December 17, 2020

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 15

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00

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SC to form panel to resolve deadlock Nagaland Express taken to Ledo NFR DOES A SECOND ‘HIJACK’ OF TRAIN FROM NAGALAND TO ASSAM

Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, DEC16 (NPN): Thousands of people travelling by trains to and from Dimapur, were elated when Nagaland Express was introduced on November 5, 2011, between Kamakhya Junction to Dimapur Railway Station (DMV) and terminating (holding back) at Dimapur.

However, the nine-year joy has turned to despair, when Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) officials at Maligaon decided to extend the Nagaland Express to Ledo and no longer terminate at Dimapur but at Ledo.

The decision to extend Nagaland Express beyond Dimapur and to terminate at Ledo, was disclosed by NFR officials in an exclusive interview with Nagaland Post. The NFR officials disclosed that the termination point of Nagaland Express will be at Ledo Station (LEDO), 157 kms away from Mariani Station. They disclosed that the order for the proposed

LPG price up by Rs 50, aviation fuel price climbs 6.3% NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (PTI): Cooking gas LPG price on Wednesday was increased by Rs 50 per cylinder, the second hike in rate this month following firming of international prices.

Also, aviation turbine fuel (ATF) price was raised by a steep 6.3 per cent.

Non-subsidised LPG price was increased to Rs 694 per 14.2-kg cylinder from Rs 644 earlier, according to a price notification of state fuel marketing companies.

This is the second increase in rate this month.

On December 1, price was hiked by a similar Rs 50 per cylinder.

Prior to that, the price had remained unchanged at Rs 594 a cylinder since July.

This was the same rate at which subsidised LPG refills are also sold.

Since May, most cooking gas customers have not received subsidies as the combination of international oil price collapse and domestic refill rate increases brought parity between subsidised and market rates.

A subsidised cooking gas cylinder was priced at Rs 497 in Delhi in June 2019. Since then, prices have cumulatively gone up

by Rs 147.

This is it!

“When we joined the movement, our goal was understood by all. Today it has become so complex.”

K Y M C

A view of Dimapur railway station platform. (NP)

extension was received from Chief Passenger Transportation Manager (CPTM), Maligaon, during the first week of December.

The NFR officials also revealed that the order for extension of Nagaland Express to Ledo was received during the first week of December and proposed to be implemented from December 15, 2020.

This means drastic reduction in ticket quota for Dimapur, the second highest revenue earner for NFR and resulting in greatly reduced stoppage time.

This had earlier happened with the Jan Shatabdi, flagged off in 1996 by then Union Railway minister late Ram Vilas Paswan. Jan Shatabdi was meant to link state capitals and though Dimapur is not the state capital, yet it was included being the only railhead in Nagaland. After extension of Jan Shatabdi beyond Dimapur, seat quota was also reduced along with stoppage time. Also those travelling

by Jan Shatabdi from Dimapur, have to buy tickets of Jorhat or Furkating.

NFR officials claimed

that the extension was necessitated due to decrease in number of train passengers at Dimapur due to COVID19 pandemic. The officials said on an average, there were presently fifty to sixty travellers in a day.

However, instead of getting more trains to meet the growing number of travellers at Dimapur which has earned huge revenue for NFR, the officials claimed that Dimapur railway station lacked basic facilities to be a termination point such as-- AC coach, proper water supply, cleaning etc.

This specious argument was sought to be justified only on these counts although the huge revenue earned by Dimapur railway station handling some 4000 to 5000 passengers every day, did not matter.

They said Ledo has all the facilities even though it (Ledo) has only a fraction of number of travellers as compared with Dimapur.

The NFR officials also justified extension of Nagaland Express to Tinsukia and Ledo on the assumption that it will help cater

to the needs of passengers from other railway stopping points.

When it was pointed out that in the pre-COVID19 pandemic period not less than 600 to 700 passengers travelled by Nagaland Express to and from Dimapur, the officials maintained that there were chances that more coaches would be added to avoid such problems. However, they could not confirm if additional coaches would be provided.

Talking to Nagaland Post, a member of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), said that the proposed extension was totally unjust and unfair for the train travellers of Dimapur, nearby Karbi Anglong and Manipur.

After first taking away the Jan Shatabdi to Jorhat followed by Nagaland Express to Ledo, the only train to terminate at Dimapur will be the BG Express.

It may be pointed out that some 40 trains pass through Dimapur but hardly stop for more than five minutes.

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday was of the view that the government’s negotiations with the protesting farmers have “not worked apparently” and said it will form a committee having representatives of the both the sides to resolve the deadlock but the agitating leaders dismissed it as no solution.

Union Ag riculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who is leading the government side in the negotiations, said the ongoing agitation at Delhi’s borders is limited to one state and farmers of Punjab are being “misled” by the Opposition. He, however, expressed hope that there will be a solution “soon” to the ongoing impasse.

Protesting farmer unions said constituting a new panel to break the stalemate on the three new agri laws is not a solution as they want a complete withdrawal of the legislations. They also said the government should have formed a committee of farmers and others before the laws were enacted by Parliament. Abhimanyu Kohar, a leader of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Sabha, which is one of 40 pro-

Farmers shout slogans during their protest against the new farm laws, at Singhu Border in New Delhi, Wednesday. (PTI)

testing farmer unions, said they have already rejected a recent government offer to form such a panel.

Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan), which has been leading the agitation at Tikri border, said that there would be no meaning of a new committee now.

During the day, security arrangements were tightened at the Chilla border between Delhi and Noida as farmer union leaders threatened to completely block the key border point to press for their demands.

Thousands of farmers have been camping at several Delhi border points for 21 days on the trot, causing closure of several routes.

Stop holding parallel talks: Farmer unions

An umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting against the new agri laws at several Delhi border points on Wednesday asked the Centre to stop holding “parallel talks” with other farmer bodies over the contentious legislations. With the government saying that it is waiting for the reply of peasant leaders, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha said that there was no question of responding as the farmer unions had made their stand clear in the last round of meeting with Union ministers that they want the laws to be repealed.

Dhansiri, Chathe bridges Schedule for NH- WB apporves $68mn worth education project for Nagaland all set to open on Dec 21 29 stretch closure

(L-R) Dhansiri bridge and Chathe bridge.

Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR DEC 16 (NPN): Citizens of Dimapur can finally heave a sigh of relief as much-awaited Dhansiri Bridge at Nagarjan (Kuda) and Chathe Bridge at Diphupar near CIHSR are all set to be inaugurated on December 21, 2020.

It may be mentioned that the Chathe bridge at Diphupar collapsed on July

11, 2017, claiming four lives and critically injuring five others, while the British-era bridge at Nagarjan (Kuda) had to be closed for months after crack developed in July 2017 and since then the bridge has been restricted to light vehicles only.

According to sources, the two bridges would be inaugurated by state deputy chief minister, Y Patton, who is also holds roads and bridges portfolio.

DIMAPUR, DEC 16 (NPN): Dimapur district administration has ordered total restriction of all movement from Chathe River Bridge (Paikai Bridge) to Kukidolong on the following day/time: From 7 am of Dec 19 till 5 am of Dec 21; from 7 am of Jan 9 till 5 am of Jan 11, 2021; from 7 am of Jan 16 till 5 am of Jan 18; from 7 am of Jan 23 till 5 am of Jan 25; from 7 am of Jan 30 till 5 am of Feb 1, 2021; from 7 am of Feb 6 till 5 am of Feb 8; from 7 am of Feb 13 till 5 am of Feb 14.

In a circular, deputy commissioner (DC) Dimapur Rajesh Soundararajan said that the restriction was necessitated to facilitate speedy completion of works and as a precautionary measure to prevent any injury, loss of life and damage to property.

General public could take the alternative route from Dimapur-Kohima/Kohima-Dimapur for light vehicles only via 7th Mile-New DC office-ShokhuviRazaphe-Mhaikam-Pimla-Mhainamtsi-Jhornapani/Medziphema and vice versa.

DIMAPUR, DEC 15 (NPN): The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors Tuesday approved a $68 million project—The Nagaland: Enhancing Classroom Teaching and Resources Project—to enhance the governance of schools across Nagaland as well as to improve teaching practices and learning environments in select schools.

In a press release, the World Bank noted “Today, Nagaland faces challenges of weak school infrastructure, lack of opportunities for the professional development of teachers and limited capacity on the part of communities to partner effectively with the school system.”

It stated that COVID-19 pandemic has further accentuated those challenges and created additional stress and disruptions to the state’s school education system.

According to the World Bank, the project would improve classroom instruction; create opportunities for the professional development of teachers; and build technology systems to provide students and teachers with more access to blended and online learning as well as allow better monitoring of policies

and programs. Such an integrated approach would complement conventional delivery models and help mitigate the challenges posed by COVID-19, it stated.

“Even as the number of children attending school in India has increased over the last few years, there is a growing need to significantly improve learning outcomes to meet the demands of the labor market and fuel future growth. This project is designed to support the Government of Nagaland’s ongoing efforts to improve and develop a more resilient education system in the state,” said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India. About 150,000 students and 20,000 teachers in the government education system in Nagaland would benefit from the statewide reforms in schools.

Strengthening Nagaland’s Education Management and Information System (EMIS) would enable wider access to education resources; support professional development and performance evaluation systems for teachers and education managers; facilitate school leadership and better management; and support

examination reforms.

“The project will support the state’s efforts to reform and improve the learning environment in schools so that they are child-centered; supportive of modern, technologyenabled teaching and learning approaches; and resilient to future shocks,” said Kumar Vivek, Education Specialist and the World Bank’s Task Team Leader for the project.

As part of that strategy, approximately 15 out of Nagaland’s 44 higher secondary schools would be developed into school complexes that operationalize the envisioned learning environment during the project period.

The $68 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of five years.

The $68 million project is one of the four India projects worth over $800 million approved by the World Bank. “The four projects will support India’s efforts to build back better by creating a sustainable and resilient economy,” said Junaid Ahmad, Country Director, World Bank India.

Crucial to follow all COVID safety protocols: H&FW Cab okays `6700 cr power projects DIMAPUR, DEC 16 (NPN): With the onset of festive season and the winter flu season, state Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department said it was crucial to follow all COVID-19 safety protocols in order to help contain the spread of the infection.

In a statement, H&FW principal director, Dr. Vizolie Z. Suokhrie said that the department held a consultative meeting with various Church organizations, civil society organisations, representatives of district administration and municipal council on Wednesday and adopted several resolutions.

The meeting reiterated the necessity to observe preventive measures specially with regard to “COVID-19 appropriate behaviours” issued through SOPs by all residents of the State.

The house agreed to carry out awareness campaigns

in sensitizing the citizens on prevention from COVID-19 and also resolved to strictly enforce COVID-19 SOPs, and to take action against violators as per legal provisions. The house further appealed to all concern to avoid mobile caroling in groups and processions, picnics, partying, merrymaking and other entertainment events that involve crowding.

It advised deferment or postponement of conferences, jubilees, convocations, etc. scheduled during the festive season. The house said that weddings should follow all SOPs and preventive measures at all times.

While urging that devotional services should be staggered to minimize crowding and to follow preventive measures at all times, the house further advised avoiding Christmas and New Year community

Nagaland COVID-19 tally 11787 COVID-19 STATUS AS ON december 16, 2020 ACTIVE CASES Symptomatic AsympCritical-ICU District tomMod- Se- With- With On Mild atic erate vere out Oxy- VentiOxygen gen lator Dimapur 128 19 5 3 0 0 1 Kiphire 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kohima 335 5 7 0 0 0 0 Longleng 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Mokokchung 22 1 1 1 0 0 0 Mon 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 Peren 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 Phek 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 Tuensang 11 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wokha 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 Zunheboto Total

2 551

0 25

0 13

0 4

0 0

0 0

0 1

Death MiRecovunder Total Death gratered InvestiCases ed gation 6087 24 3264 9 116 579 479 44 226 28

43 1 21 0 1 2 0 0 1 1

3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

72 0 25 9 6 9 0 0 0 3

6362 39 3656 18 148 602 498 45 238 39

137 0 10993 70

0 3

3 142 127 11787

*7 deaths not due to Covid-19 *3 deaths under investigation

DIMAPUR, DEC 16 (NPN): Nagaland’s COVID-19 tally mounted to 11,787 after 26 new cases were reported-11 in Dimapur, 5 each in Kohima and Mokokchung, 2 each in Mon and Peren and 1 in Phek. One more COVID(Cont’d on p-8) 19 related death was reported

on Wednesday, taking the tally to 73.

