lead to death.

The alert further stat ed that countries should increase surveillance of supply chains to detect and remove the substandard products. Importantly, it also called for the surveil lance of informal or un regulated markets.

“If you have these sub standard products, please DO NOT use them. If you, or someone you know, have used these products or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and report the incident to the National Regulatory Authority or National Pharmacovigi lance Centre,” the WHO

alert stated.

The national authori ties, in turn, have been asked to report if any of these substandard prod ucts are discovered in their countries.

WHO director-gen eral Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceu ticals Limited, in India.

WHO is conducting fur ther investigations with the company and regulatory authorities in India,” as per the organisation’s official Twitter handle.

In India, deaths of 17 children were reported from Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 after consuming another cough syrup con taminated with diethylene glycol. In another incident, at least three children in the capital died last year after drinking a cough syrup with dextromethorphan, a component present in one of the four syrups flagged by the WHO. Whether the reason for the deaths in Delhi was contamination or overdosing at a younger age remains unclear.

Taiwan vows to respond to China’s military flight incursions

sile,” Chiu said. “But the situation has obviously changed.”

TAIPEI, OCT 5 (AP): Tai wan’s defence minister on Wednesday said the island will respond to incursions into its airspace by Chinese warplanes and drones, but gave no details on specific actions.

Responding to ques tions from legislators, Chiu Kuo-cheng said China’s newly aggressive stance had changed what Taiwan would define as a “first strike” that would neces sitate a response.

China stepped up its military exercises, fired missiles into waters near Taiwan and sent warplanes

across the dividing line in the Taiwan Strait in re sponse to an August visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking American official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.

China denies the exis tence of the median line in the Taiwan Strait and chal lenged established norms by firing missiles over Taiwan into Japan’s exclusive eco nomic zone.

“We initially said we do not make the first strike ... if they haven’t done the first strike, which means firing a projectile or a mis

Dimapur OrangkOng StuDentS’ uniOn

Asked by legislator Lo Chih-cheng of the govern ing Democratic Progressive Party if an incursion into Taiwanese airspace by a Chinese warplane would count as a first strike, Chiu responded in the affirma tive. Taiwan has thus far responded to Chinese in cursions into its air defense identification zone by issu ing warnings, scrambling jets and activating anti-air missile defenses.

The growing frequen cy of such incursions has spurred a push in Taiwan to optimize its geographi cal advantages in resist ing a much more powerful foe through asymmetrical warfare, such as the use of mobile weapons systems suited to repelling an inva sion force.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also brought a

new focus on China’s vow to bring Taiwan under its control, by force if neces sary. The vast majority of Taiwanese reject the idea of coming under control of China’s authoritarian oneparty Communist system. Russia’s failure to achieve its military goals in Ukraine has been a shot in the arm for those advocating for Taiwan’s counteroffensive against China’s attempts at diplomatic, cultural and economic isolation.

A former Japanese colony, Taiwan separat ed from mainland China in 1949 as Mao Zedong’s Communists forced Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalists to relocate across the 180-ki lometer (110-mile) -wide Taiwan Strait. China has never renounced its threat to invade and cut off all ties with Taiwan’s government following the election of pro-independence President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016.

NOTICE

is for general information that buying and selling of land within the jurisdiction of Shikavi Village,

be done with the knowledge and consent of the Head. G.B.

land within Shikavi Village, without the Hd.GBs

The

IN GRATITUDE

Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Kohima (KBBK) would like to extend our heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to all those individuals, churches, various organizations and well wishers for the incredible generous contributions in terms of cash, in kind, the valuable service and prayers rendered towards the success of the 50th Golden Jubilee celebration held on September 24 and 25, 2022.

H.

Pastor

Baptist Bumeinok Kohima.

Office Of the chi citizen

P.O. Mon Pin : 798621

felicitatiOn

We, the undersigned of the Chi Citizen Union with utmost pride and immense honor, would like to extend our warmest greetings and congratulations to the individuals mentioned below for their acquired successes in their own fields.

