Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXXI No. 335
DIMAPUR, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00
China’s CPC kicks off key 4-day conclave
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INTERNATIONAL, PAGE 9
Rohit, Ashwin help India end on winning note SPORTS, PAGE 12
Rafale deal: French journal Modi a bold and decisive leader: Dr. Jamir makes fresh claims of kickbacks Dr. Jamir among 16 get Padma Bushan
DIMAPUR/NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (NPN/IANS): Pioneer of Nagaland politics since the 50s, Dr. S.C. Jamir who was awarded with the nation’s third highest civilian award-- Padma Bhushan-- has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi with having come to understand the complexity of the Naga issue and also aware of the various factors that are hindering eventual agreement. Talking to IANS in New Delhi Monday, Dr. Jamir said Modi “also knows the positive aspect of the entire process”. About Modi’s style of functioning and decision making, Jamir said the Prime Minister has the guts and is decisive. He said this was Modi’s good quality that stood him apart from past Prime Ministers. Dr. Jamir had met the Prime Minister on November 6 (Saturday) at his 7 Lok Kalyan Marg residence, where both deliberated on the Naga political issue. Jamir’s meeting with the Prime Minister was followed the next day when, top officials of the Intelligence Bureau visited Dr Jamir where they discussed the Naga political issue at length. With negotiations lasting a little over 24 years yet impending solution still awaited, Dr. Jamir said the stalled process needed to be accelerated. He maintained that the Central government should have the political will to end insurgency. Dr. Jamir whose speeches since 1990 were consistent with his stand that Naga political issue can be resolved only through dialogue and not guns, said he had been
“telling the Prime Minister about the realities of the situation (Naga issue)”. Dr. Jamir also said he has been pressing for expediting the process for early solution, asking “how long can we go on negotiating?” The veteran politician lauded the signing of the Framework Agreement (on August 3, 2015) and the Agreed Position (on November 17, 2017) with the Naga groups. In particular, Jamir said he was happy to note that the Prime Minister, in his speech on August 3, 2015 welcomed the decision of “the underground to join the mainstream of Indian polity”. Jamir said that was a good sign and a reason why the government of India and the prime minister described the Agreement as “historic”. He said Naga people have been waiting for too long and that there was also a limit to everything. According to Jamir, a decision should be made while there is huge enthusiasm. He compared it to eating and relishing a curry while it was hot. On the other hand, he said no one will eat a curry which has grown cold or stale. In the same manner, Jamir said before the curry, prepared by the prime minister, becomes cold, it should be shared by all those entitled. Dr. Jamir is the only surviving member of the Naga People’s Convention (NPC) which negotiated the 16-Point Agreement with the government of India, that formed the basis for the creation of Nagaland as the 16th state of the Indian Union.
President Ram Nath Kovind presents Padma Bhushan to Dr S.C. Jamir. (PTI)
NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (PTI): President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday presented the Padma Bhushan award, India’s third highest civilian award, to veteran politician and former governor and former chief minister, Dr S.C. Jamir at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. Dr. Jamir is the first ever Naga politician to receive the award which was conferred on the 71st Republic Day, 2020 for his exceptional and distinguished service in the field of public affairs. There were two Padma awards ceremonies for the years 2020 and 2021 held in the morning and evening. Among the awards given away were seven Padma Vibhushan, 16
Padma Bhushan and 122 Padma Shri awards for the years 2020 and 2021. Former union ministers George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj and former President of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth were conferred the Padma Vibhushan posthumously for their exceptional and distinguished service in two civil investiture ceremonies held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar (posthumous), Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, chairman of Sundaram-Clayton Group, Venu Srinivasan and MC Mary Kom were also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan. (Cont’d on p-8)
Rio, Patton, Therie congratulate Dr. S.C. Jamir D I M A P U R , N OV 8 (NPN): Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, de puty chief minister Y Patton and Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) have congratulated veteran Naga politician, former governor and former chief minister Dr. S.C. Jamir on being awarded Padma Bhushan, the country’s third-highest civilian award. Rio: Taking to twitter, Rio congratulated Dr. S.C. Jamir on being awarded with the PadmaBhushan, for exceptional and distinguished service in the field
of Public Affairs. Rio further wishedJamir the very best in all his endeavours. Patton: In a message, Patton said Jamir’s political career spanning over 60 years and serving the nation in various capacities was no mean feat, making him one of the tallest political figures of the Northeast. He mentioned that Jamir was presently the only surviving member of Interim Body, and was fortunate and proud to have been associated with the legendary leader for the past many years. Patton thanked Gov-
ernment of India under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging the contributions of Dr. S.C. Jamir. On behalf of the State BJP legislators, Patton conveyed heartiest congratulations to Jamir and wished him good health and a long life. NPCC: NPCC president K. Therie said Jamir winning Padma Bhushan award was everybody’s pride. Conveying heartfelt congratulations to Dr. Jamir for having received the award, Therie said the
recognition was indeed genuine and deserving. “We have all witnessed for the last 70 years how he has tirelessly worked and travelled to all corners of Nagaland. He has touched all the hearts giving clear directive to the future. It is a wonderful blessing to have him alive even at the age of 90,” Therie added. A specialist in public affairs, Therie said Dr. S.C. Jamir had steered the ship of Nagaland from the storm, adding that had he be born in UP, he might have occupied top job. “Fortunately for us, he was born
in Nagaland,” he remarked. The NPCC president said that the man, who was rejected by his own village at his spent age, was appointed governor by Congress, which had given him national recognition. Hoping that the Naga political issue would get resolved during his lifetime, he said the veteran leader was a “true man” of Nagaland who loved Nagaland more than himself. “We are deeply proud of him. I can only thank him for what he has done. I wish him a very long life,” Therie said.