Further, the distribution across various categories include 4641 cases from the armed forces/police, 1823 returnees, 4762 traced contacts and 561 frontline workers.

for Nagaland and 5 other NE states

Spl. Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (NPN): Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) at an estimated cost of Rs. 6,700 crore.

This is a major step towards economic development of North Eastern Region through strengthening of Intra-State Transmission and Distribution systems.

The scheme is being implemented through POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under Ministry of Power in association with six beneficiary North Eastern States namely, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland,

and Tripura and is targeted to be commissioned by December 2021. After commissioning, the project will be owned and maintained by the respective North Eastern State Utilities.

Implementation of this scheme will create a reliable power grid and improve NER States’ connectivity to the upcoming load centres, and thus extend the benefits of the grid connected power to all categories of consumers of beneficiaries in North Eastern Region.

The scheme would also increase the per capita power consumption of these States, and would contribute to the total economic development of the North-Eastern Region. Implementing agencies are hiring a considerable number of local manpower during their construction works, generating a lot of

employment for skilled and unskilled manpower of North-Eastern Region.

Further, after completion, additional manpower would be required for Operation & Maintenance of these newly created assets as per standard norms, generating considerable additional employment opportunities for the region.

The Scheme was initially approved in December 2014 as a Central Sector Plan Scheme of Ministry of Power and is being funded with the assistance of World Bank fund and by the Government of India through the Budget support of Ministry of Power on 50:50 basis (World Bank: Gol) except for the capacity building component for Rs 89 crore, which will be entirely funded by the Government of India.

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

NMM, LGOU celebrate respective anniversaries NDDP 9 A/C conducts social work

Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho speaking at the golden jubilee I. Meyionen addressing as guest speaker during the of NMM on December 16.

25th anniversary of LGOU on December 16.

DIMAPUR: Nagaland Missions Movement (NMM), the missions department of Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and Longsa Gazetted Officers’ Union (LGOU) celebrated 50th and 25th anniversaries respectively.

NMM: Nagaland Missions Movement (NMM), the missions department of Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) observed its 50th anniversary thanksgiving fellowship on December 16.

A press release by NMM secretary, Rev. An-

drew Semp stated that, NBCC general secretary, Rev. Dr. Kethozelhou Keyho in his message, challenged and encouraged the gathering. He reminded that NMM being the missions department was the lighthouse wherein its duty was to keep the lamp clean, and to keep the light shining. He also shared that Nagas were sitting on a gold mine of missions where one ought to take the gospel of Christ to all the nations.

Rev. Andrew Semp highlighted the history of NMM and led the thanksgiving prayer. While thank-

G. Kaito Aye condoles

DIMAPUR: Minister of Agriculture and Cooperation, G. Kaito Aye has expressed shock at the demise of late Atoli Sema, wife of former justice of Supreme Court of India, H. K. Sema on December 14 at Dimapur.

In a condolence note, the minister described her as a kind, loving, giving, selfless and loving mother to all who came to know her and the vacuum created would be

hard to fill. While her demise was a great loss not only to the loved and dear ones but to the Sumi community as well, the minister said that she may be gone but her memories will be cherished for generations to come.

Minister conveyed deepest condolences to the bereaved family and pray for comfort and strength from God at this hour of pain and that the departed soul rest in peace.

ing God for His faithfulness, the NMM office also extended gratitude to all the pioneering leaders for their sacrificial service in nurturing the ministry of NMM. It also thanked all the donors, sponsors, partners, churches and association under NBCC for the continuous support and valuable contribution to the ministry of NMM. LGOU: Longsa Gazetted Officers’ Union (LGOU) celebrated its 25th anniversary at Yim Ki, Kohima under the theme, “Towards a vibrant society” on December 16, graced by IGP and direc-

tor Nagaland Lokayuta Police and president of Kohima Ao Officers Telongjem, I. Meyionen as guest speaker.

A press release by LGOU president, I. Lipokonen Jamir and general secretary, Imtisanen stated that, Meyionen exhorted that vibrant society was an inclusive society, thereby he encouraged the LGOU members to work not only for its people but to contribute to the growth of Aos and Nagas in general.

He also praised the union for having the vision to start such a forum 25 years ago. Alemtemshi Jamir

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Dr Nicky Kire along with party workers during the social work conducted at Kohima on Wednesday. (NP)

(Correspondent) KO H I M A , D E C 1 6 (NPN): NDDP 9 Kohima Town A/C along with Dr Neikiesalie (Nicky) Kire, MLA, conducted a social work here, Wednesday to commemorate the 70th birth anniversary of Nagaland chief minister, Neiphiu Rio. Party workers from all the wards under the

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 We, the bereaved family of Lt. Nivili S. Wotsa would like to express our sincere gratitude to all well wishers, individuals, churches, relatives, neighbors and friends who extended immeasurable help to us morally, physically, materially, financially and unceasing prayer support throughout our beloved daughter’s prolonged illness till LATE NIVILI S. WOTSA her mortal remains were laid to 23rd Sept. 1997 – 9th Dec. 2020 rest at Mishilimi Village.

We deeply regret our inability to name each and everyone of you in this column, but it is our humble prayer that our Gracious Lord bless each one of you abundantly.

Loving Parents, Brothers, Sisters & Family Members K-2058

The family members of Late Sashimenla, would like to thank each and everyone of you, who stood by us through prayers, physical presence including tangible and intangible help rendered at the sudden demise of our beloved. We regret our inability to thank each one of you individually. But we will uphold all of you in our prayers for abundant blessing Born : 19/10/1968 from our Almighty.

Died : 10/12/2020 Special thanks goes to :1. Japu Union, Dimapur.

2. DABA, Dimapur.

3. Mr. & Mrs. Sonowal, Signal Angami.

4. Mr. & Mrs. Amento Chishi (NIKATOLI).

A/C took part in the beautification work along the National Highway starting from Classic Island.

Dr Nicky who spearheaded the social work, while interacting with media persons, said the work was organised in order to commemorate 70th birth anniversary of CM, Neiphiu Rio. He said Rio was one of the tallest political leaders

in Nagaland who continue to make a huge impact on the people even after facing many hurdles in the past.

Dr Nicky further said he shared the vision of the CM and would go the extra mile to work for the betterment of the people.