1. Dr. aman (Obstetrics and Gynaecology) for being awarded the Best Performing Doctors under AB PM-JAY by District Implementation Units.

2. Mr. n . Pintok a S i Nagaland Police for being awarded the DGP Commendation Disc (Silver) Medal.

3. Mr. c chinglang for securing the post of PGT Geography under School Education in the recently conducted NPSC CTSE 2019.

4. Mr. K c hiyuh for securing the post of Librarian under Higher Education in the recently conducted NPSC CTSE 2019.

5. Mr. lemnyei Y Konyak for securing the post of SDO (Civil Engg.) under Works and Housing Department in the recently conducted NPSC CTSE 2021. The Union further wishes their families at this moment of utmost joy. May God continue to lead you in all your works and endeavours.

Dimapur : Nagaland Motto

“Acquiring to lead” felicitatiOn

Vladimir Putin

A Taiwanese fighter jet flying next to a Chinese bomber (top) off the coast of Taiwan in February 2020.

Johan Aqvist, Hans Ellegren and Olof Ramstrom address a press conference to announce the winner.

Who will be the next James Bond?

Dos and Don’ts of Essential Oils

What Are Essential Oils?

They’re made from parts of certain plants like leaves, seeds, barks, roots, and rinds. Makers use different methods to concentrate them into oils. You may add them to vegetable oils, creams, or bath gels. Or you might smell them, rub them on your skin, or put them in your bath. Some research shows that they can be helpful, if you know how to use them the right way. Always check the label and ask your doctor if you’re not sure if they’re OK for you to use.

DO Try It if You’re Anxious

expensive essential oils.

DON’T Trust Buzzwords

Just because it’s from a plant doesn’t mean it’s safe to rub on your skin, or breathe, or eat, even if it’s “pure.” Natural substances can be irritating, toxic, or cause allergic reactions. Like anything else you put on your skin, it’s best to test a little bit on a small area and see how your skin responds.

DO Toss Out Older Oils

skin. Or an allergic reaction may cause rashes, hives, or breathing problems.

on a baby unless your pediatrician says it’s OK.

professional organizations like National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy.

DON’T Overdo It

More of a good thing is not always good. Even when diluted, an essential oil can cause a bad reaction if you use too much or use it too often. That’s true even if you’re not allergic or unusually sensitive to them.

DON’T Be Afraid to Try Them

James Bond, the martini-drinking, tuxedo-wearing British secret agent, celebrates 60 years on the silver screen on Wednesday -- but who will be the next actor to take on the iconic role?

According to sibling Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the search for a new actor has not even begun following Daniel Craig’s final outing as the suave superspy in 2021 film “No Time to Die.”

“We won’t actually be really looking for an actor for some time,” Broccoli said in an interview ahead of the 60th anniversary of the Oct. 5, 1962, world premiere of “Dr. No,” the first Bond film.

“What we have to

do is start a whole new reinvention, which is what’s exciting about being at this place now,” added Broccoli.

But as fans continue to speculate about who will be cast in one of Hollywood’s most sought-after roles, what characteristics are the producers looking for the in next actor to play Bond?

“We want, first of all, a good actor, an actor who is just not necessarily an action actor, but someone who can play what we hope will be the demanding roles that we write in the scripts,” Wilson said.

“That’s certainly, I think, number one, but it’s so hard to ... I mean, if you look at the actors who portrayed Bond, it’s very hard to pin down any

PIO nominated for Nature’s ‘Women in Science’ award

common characteristic,” he added.

Sean Connery first played the fictional spy created by author Ian Fleming. He was followed by George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, finally, Craig.

Broccoli said choosing the right actor was paramount to the franchise’s success.

“Thank goodness they cast Sean Connery originally because I think if it had not been him, who knows whether we’d still be here 60 years afterwards. And each one of the actors has transformed the series in a new direction, kept them fresh and relevant for the time.”