State logs 3 new Covid cases Revised SOP for travellers entering state
D I M A P U R , N OV 8 (NPN): Nagaland on Monday recorded three fresh Covid-19 positive cases, one of the lowest daily since September while no deaths were reported during the day. The three fresh cases were reported in Dimapur, taking the total caseload to 31938. The death toll remained unchanged at 689. Meanwhile, 12,23,395 persons have been inoculated against Covid-19, that includes—714814 first dose and 508581 second dose.
This is it!
"Everything is money. Whether doing holy work or evil work or political work." K Y M C
PTI: I n d i a l o g ge d 11,451 new coronavirus infections taking the country's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 3,43,66,987, while the active cases declined to 1,42,826, the lowest in 262 days, the Union Health Ministry said on Monday. The death toll climbed to 4,61,057 with 266 fresh fatalities, according to the data updated at 8 am. The daily rise in new Covid infections has been below 20,000 for 31 straight days.
DIMAPUR, NOV 8 (NPN): In view of the improvement in COVID-19 situation, the state government has issued a revised standard operating procedure (SOP) for travellers/tourists entering Nagaland. In a notification, chief secretary, J Alam, stated that the revised SOP would come into effect from November 11 till further orders. As per the revised SOP, all travellers/ tourists entering Nagaland would undergo Covid-19 screening test at the Points of
Entry (PoE) including Dimapur airport, Dimapur railway station, Dimapur-New Field Check Gate and the Dillai Gate, Kohima-Khuzama, Mokokchung- Tsutapela and Watiyongpang, Mon-Naginimora and Tizit, WokhaBhandari and Phek-Lanye Junction and Akash Bridge. The state government has, however, specified those who are not required and those who are required to be tested at PoE. (See details of revised SOP on www.nagalandpost.com)
The government stated that revised SOP would be uniformly implemented throughout the state without any deviation and would not be modified by District Task Force (DTF), urban local bodies, village authorities or community-based organizations. Any person violating the SOP would be punished as per relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act 2005, besides action under Sec. 188 of IPC and other legal provisions .
NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (PTI): French investigative journal Mediapart has made fresh claims that alleged bogus invoices were used that enabled French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation to pay at least 7.5 million euros in secret commissions to a middleman to help it secure the Rafale deal with India. According to Mediapart's investigation, Dassault Aviation paid the kickbacks to the intermediary in Mauritius between 2007 and 2012. Mediapart had reported in July that a French judge has been appointed to lead a “highly sensitive" judicial investigation into suspected corruption” and favouritism in the Rs. 59,000-crore inter-governmental deal with India for the supply of 36 Rafale fighter jets. There was no reaction yet from the defence ministry or Dassault Aviation on the latest report. “Mediapart is today publishing the alleged 'false' invoices that enabled French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation to pay at least 7.5 million euros in secret commissions to a middleman to help secure the sale of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft to India,” the journal said in its new report on Sunday. It alleged that despite the existence of "these docu-
ments", the Indian probe agencies decided not to pursue the matter. “It involves offshore companies, dubious contracts and false invoices. Mediapart can reveal that detectives from India's federal police force, the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), and colleagues from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which fights money laundering, have had proof since October 2018 that French aviation firm Dassault paid at least 7.5 million euros (equivalent to just under Rs 650 million) in secret commissions to middleman Sushen Gupta,” Mediapart claimed in the report. “This was in the context of the French firm's long and ultimately successful attempt to secure a 7.8 billion-euro-deal in 2016 to sell 36 of its Rafale fighters
Winter Session of Parl from Nov 29
NEW DELHI, NOV 8 (IANS): Winter Session of the Parliament will commence from November 29 and will end on December 23, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, decided on Monday. Like previous session, the sitting of both Houses - the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha - will be held simultaneously in accordance
with Covid-19 guidelines and Members of the both Houses are expected to follow social distancing norms. There would be about 20 sittings of each House and the government is likely to introduce Bills to facilitate privatisation of public sector banks which was announced in the General Budget this year. A Bill is also likely to be tabled for amending the Pension Fund Regulatory
hospitalised COVID-19 positive Canadian adults were recruited 14 to 21 days after being diagnosed through PCR testing in 2020, before the Beta, Delta and Gamma variants emerged. "Everyone who had been infected produced antibodies, but older people produced more than adults under 50 years of age," said Jean-Francois Masson, a professor at the University of Montreal. "In addition, antibodies were still present in their
bloodstream 16 weeks after their diagnosis," Masson said. Antibodies produced after an infection by the original viral strain also reacted to SARS-CoV-2 variants that emerged in subsequent waves, namely Beta, Delta and Gamma, with a reduction of 30 to 50 per cent in reactivity. "But the result that surprised us the most was that antibodies produced by naturally infected individuals 50 and older provided a
greater degree of protection than adults below 50," said Joelle Pelletier, a professor at the University of Montreal. "This was determined by measuring the antibodies' capacity to inhibit the interaction of the Delta variant's spike protein with the ACE-2 receptor in human cells, which is how we become infected," he added. The researchers, however, did not observe the same phenomenon with the other variants.