He hoped to organise such beautification works even in the future to make Kohima truly a mirror of Nagaland.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We , t h e b e r e a v e d family members of Late A. Rebchenkaba Jamir would like to express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to all relatives, neighbors, friends, wellwishers and individuals who stood by us physically, spiritually and financially at the demise of my beloved Born on - 01/01/1937 Died on - 09/12/2020 husband and our father.

DP-5588

Loving wife, children & grand children

1st DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Loving Family Members

DP-5603

(retd) chief secretary as treasurer of LGOU also shared the inception and scope of the forum.

Short speeches were also delivered by Dr. Temsuwati (retd) additional development commissioner, ex-president LGOU, R. Lepden, ex-MLA and Tiyongmeren Jamir, RCS followed by felicitation and release of souvenir.

Earlier, in the programme chaired by LGOU office bearers, the departed souls were remembered

by R. Takamanen Jamir (retd) deputy director and ex-president LGOU, invocation by Likok Jamir, Kohima Longsa Fellowship i/c, while welcome address was delivered by deputy director (agri) and president LGOU, I. Lipokonen Jamir. Jubilee blessing was pronounced by Mapula Longkumer, wife of late Rongsentemjen, first president of LGOU. Special song was presented by Kohima Longsa Kaketshir Telongjem, vote of thanks by deputy secretary (justice and law) convenor programme committee, Imtiakum and benediction

by Alemtoshi Longkumer (retd) joint director.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

OF

LATE SIVI ZAKIESATO 20/08/1959 – 17/12/2019

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Lt. IMCHATOSHI AO Born : 15/11/1977 – Died : 11/12/2020 Through this column, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all individuals who grieved with us during the sudden loss of Lt. Imchatoshi Ao on the 11th Dec, 2020. We feel comforted by the expression of sympathy and kindness conveyed to us. Special thanks to Commandant Ben Longkumer, NAPTC Bn., Chumukedima, Police Baptist Church, Chumukedima, neighbours, relatives and well wishers. We cannot repay the noble deed you all have done for us, but this is our prayer that the Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

May God Bless you all.

Loving Wife, Children and Relatives.

DP-5583

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Absent In Body, But Present In Spirit : 1 Corinthians 5:3

Late Lanuchuba Pongener (Ungma) Died : 09/12/2020

With deep gratitude, we the family members of Lt. Lanuchuba Pongener (Ungma) wish to acknowledge many acts of kindness we received from near and dear ones who supported us spiritually, physically and financially at his sudden demise at Civil Hospital Dimapur on 09-12-2020. We also would like to thank and express our gratitude to the officers, all ranks and staff of Commissioner of Police Dimapur, Doctors and nurses of Civil Hospital Dimapur, Ao Baptist Church Diphupar, Ao Union Diphupar, Ungma Senso Telongjem Dimapur, Ungma Baptist Arogo, Ungma Kosasanger Pusu.

We truly never learned what the words, ‘I miss you’ were until we reached for our mothers hand and it wasn’t there.

We miss you, mom.

Loving Wife, Son, Daughter and Relatives.

K Y M C

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Though we are unable to mention each and everyone individually, it is our humble prayer that our Lord bless you all for your noble deeds done to us.

From Your Loving Children

DP-5611

K Y M C

nagalandpost.com Poll Q.: Are COVID-19 vaccines being rushed for the sake of business or health?

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

A B C

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

B

Business.

Health.

Can’t Say.

C

85% 10% 5%

Next poll

Q: Is the state govt serious

about construction and completion of the foothill road?  Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST December 17

(Temperature in ºC)

Max Min

Agartala Hazy sunshine

26 14

Aizawl

Sunny and pleasant

23 10

Guwahati Brilliant sunshine

25 12

Sunshine and nice

24 8

Imphal

Itanagar Sunny intervals with a shower 22 12 Shillong

Sunny

18 5

Kohima

Plenty of sunshine

21 8

Dimapur Abundant sunshine and nice Mkg

Sunny and delightful

Tuensang Sunny and cooler Wokha

SUMAN workshops held in Dmu, Tsg DPFT to guide VDBs for proper planning

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A

Abundant sunshine

Zunheboto Plenty of sunshine

25 12 22 9 16 5 20 11 19 7

Health care officials during the workshop held on Resource persons and participants at the SUMAN SUMAN at DHD on December 15. workshop on December 15 at Tuensang.

DIMAPUR: District level Surakshit Matritva Aaswasan (SUMAN) workshops were conducted at District Hospital Dimapur (DHD) and CMO’s office Tuensang on December 15 respectively.

DHD: SUMAN workshop for Dimapur district was held at chapel hall, District Hospital Dimapur (DHD) on December 15, with DPO, RCH/ UIP, Dr. Rebecca Y. Sema as resource person.

A press release by DHD stated that, Dr. Rebecca Y. Sema oriented the members that SUMAN aimed to reduce the country’s infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality ratio by providing assured delivery of maternal and newborn healthcare services.

She informed that in Dimapur, the scheme was available at District Hospital Dimapur.

Senior specialist, DHD, Dr. Kutshutho presented the district hospital performance on maternal and new-born health indicators based on HMIS data for the last three years. CMO and member secretar y of SUMAN, Dr. Mereninla Senlem stated that as such valuable schemes were being initiated by the government, the government hospitals too would improve their services and infrastructure.

While pointing out that the responsibilities lies on the doctors, nurses, and all hospital staff to provide the services, she also said that Churches and NGOs too were involved in this

‘Swachhata Pakhwada’ kick starts at ICAR-NRC Medziphema

Staff members participating in various activities during the programme held on December 16.

DIMAPUR: Swachhata Pakhwada kick started at ICAR-NRC on Mithun, Medziphema, with participation of all staff members on December 16.

A press release by ICAR Medziphema stated that, the programme

started with reading of Swachhata pledge by participants led by director I/c scientist, Dr. Stephen Sapuni Hanah.

Day one activities included basic housekeeping drives and creating awareness and self prepared-

ness against COVID-19 pandemic presented by scientist, medicine and health, Dr Vivek Joshi.

Programme will continue till end of December by initiating various cleanliness activities in and around the institute.

scheme so that awareness to reduce maternal and infant mortality reaches all sections of the society.

Wo r k s h o p w a s chaired by deputy CMO, Dr. Antoly Suu and attended by Dr. Keveduyi, MS, DHD, representative from the Social Welfare department, president of Pastor Fellowship Dimapur, surgeon, pediatrician, and OT nurses of District Hospital.