(Reuters)

Simple smells such as lavender, chamomile, and rosewater may help keep you calm. You can breathe in or rub diluted versions of these oils on your skin. Scientists think they work by sending chemical messages to parts of the brain that affect mood and emotion. Although these scents alone won’t take all your stress away, the aroma may help you relax.

DON’T Just Rub Them Anywhere Oils that are fine on your arms and legs may not be safe to put inside your mouth, nose, eyes, or private parts. Lemongrass, peppermint, and cinnamon bark are some examples.

DO Check the Quality Look for a trusted producer that makes pure oils without anything added. You’re more likely to have an allergic reaction to oils that have other ingredients. Not all extras are bad. Some added vegetable oil may be normal for certain more

Feli C i TAT ion

With immense honour and thanks giving to our Almighty God, the Servanthood Bible College would like to convey our heartiest congratulations to Dr. T. Hetoho Achumi, (New Testament Department) on being conferred with the degree of Doctor of Theology (D.Th) from United Theological College (UTC), Bangalore.

May our Almighty God bless and grant him success in all his future endeavours.

Principal, Faculty and Staff, Students of Servanthood Bible College

In general, don’t keep them more than 3 years. Older oils are more likely to be spoiled because of exposure to oxygen. They may not work as well and could irritate your skin or cause an allergic reaction. If you see a big change in the way an oil looks, feels, or smells, you should throw it out, because it has probably spoiled.

DON’T Put Edible Oils On Your Skin

Cumin oil, which is safe to use in your food, can cause blisters if you put it on your skin. Citrus oils that are safe in your food may be bad for your skin, especially if you go out into the sun. And the opposite is true, too. Eucalyptus or sage oil may soothe you if you rub it on your skin or breathe it in. But swallowing them could can cause a serious complication, like a seizure.

DO Tell Your Doctor

Your doctor can make sure it’s safe for you and rule out any side effects, like affecting your prescriptions. For example, peppermint and eucalyptus oils may change how your body absorbs the cancer drug 5-fluorouracil from the

DO Dilute Them Undiluted oils are too strong to use straight. You’ll need to dilute them, usually with vegetable oils or creams or bath gels, to a solution that only has a little bit -- 1% to 5% -- of the essential oil. Exactly how much can vary. The higher the percentage, the more likely you are to have a reaction, so it’s important to mix them correctly.

DON’T Use On Damaged Skin

Injured or inflamed skin will absorb more oil and may cause unwanted skin reactions. Undiluted oils, which you shouldn’t use at all, can be downright dangerous on damaged skin.

DO Consider Age Young children and the elderly may be more sensitive to essential oils. So you may need to dilute them more. And you should totally avoid some oils, like birch and wintergreen. In even small amounts, those may cause serious problems in kids 6 or younger because they contain a chemical called methyl salicylate. Don’t use essential oils

DON’T Forget to Store Them Safely

They can be very concentrated and may cause serious health problems, especially if used at the wrong dose or in the wrong way. Just like anything else that little hands shouldn’t be able to reach, don’t make your essential oils too handy. If you have young children, keep all essential oils locked away out of their sight and reach.

DO Stop Use if Your Skin Reacts

Your skin might love essential oils. But if it doesn’t -- and you notice a rash, little bumps, boils, or just itchy skin -- take a break. More of the same oil can make it worse. Whether you mixed it yourself or it’s an ingredient in a ready-made cream, oil, or aromatherapy product, gently wash it off with water.

DO Choose Your Therapist Carefully

If you look for a professional aromatherapist, do your homework. By law, they don’t have to have training or a license. But you can check to see if yours went to a school certified by a

Used the right way, they can help you feel better with few side effects. For example, you may feel less nauseated from chemotherapy cancer treatment if you breathe in ginger vapors. You may be able to fight certain bacterial or fungal infections, including the dangerous MRSA bacteria, with tea tree oil. In one study, tea tree oil was as effective as a prescription antifungal cream in easing symptoms of a fungal foot infection.