and Development Authority Act, 2013, to facilitate the separation of the National Pension System Trust from PFRDA, for ensuring universal pension coverage. Among others, a Bill to replace the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 which was promulgated on September 30, for stricter punishment provisions in NDPS Act may also be tabled in the Winter Session.
Telecom service providers asked to Now, recharge smart meter online remove overhead cables along NH-29 Dprepaid I M A P U R , N OV 8 D I M A P U R , N OV 8 (NPN): Extra assistant commissioner (EAC) Chümoukedima Seyiekhrietuo Solo has directed telecom service providers (TSPs) to remove overhead cables along NH-29 from Purana Bazaar area till Chümoukedima town within 30 days and to place the cables as per the prescribed manner in consultation with the appropriate authority. EAC warned that the cables would be removed and defaulting service providers would be penalised accordingly. EAC said that several
TSPs have placed their overhead cables at numerous locations along NH-29 in a very haphazard manner, thereby causing unnecessary obstruction and nuisance to the general public. The officials further reminded that the telecom service providers were legally obligated to ensure that sufficient measures were taken to mitigate public inconvenience and ensure public safety at all times while laying/placing cable or any infrastructure as per the rules stipulated under the Indian Telegraph Right of Way Rules, 2016.
‘Pfizer, AstraZeneca vax generate more antibodies than natural infection’ TORONTO, NOV 8 (PTI): People who receive the Pfizer or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have antibody levels significantly higher than those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to a study published in Scientific Reports journal on Monday. A team led by researchers at the University of Montreal in Canada found that these antibodies were also effective against the Delta variant. In the study, 32 non-
to India,” it said. BJP's National Information and Technology Department in-charge Amit Malviya targeted the Congress, alleging that the kickbacks were paid during the UPA rule. The NDA government had inked the deal on September 23, 2016, to procure 36 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation after a nearly seven-year exercise to procure 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force did not fructify during the UPA regime. The Congress accused the government of massive irregularities in the deal, alleging that it was procuring each aircraft at a cost of over Rs.1,670 crore as against Rs.526 crore finalised by the UPA government during the negotiations for the MMRCA.
They noted that when someone who has had a mild case of COVID is vaccinated, the antibody level in their blood doubles compared to an unvaccinated person who has been infected by the virus. Their antibodies are also better able to prevent spike-ACE-2 interaction, according to the researchers. "But what's even more interesting is that we have samples from an individual younger than 49 whose
infection didn't produce antibodies inhibiting spikeACE-2 interaction, unlike vaccination," said Masson. "This suggests that vaccination increases protection against the Delta variant among people previously infected by the native strain," Masson added. The researchers believe more research should be conducted to determine the best combination for maintaining the most effective level of antibodies reactive to all variants of the virus.
(NPN): Power department has informed all consumers using pre-paid energy meters in Dimapur and Kohima that facility for online recharging of electricity balance was now available. In a press release, chief engineer distribution & revenue Er. Moa Aier has, therefore, requested the prepaid electricity consumers to make use of the facility at http://prepaidnagaland. net/ for general convenient and also to avoid overcrowding in the recharge counter.
SARFAESI Act panel to meet on Nov 15 D I M A P U R , N OV 8 (NPN): State chief minister, Neiphiu Rio, who is also the chairman of the select committee to examine the application of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act, 2002) to Nagaland, has convened a meeting of the committee on November 15, 2021 at 11am in the committee hall of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly. NLA secretariat, in a press release, has requested all the members of the committee to attend the scheduled meeting. K Y M C