CMO office Tuensang: Chief medical officer’s (CMO) office Tuensang conducted workshop on SUMAN at the conference hall of School of Nursing, Tuensang on December 15, with DPO (RCH/UIP), Dr. Thungchandbeni Patton, obs & gynae, SMO DH Tuensang Dr. A. Yanrenhung Jami

KVK Kohima holds SAC meeting

DIMAPUR: KVK Kohima held its scientific advisory committee (SAC) meeting on December 16 at its conference hall, Kohima.

A press release by KVK Kohima stated that, senior scientist and head, Dr. Ruokuovilie Mezhastu highlighted the concept of SAC meeting and also presented the action plan for the year 2021 and the progress report of the year 2020.

After thorough discussion and deliberation, the house unanimously approved the action plan of KVK Kohima for the year 2021.

Earlier, programme was chaired by ACTO (plant protection) K. Michael Pienyu where he also delivered welcome note to all the committee members as well as the progressive farmers.

Altogether 21 members, including progressive farmers attended the SAC programme.

NEISSR conducts 5th graduation day

Graduating students with special guest and other dignitaries on December 8.

DIMAPUR: North East Institute Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR), Dimapur, celebrated the 5th graduation day for MSW batch 2018-20 on December 8, at the NEISSR conference hall.

A press release by NEISSR stated that, Apok Jamir former MP as special guest, in his speech pointed out that the world was confronted with challenges in the most unexpected ways

by COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that this should remind about the imporK Y M C

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

tance of health care as life was more than wealth and political power.

At such situation, when human survival is threatened as never before, he exhorted the students to turn to God and be firmly rooted and also to put their hearts and soul as agents for transforming the society.

Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, bishop of Kohima diocese and chairman of NEISSER, in his message exhorted the graduates to uphold the principle of

non-violence and strive for just society.

NEISSR, member of governing board and vice president of Naga Hoho, E. Thomas Kikon, advised the students to use the knowledge and skills in a practical way to be agents for change and by being employers creating opportunities and services instead of running for jobs.

Felicitating the graduation ceremony, Dr. Deben Bachaspatimayum, assistant professor and coordinator Peace and Conflict

Transformation Studies (PCTS) encouraged the passing out students to work to the fullest potential of unique life.

Earlier, Dr. Fr. C.P. Anto delivered welcome address. Out of the 48 graduates 39 were present for the graduation ceremony. Others who attended the programme included, Rev. Fr. Benny Varghese, former administrator St Joseph College, Jakhama and Rev Moses Murry, president Christian Forum Dimapur.

and DPM (QA) Angelina as resource persons.

A press release by CMO office, district media officer Apheang stated that, Dr. Thungchandbeni Patton gave a presentation on SUMAN. She also stressed on sensitizing the community about the importance of 4 ANCs in order to have a successful SUMAN programme in the district.

Dr. A. Yanrenthung Jami gave a powerpoint on district hospital maternal and newborn health indicators based on HMIS data for the last three year etc.

DPM (QA) Angelina also gave powerpoint on update of LaQshya programme-certification status, bottleneck pertaining to specific check points, action points, LaQshya monthly indicators etc.

DIMAPUR: Nagaland RD department as the nodal department will initiate the launching of the people’s plan campaign or Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas programmes, as per ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department economic programme which was launched from October 2, 2020 and to continue till January 31, 2021.

A press release by development plan facilitation team (DPFT) Phek district, Dr. Thingo stated that, the campaign is for preparation of GPDP or village development plan for the year 202122, covering all schemes of 18/19 line departments which were implementing

subjects like education, agri and allied, power, drinking water, sanitation, health, family welfare etc.

It has been mandated that GPPFT or village planning facilitation team (VPFT) is set up for every village with subject experts to guide the VDB and facilitate proper planning of the village. In this connection, the Thipuzu and Rihuba villages have set up 20 members drawn and constituted as DPFT from individuals and organisations/institutions to work out yearly development plans as well as long term programmes to implement to uplift the village economy.

These members are drawn from different expert fields and experiences and a comprehensive vision document for the village has been brought out to take up work programme year after year.

The schemes are intended for generating incomes to the village and to look for marketing avenues within and outside to promote village economy. State RD department has mandated all villages to set up DPFT in all the villages throughout Nagaland from this year to guide the VDBs for proper planning and development of villages to modernize rural areas towards comforts and self-reliance in every respect.

Naga Freedom Fighters Widow’s Welfare Federation (NFFWWF), NSCN/GPRN celebrated its 25th anniversary under the theme, “Your arer the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20) at Dimapur on December 16. Chief guest was R. Duidang, founding member and first chairperson, NFFWWF and speaker was Ikato Chishi Swu, general secretary, CNC. (NSCN/GPRN MIP)

SDPDB Pughoboto advent Christmas celebration DIMAPUR: Sub-division planning and development board (SDPDB) Pughoboto-cum-advent Christmas programme was held under chairmanship of Y. Vikheho Swu, MLA and chairman SDPDB Pughoboto at the DB’s court hall on December 14.

According to DIPR report, ADC Pughoboto and SDPDB vice chairm a n T h u ng c h a nb e m o Tungoe reviewed the last meeting agenda regarding road maintenance under sub-division Pughoboto.

MLA reminded the department to give priority to the roads which was the life line of people and also directed the department to put their labors into works.

SDO Soil, Pughoboto highlighted some of the activities implemented under Pughoboto sub-division like Rashtriya Krishi Yojana (RKVY) and Integrated Land Development, project (ILDP)-NABARD as Development of Bench Terraces (BT) etc. Functional manager, Hojeto Sheqi also presented the

MCK conducts national webinar DIMAPUR: Modern College Kohima (MCK), department of education organised a national webinar on “Equitable use of technology and changes in the structure of school education under NEP” on December14.

A press release by MCK principal Dr. Vitsou Yano stated that, speakers of the webinar were assistant professor, education Central University of Kashmir, Dr. Mohammad Sayid Bhat, and professor, Theology College and Ethics, United Theological College, Bangalore, Rev Dr. Allan Palanna.

Dr. Bhat spoke on school education emphasising on ECCE, the foundation of learning and foundational literacy, while Rev. Dr. Palanna spoke on uses of technology in education.

T h e we b i n a r wa s chaired by assistant professor of education Vipiarienuo and welcome note

by HoD, Education Deepali Thapa.