DO Take Care if Pregnant

Some essential massage oils may make their way into the placenta, an organ in your uterus that grows along with your baby and helps to nourish it. It’s not clear if this causes any problems, unless you take toxic amounts, but to be safe, it’s best to avoid certain oils if you’re pregnant. Those include wormwood, rue, oak moss, Lavandula stoechas, camphor, parsley seed, sage, and hyssop. Ask your doctor if you’re unsure.

Medically Reviewed by Stephanie S. Gardner, MD

Indian-origin biomedical scientist

Maitreyee Wairagkar has been shortlisted for the prestigious ‘Inspiring Women in Science’ award by leading scientific journal Nature for developing advanced neurotechnology using artificial intelligence (AI). Wairagkar, who is currently a post-doctoral scholar at the University of California, Davis, is among the six early career women researchers from world over to be nominated for the prestigious award, which is set to be announced next week. “I am honoured to be shortlisted for Nature ‘Inspiring Women in Science’ award in partnership with Estee Lauder in the scientific achievement category, in the august company of five other outstanding scientists,” Wairagkar tweeted.

As a neuroscientist, Wairagkar builds braincomputer interfaces to enable people with severe motor and speech impairments to communicate directly via their brain signals.

These devices break down barriers between humans and technology to allow intuitive interactions. Her research is focused on healthcare applications of neurotechnology in rehabilitation and assistive devices for people with different neurological conditions. Previously, she was a post-doctoral researcher at the Imperial College London. She also holds a PhD and Masters in cybernetics and AI from the University of Reading.

Shri.

Wax figures of six of the actors who have portrayed James Bond -- Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Daniel Craig, Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Pierce Brosnan (L-R) -- are seen in the Madame Tussauds wax museum in Berlin. (Reuters)

CA boxers win 6 medals

Late Bishop Abraham Volleyball tournament concludes

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN):

The 4th edition of Lt. Bishop Abraham Volleyball Tournament organised by Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement concluded in Wokha on Wednesday.

St. John the Evangelist Parish, Khonoma emerged as the champions in men’s category and St. Francis De Sales Parish Tening as champions in women’s category.

Mary Help of Chris tians Parish, Jakhama fin ished as runners-up in men’s category and St. John the Evangelist Parish Khonoma as runners up in women’s category. The champions of the tournament in both

Men’s champions team along with special guest.

male and female categories received a cash prize of Rs. 50000, citation and trophy while the runners up in both categories received a cash prize of Rs. 30000, citation and trophy.

Speaking on the ocas

sion as the special guest, Elias T Lotha, Transport Commissioner and Advisor Catholic Association of Na galand (CAN) congratulat ed the NCYM for carrying forward the trust bestowed upon them in organising the

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Combat Acad emy from Nagaland won six medals- three gold and three bronze- at the re cently concluded All India Mixed Martial Arts Asso ciation (AIMMAA) Na tional Championship held at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad from September 30 to October 2. The tournament was held in collaboration with Matrix Fight Night the biggest professional MMA promotion in India.

Altogether eight ath letes from The Combat Academy, Nagaland par ticipated at the event in cluding Sarita Rathod from Mumbai and Veinii Suffix from Manipur, both of whom secured gold in their respective weight classes.

Mairidin Newmai also fetched a gold for The Combat Academy, while Limasunep Imchen, Keth oletuo Nagi and Angel Debbarma from Tripura, all secured bronze medals.

Kesko FC champions of DDFA futsal tourney

Atokivi Chishi along with Angel Debbarma pulled out of the tourna ment in the semi-finals due to injuries, while Mhao Odyuo lost in his second bout.

Altogether 420 box ers from different teams from all across India par ticipated in the event, out of which, Veinii Suffix was adjudged the Best Fighter, and The Combat Academy Nagaland was declared the Best Team overall.