Altogether, 100 people including students, scholars and teachers participated from across the country.

Y. Vikheho Swu (centre) and others at the programme held on December 14 at DB’s court hall, Pughoboto. (DIPR)

department activities.

During the advent Christmas celebration, the MLA conveyed Christmas greetings and said he will continue to implement his vision including livestock, tree plantation, entrepreneurship, beyond books and others. He lauded the officers for their contribu-

tions and said that departmental activities highlighted in the meetings help not only the department but was very helpful for policy making.

Executive secretary SABAK, Rev. Hotokhu Zhimomi, delivered the Christmas message and urged the people to live ac-

cording to the will of God and celebrate Christmas in the real way.

CDPO Ghathashi, Chirothusu invoked god’s blessing and special song was presented by Jennifer Wotsa. Benediction was tendered by executive secretary NCRC, Rev.Vitoka Kinimi.

Training for rural youth on micro-irrigation systems

Youth participants with SAMETI director and other officials at the training programme at Medziphema.

DIMAPUR: Six-day skill training of rural youth (STRY) was held at SAMETI training hall, Medziphema on the topic “Installation and maintenance of micro-irrigation systems” from December 7 to 12, organized by the Integrated Extension Training Centre (IETC), Medziphema in collaboration with the State Agricultural Management and Training Institute (SAMETI), Medziphema and MANAGE, Hyderabad.

A press release by SAMETI director and principal IETC i/c Medziphema, Dr. Watimongla Jamir stated that, resource persons were lecturers and officers from IETC and Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Medziphema.

Te c h n i c a l s e s s i o n covered different topics of micro-irrigation and also included visit to CIH, Medziphema, where trainees were given detailed explanation of the differ-

ent methods of irrigation, layout and installation.

The moderator and chairperson was Seyievielo Sono, lecturer IETC, while inaugural keynote address was delivered by Dr. Watimongla Jamir and vote of thanks by Dr. Bendangmenla Tzudir AI. Certificates were distributed at the valedictory programme by Dr. Watimongla Jamir and vote of thanks was given

by Odangmenla, lecturer IETC. K Y M C

4

northeast

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Northeast observes 50th anniversary of Vijay Diwas

G U WA H AT I / AG A R TALA/SHILLONG/ IMPHAL, DEC 16 (IANS/ Correspondent): Vijay Diwas, which marks the Indian military's victory over Pakistan in the 1971 IndoPak war and the creation of Bangladesh, was observed across the northeastern states on Wednesday.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War victory, the Border Security Force (BSF) organised a wreath laying ceremony at the Liberation War Memorial at the Bharat-Bangladesh Maitri Uddyan Park, Chottakhola, in south Tripura.

BSF's Tripura frontier Inspector General Susanta Kumar Nath, Bangladesh Assistant High Commission official S. M. Asaduzzaman, south Tripura District Magistrate Debapriya Bardhan and other dignitaries attended the event and paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the "Bangladesh Liberation War - 1971" besides highlighting the significance of Vijay Diwas.

War veterans were felicitated at the function, where hundreds of school children sang patriotic songs. The songs were also played by the BSF brass band and a short movie on the role of the 'Mukti Vahini in 1971 War' was screened.

The Tripura government has developed a big memorial and park at the border village of Chottakhola -- 132 km south of Agartala -- in memory of the

Observance of Vijay Diwas in Manipur.

Indian soldiers and Bangladeshi freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the war.

Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the park and memorial in 2017, which was built on 20.20 hectares of land over an eight-year period at a cost of Rs 7 crore.

Vijay Diwas was also observed with traditional military decorum and fanfare at the Trishakti Corps at Sukna Military Station in Siliguri, West Bengal.

Defence spokesman Lt. Col P. Khongsai said that the 1971 India-Pakistan War resulted in a landmark victory for the nation, as well as its Armed Forces.

"The historic military victory resulted in Paki-

NE states alcohol consumption highest in country: Govt survey GUWAHATI, DEC 16 (AGENCIES): As per the 2019-2020 Health & Family Welfare statistics, India, it is reported that northeastern states has high consumption of alcohol & tobacco, reports The Sentinel Assam.

Tobacco use is the highest among men and women in the north-eastern states, including Assam. Mizoram tops the list of tobacco consumption where 77.8% of men and almost 62% of women consume tobacco.

Whereas Assam had ranked higher in terms of alcohol consumption with 26.3% of women and 59.4% of men between 15-54 years of age consume alcohol.

The percentage happens to be the highest in the country and the national percentages for the same age group are respectively 1.2 and 29.5. However, in terms of percentage of the population accounting both men and women in the age group 15-49 years who consume alcohol at least once a week out of a total population (men and women) who drink alcohol, Assam women had scored 44.8% and men scored 51.9%.

Usually, people associate Goa with booze and partying but a higher pro-

portion of people in Telangana consume alcohol than in the former.

And a larger percentage of men drink in Bihar, a state under prohibition, than in Maharashtra.

Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir have recorded the least consumption of alcohol among men. There is no way of knowing if there has been any change of consumption of alcohol or tobacco since the last survey as the two data sets are not comparable.

In all the states, consumption of tobacco, including chewing tobacco and smoking, is much higher in all the states than the consumption of alcohol but it is the lowest in Kerala and Goa with 17% and 18% respectively.

Despite the established connection between smoking tobacco and oral cancer, the use of tobacco remains widely prevalent. In India, previous studies show a higher prevalence of tobacco chewing than smoking.

Tracking of alcohol and tobacco consumption was started from the last survey with the growing recognition of the burden of non-communicable diseases in India.

stan ceding control of then East Pakistan, thus paving the way for the birth of the sovereign nation of Bangladesh. Vijay Diwas is a historical event and a shining example of people's aspirations being ably supported by decisive military action. This year it is also being celebrated to begin Golden Jubilee year "Swarnim Vijay Varsh" celebrations," he said.

Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh, GeneralOfficer-Commanding of Trishakti Corps, paid homage to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the War Memorial.

The day was also celebrated in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur and other parts of northeast India.

Emergency mock exercise at Guwahati Airport Guwahati, Dec 16 (PTI): An emergency mock exercise was conducted at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here to check the preparedness of all stakeholders to handle all eventualities, a release said.

The drill was carried out during day time on Tuesday and continued till evening, the release said.

The exercise went off smoothly wherein an aircraft crash was simulated and Procedures and Response personnel were put to test.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting Services (RFFS), hospitals, Indian Air Force, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) participated in the drill.

Appreciating the professionalism of the participants, Airport director Ramesh Kumar advised them to maintain their zeal in order to handle any real time occurrence smoothly.

During the drill, procedures at the airport were also verified as being complete, known and practical, Kumar said.

In Tripura, Agriculture and Transport Minister Pranajit Singha Roy paid tributes to the valiant personnel of the Armed Forces at the war memorial in the heart of Agartala city.

The Bangladesh Assistant High Commissions in Guwahati and Agartala also organised discussions, cultural programmes and a get-together on the occasion.

The day-long celebrations are taking place in both the mission complexes.

"Besides cultural programmes performed by Indian and Bangladeshi artists, seminars and discussions are being held to commemorate the historic Bangladesh Liberation War and the incredible victory," said an official of Agartala-based

sponse from the State leadership, delegations led by our party’s General Secretary and Forest Minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia went to Delhi three times and urged the BJP’s Central leaders including its president J.P. Nadda to finalise the seat sharing for the TTAADC polls. But, unfortunately, the BJP leadership remained quiet on our repeated requests,” said Debbarma.

In contrast, the BJP leaders already declared that they would put up candidates in majority of the TTAADC’s 28 seats. The BJP, in alliance with the tribal-based IPFT, handed a humiliating defeat to the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist led Left Front in the 2018 Assembly polls after 25 years. In the 60member Tripura Assembly, the BJP won 36 seats and

the IPFT eight, while the CPI-M, the dominant party of the Left Front, secured 16 seats. The IPFT has two ministers in the BJP led government headed

by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb. The IPFT has been agitating since 2009 for creation of a separate state by upgrading the TTAADC, which has jurisdiction over two-thirds of Tripura’s 10,491 sq km area which is home to over 12,16,000 people, 90 per cent of whom are tribals.

The politically important TTAADC, which was mostly governed by the CPI-M led Left Front, was constituted under the sixth Schedule of the Constitution in June 1985. Political commentator and writer Sanjib Deb said that BJP may execute the BTC poll

Meghalaya, Hardeep Singh, along with DIG BSF, U K Nayal exchanged sweets and greetings with BGB at Integrated Check Post (ICP) Dawki.

BSF officers at Tura paid floral tribute at war memorial Killapara in West Garo Hills district in the honour of war heroes who sacrificed their life during 1971 war. BSF brass band show was also organized during the event.

In Manipur, chief minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday called for a concerted effort to make Manipur the most prosperous states of the country during his speech on the occasion of Vijay Diwas.

Addressing the occasion, Singh said that Indian armed forces were not well equipped at that time. However, it was the spirit of patriotism and sacrifice that won the war and liberated East Pakistan as Bangladesh. He stated that even many from Manipur were said to have taken part in the war. The state had sent even homeguards to join the war by promoting them to the rank of havildar.

The state level observance of the day was held at the banquet hall of 1st Battalion Manipur Rifles.

The chief minister and deputy chief minister Y Joykumar Singh led the attendees in payging floral tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of the nation.

MeECL employees withdraw agitation after ‘fruitful meeting’ Correspondent Shillong, Dec 16: Employees of Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeCL) on Wednesday suspended their agitation after a “fruitful meeting” with the Chief Managing Director of the State-owned power corporation regarding their demands.

“The management called us for discussion and the meeting was fruitful, so we are suspending our agitation,” General Secretary of Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL Employees Associations and Unions (CCORMAU), Banshan Nongkhlaw told reporters after the meeting.

During the meeting with Chief Managing Director of MeECL, Arun Kembhavi, Nongkhlaw said both the management and the employees discussed not just pending salaries of the employees, but also on the long term plan for financial recovery of the corporation.

“The management has agreed to give in to their demand in writing,”

BJP plans to expand in Tripura tribal areas AGARTALA, DEC 16 (IANS): The BJP has dumped its old ally in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) polls in Assam and ignored its partner’s willingness to share seats in the upcoming polls in Tripura tribals’ autonomous body aiming to strengthen its domination on its own in the tribal areas of northeastern region, say political observers.

IPFT president and Revenue Minister Narendra Chandra Debbarma said that despite their repeated appeal, the BJP leadership in Tripura and at the center did not yet disclose the seat sharing pattern and ratio in the upcoming polling to the TTAADC (Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council), which is now under the Governor’s Rule.

“After getting no re-

Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission.

"The 1971 war comprised two major operations -- Operation Cactus Lily and Operation Nut Cracker -- and 57 Mountain Division was actively involved in both operations with fire power support from 57 Mountain Artillery Brigade," said defence analyst Manas Paul.

"Both operations progressed from Agartala westwards towards Dhaka. The war finally culminated on December 16, 1971 with the unconditional surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers.

Lt Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora, Maj Gen (Retd) Ian Cardozo, Lt Arun Khetrapal, Lance Naik Albert Ekka are a few of our war heroes," Paul added.

In Meghalaya, General Officer Commanding 101 Area, Lieutenant General Tumul Varma laid a wreath at Rhino War Memorial Shillong, on behalf of all ranks of 101 Area, to commemorate, with reverence, the contribution of all brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice, in the line of duty. Veteran Representatives also participated in the somber ceremony.

Also, the Meghalaya Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF) and its Bangladeshi counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) jointly celebrated “Vijay Diwas at the War Memorial at Killpara along the international border in Meghalaya.

Inspector General BSF

strategy in the TTAADC elections. “After establishing its domination among the non-tribals in the northeastern region, the BJP is trying to strengthen its base in the tribal areas too.

The BJP is trying to utilise royal scion PradyotBikramManikya Deb Barman as the tribals have their affinity to the former royal dynasty until the erstwhile princely ruled Tripura merged with the Indian union in October 1949,” said Deb. Besides Assam and Tripura, the ruling BJP has been trying to gain its political base among the tribals in Manipur too. The party has recently wrested four Assembly seats from the Congress in Manipur where by-elections to five Assembly seats were held last month.

he claimed, adding that the employees were forced to organize the agitation as they had no other options.

Stating that the employees would see that the consumers’ problems are resolved, Nongkhlaw said, “We would like to say that any problems that the consumers are facing we would try to resolve those. The corporation provides essential service to the people as electricity is very essential.”