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Dimapur Dis trict Football Association (DDFA) two-day Futsal tournament at Kakit Fut sal, Urra Villa Colony con cluded on October 4, with Kesko FC lifting the title defeating Detroit Tigers.

The final match end ed in a draw with both the teams scoring 6-6. How ever, Kesko FC defeated Detroit Tigers 3-2 via pen alties. The chief guest for the closing function was graced by Yanrenthung Ezung, Director College Development Council (CDC) Nagaland Uni versity, Lumami. He also

sponsored the prize money for the winning team and the runners-up team.

The champion of this tournament will represent Dimapur district at the Na galand Club Futsal cham pionship to be hosted by Kohima District Football Association (KDFA) and organised in collaboration with Nagaland Football Academy (NFA) from October 7 to 11.

The winner of the Nagaland Club Futsal championship will qual ify for the National Fut sal Championship 2022 scheduled in the month of November.

CHENGDU (CHINA),

OCT 5 (IANS): The In dian women’s table tennis team crashed out of the ITTF World Team Cham pionships Finals 2022 in the round of 16 after a 0-3 loss to Chinese Taipei, here on Wednesday.

India’s top-ranked player Manika Batra lost the first match 0-3 (7-11, 9-11, 3-11) to World No 22 Chen Szu-Yu.

With India trailing 0-1, national champion and Commonwealth Games 2022 gold-medallist Sreeja Akula went down 1-3 (8-11, 11-5, 6-11, 9-11) to world number 35 Cheng I-Cheng. Thereafter, teenager Diya Chitale fought hard but could not prevent a 3-2 (611, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11) defeat to Liu Hsing-Yin in the third match. The Indian women’s table ten nis had qualified for the knockouts after finishing second behind Germany in Group 5. Chinese Taipei will now face Singapore in the quarter-finals. Mean while, the Indian men’s team will be up against top seeds China in the round of

grand mega event.

He exhorted the partic ipants on the parable of the Good Samaritan and urged them to be ambassadors of goodwill. He encouraged the participants to share the message of love back at

home and their parish they have learned during their stay and participation at the tournament.

Delivering the greet ings message, C. James Ezung, president, Lotha Catholic Union (LCU) lauded the Nagaland Catholic Youth Movement (NCYM) and the host Par ish for their hardwork and sacrifice in organising the tournament.

Earlier the programme also witnessed choreogra phy from class 9 and 10 stu dents of DBHSS, Wokha.

Vote of thanks was deliv ered by Neiphrenuo Gen evieve and the programme was hosted by Lochumbeni Kikon and Paul Magh.

Luke Sasong memorial volleyball trophyWrestling referee clinic in Peren

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): Zeliang Wres tling Association (ZWA) has informed all the zones of Peren district that the training for referee clinic will be held on October 22 at town hall, Peren at 10 am.

In this connection, Zeliang Wrestling Asso ciation has requested each zone to send 10 delegates to the training.

Correspondent

MOKOKCHUNG, OCT 5 (NPN): The 12th edition of Luke Sasong memo rial volleyball trophy got underway here at the multipurpose sports complex on October 4.

The trophy was orga nized by the Luke Sasong Sporting Association under the aegis of Mangmetong Students Union. . In the opening match Shipu Sport ing Club, Sungkomen beat Pangti Volleyball Team 2624, 25-23.

Fifth Summer Fall All Nagaland Badminton Tournament concludes

A total of 12 teams are vying for the title and will conclude on October 7.

Earlier, speaking at an in augural program SDO (C)

Mokokchung, Longdiba L Sangtam spoke on the im portance of sports.

He expressed gratitude to the organizers for provid

ing the platform for players to participate and further asked them to continue with such tournament in the future.

DIMAPUR, OCT 5 (NPN): The two day 5th Summer Fall All Nagaland Badminton Tournament, organised by Elite Bad minton Club, concluded on Wednesday at Vidhya Bhawan Higher Secondary School, Dimapur.

The opening ceremo ny as graced by Deputy General Manager, Indi an Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) Dimapur Depot, Er Huwuto Sema as special

guest, while the closing ceremony was graced by MLA Khriehu Liezietsü as the special guest, who was accompanied by MLA Moatoshi Longkumer. Al together, 68 teams fought in five categories, namely Men’s Open, Men’s Veter ans 35+, Men’s Veterans 40 +, Men’s Veterans 45+ and Men’s Veterans 50+. It was informed that due to less turn up of teams (four teams), the mixed doubles category could not be con ducted.

Results: Veterans 35+: winner-Supong and Wa pang and runners-up- Aron and Hekato; Veterans 40+: winner-Along and Vikugha Chophi and runners-upKavito and Pikuto; Veterans 45+: winner-Kavito and Pikuto and runners-up-Er Khate and G Naga; Vet erans 50+: winner-Alem and Y Sema and runnersup- Ahoto and Y Kahovi and men’s open: winner-V Hitto and Vikehietuo and runners-up- Peramrisi Ze liang and Teichang.

Staff Reporter

Medal winners from Combat Academy.

Team captains at the oath taking ceremony. (NP)

Winners of all categories along with organisers and special guest. (NP)

Kekso FC along with Yanrenthung Ezung and members of DDFA on Tuesday at Kakit Futsal. (NP)

National Games: Services on top

NAGALAND ATHLETES YET TO OPEN ACCOUNT

AHMEDABAD, OCT 5 (AGENCIES): The National Games 2022 is being held across six cit ies, Ahmedabad, Gandhi nagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar, in Gujarat.

The games will con clude on October 12.

Almost 7,000 athletes from 28 Indian States, eight Union Territories and Services, the sports team of the Indian Armed Forces, are competing for medals in 36 different sports.

Services currently lead the National Games 2022 medals table with 86 medals; 39 gold, 24 silver and 23 bronze.

So far, 25 teams have

won at least one gold med al at the National Games 2022.

Nagaland has not come even close to winning a bronze medal in the cur rent national games where as other states from north east such as Manipur, As sam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram and Sikkim have opened their accounts.

As per report, Naga land team has lost in all the events except in wrestling, which is yet to be con ducted. The team led by Chef de Mission, Kuputo Shohe, jt secretary, NOA and vice president, Naga land Shooting Sports As sociation took participated in four events- archery,

Hrutika Shriram wins second gold in diving

Hrutika Shriram

(Maharashtra) stayed on course to repeat a golden hat-trick in the National Games Diving compe tition by winning the Women’s 10m Platform event at the Sardar Patel Aquatics Complex here on Wednesday.

It is her second gold in three days, and her 10th crown in four edi tions of the National Games.

The Mumbai-based Railways diver, who hails from Solapur, was not at her best but logged the maximum 179.30 points to clinch the title.

Palak Sharma (Madhya Pradesh) took the silver with 175.10 points and Esha Waghmode (Maha rashtra) claimed bronze with 172.35 points. The trio had finished in the

same order in the 3M Springboard contest 48 hours earlier.

“I was not at my best today and I erred on a couple of dives. There were butterflies in the stomach and I thought that I would have to settle for silver. But I am glad I was able to clinch gold despite that,” she said after emulating Services’ men’s diver Siddharth Pardeshi in winning a second gold here.

boxing, wrestling and ath letics- 100m, 5,000 m.

The contingent were: Archery: HunezoThisa (coach), Chekrovolu Swu ro (asst. coach), Edikunu Rikha (Individual Recurve Round), Neikesa Sakh rie (Compound Round), Zhokhoto Demo (Indian Round), Nukho Lohe (In dian Round), Veduzo D

Vadeo (Indian Round); Athletics: Mhonsao Ngullie (coach), Purna Konyak (coach), Tsuchoi T (5000m), Neiketoulie Belho (100m); Boxing: Tsungchetrenla (coach), Preeti (Physiotherapist), Nirmal (57kg) and Wres tling: Kikhwesiil Thokh we (coach), Nosezonu Kotso(50kg)

MUMBAI, OCT 5 (IANS):

The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is set to return on October 7 and is poised to be bigger and more exciting than ever. The season will welcome back its 12th Man - the fans, who come back to cheer their teams at the stadiums.

With a productive preseason, where most Hero ISL teams sent their first teams to participate in the Durand Cup, the clubs are all set to give fans an en thralling experience across the season. Last season’s champions Hyderabad FC will aim to become the first Hero ISL team to defend their crown successfully, but will have healthy com petition to contend with.

With some major transfers in pre-season in the likes of Roy Krishna and Greg Stewart finding new home bases, and the influx of top international coaches, the title will be more closely contested than ever. Hyderabad FC will be looking for a repeat from their main marksman Bartholomew Ogbeche, who topped the scoring charts with 18 goals and led Hyderabad to being the highest-scoring team in the league stage. Ogbeche is part of a solid core for Hyderabad FC, which in cludes captain Joao Victor.

Hyderabad will have stiff competition from the likes of ATK Mohun Bagan, Mumbai City FC, and Bengaluru FC, who have all put together strong squads ahead of the new season. Former Bengaluru FC defensive midfielder Erik Paartalu suggested that Mumbai City FC will be a constant threat to all teams this season and pre dicted that they would go on to win the title.

Peren District Football League kicks off

Mtei FC 3-2.

DIMAPUR, OCT 5

(NPN): The first edition of the Peren District Football League (PDFL) organised by Peren District Football Association (PDFA) kick started on October 4 at Ja lukie B village ground.

The opening ceremo ny of the month-long tour nament was graced by en trepreneur and co-founder YouthNet Nagaland, Ku chi Rangkau as the special guest.

Altogether, eight clubs are participating in the tournament namely, Barak Football Academy, Puiteng FC, Native Feath ers, Benreu FC, LekieMtei FC, Prime FC, Nsong Area Sports Association and Northern Zeme Sports As sociation.

In the opening match, Puiteng FC beat Barak FA 3-1.

Wibonzibo scored two goals in 3rd and 62nd min utes. Kajiwi also scored in the 65th minute. The lone goal for Barak was scored by Kenumdi in the 82nd minute.

In the second match, Native Feathers beat Lekie

Lungmedau drew the first blood in the 9th minute. The second and third goals for Native Feathers were scored by Khangkinwi in the 31st and 37th minutes.

The first half was dom inated by Native Feathers but LekieMtei FC came back stronger and fought back in the second session.

They were rewarded when Isizaibe struck in the 67th minute followed by an other by Haileuyibe in the 78th minute. LekieMtei FC fought hard to equalize but had to concede defeat as the referee blew the last whistle.

Earlier, special guest appealed the PDFA to con tinue and uphold this tradi tion so that the grassroot level could grow. He also urged the PDFA to keep the consistency even in the future to progress in the field of football.

Citing some promi nent star footballers of the world, he reminded the players that they were also brought up and raised from grassroot level, some of them with torn playing boots and socks. He said

that a decade ago, players have no access to big plat forms and ended up after playing local tournaments but with access to many prominent leagues in state and national levels.

Therefore, he urged the present generation players which have many options to optimise their talents and skills to grab higher goals.

He also hoped that the Nagaland Premier League (NPL) be revived to promote football in the state and wished the district football to grow to higher heights.

Stating that the his tory of the district football is in the making, president PDFA, Raitu Newmaiin his brief speech said PDFA has planned the district league to promote and pro vide better platform to its football players to showcase their talent and skills and bring entertainment for the fans as well. He also said that there is no shortage of good footballers in its district, not forgetting the crazy fans always rooting for their favourite teams unconditionally.

Special guest Kuchi Rangkau, his entourage, PDFA officials and others after the opening ceremony.

Hrutika Shriram