The recoursecr unched MeECL has been unable to pay its employees’ salaries for the past three months and are also against moves to privatize the organization.

They also want the smart metering project to stop as consumers would have to pay for installation of the smart meters.

However, the management has assured there are no moves to privatize the corporation and consumers would not have to pay for the smart meters. The salaries of the employees would be disbursed before Christmas.

Meanwhile, MeECL

Chairman cum Managing Director, ArunKembhavi had informed that the corporation would be releasing the October salary of the employees this week and the November and December salaries would be cleared before Christmas.

The employees went on a pen down strike on Tuesday and they intensified their agitation by holding a hunger strike on Wednesday before the management called them for the meeting Kembhavi said the management is in fact against privatization of the corporation.“We are ourselves against privatization although there was some move to hand over the distribution to private players,” he added.

On the proposal to acquire a Rs. 200 crore loan from the Rural Electrification Corporation, Kembhavi said, the smart metering would improve the revenue collection of the corporation.“The consumers would not have to bear the cost of the smart meters or any additional costs,” he added

Dimapur Meetei Council condoles demise of magistrate

DIMAPUR: Dimapur Meetei Council (DMC) has expressed shock at the sudden demise of Ahongbam Bemthoi Chanu , ACS Officer, who was posted at the bokajan sub-division of Karbi Anglong district as an Asst. Commissioner cum executive magistrate, passed away on December15 at Nikos Hospital, Dimapur due to her brief illness of abdomen pain initially, followed by her deteriorating conditions and multiple organs failure.

A press release by Dimapur Meetei Council Information Secretary cum Treasurer Prem Thongbam stated that Ahongbam Bemthoi Chanu was the first Meetei lady among the three meetei ladies who passed in 59 Rank APSC Combined Competitive Exam from As-

sam in the year 2015-2016 to become ACS Officer, who had her primary school education in Nagaland at the time of her father's active service in Nagaland.

The release stated that during her school and college days, she served as an active activist and fought many fights for the right of student’s community under the organization "Progressive Students Alliance of Barak Valley HQ LakhipurAssam".

The Dimapur Meetei Council on behalf of her family also expressed gratitude to the district administrations of Karbi Anglong, Assam and Dimapur, Nagaland and the Bokajan MLA Dr. NumalMomin and several social organizations and Nikos Hospital Doctors and team.

Shah to visit Assam on Dec 26

Amit Shah

G uwahati , D ec 16(Agencies): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit the state on December 26, reports the Sentinel Assam. Home Minister Shah’s visit is a significant one following the formation of the new Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) by the coalition of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), and Gana Suraksha Party (GSP).

Amit Shah also congratulated BJP’s new ally, UPPL, and their victory in BTC elections through a tweet.

It is expected that Home Minister Shah will attend a few government meetings during his visit to Assam. He is also likely to hold meetings with the BJP leaders of the state to discuss the upcoming Assam Assembly Elections of 2021.

A few sources also revealed that Shah will also sit in an informal meeting with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), to discuss seat-sharing strategy in the upcoming

assembly elections.

While Amit Shah is visiting on December 26, another key figure of BJP, Baijayant Panda has already reached Assam on Wednesday . The National Vice President, and also the incharge of the BJP Assam unit, Panda has come to Guwahati to attend multiparty programmes. He was welcomed in a grand manner by the party workers at the Lokpriya Gopinath Borodoloi International Airport in Guwahati.

“I have come as the BJP in-charge. I will attend several party programmes,” Panda told reporters. Panda will visit the iconic temple, Kamakhya temple on Thursday. He will also attend the Krishak Samaroh, which is to be held at the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra.

Along with Panda, the Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Minister of Finance, Education, Health and PWD Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will be present.

Dear little brother Adi, Watching you grow, from your first step till now, we've seen you grow your teeth, lost some of them, sick and healthy and in all, we've seen such an amazing person you've grown to be. On your special day we just want you to have a great birthday. Happy birthday our little naughty boy, we love you a lot.

From loving, Mom, Dad, Sisters & Brother Happy birthday bro Rohan Sunar...!

May god fulfill all your dreams and wishes, today just want to tell you that you’re one of our church lucky charm.

Happy birthday.

From, Nbc Chumukedima Youth Dept IN THE COURT OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE KOHIMA : NAGALAND

NOTICE

NOTICE INVITING OTHER CLAIMENTS TO REPRESENTATION TO COME FORWARD (UNDER PART-X SECTION 373 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925) Succession Case No 292 of 2020 Whereas an application under Succession Act 1925 filed for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate of Late Tsatsusuo has filed by Smti.

Kuovitshu, W/o Lt. Tsatsusuo Resident of house No. PS/C-12, Pezielietsie Colony, Kohima, Nagaland to draw/operate/close/transfer Service benefits, family pension, SBI A/C No. 20197234570 at Nagaland Secretariat Branch Kohima, SBI Life Insurance Limited Master Policy No. IC478431302, who expired on 09-11-2020.

Notice is hereby given that any person having interests in the administration of the estate of this said deceased may he/she so desire appear in this Court within 30 (thirty) days from the date of publication of notice.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this 15th day of Dec. 2020.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Kohima : Nagaland K-2059

IN THE COURT OF PRINCIPAL DISTRICT AND SESSIONS JUDGE KOHIMA : NAGALAND

NOTICE

NOTICE INVITING OTHER CLAIMANTS TO REPRESENTATION TO COME FORWARD (UNDER PART-X OF SECTION 373 OF INDIAN SUCCESSION ACT 1925) Succession Case No. 281 of 2020 Whereas an application under Succession Act 1925 for grant of Succession Certificate for the estate of Late Rev Keholeshü Tepa has filed

by Smti. Cholnile Tepa, W/o Late Rev. Keholeshü Tepa, P/ R Kidima Village Kohima, Nagaland to draw/operate/close/transfer 1. SBI A/c No 10530550014 at Lerie Branch, Kohima 2. NSCB Ltd A/c No. 101810006202687 at Kohima Branch who expired on 09-01-2020.

Notice is hereby given that any person having interests in the administration of estate of this said deceased may he/she so desired appear in this court within 30 ( Thirty) days from the date of publication of notice.

Given under the hand and seal of the court on this 10th Day of Dec 2020.

Principal District & Sessions Judge Kohima; Nagaland.

K-2060

AFFIDAVIT FOR CHANGE IN NAME

Regd. No. 1350 Date: 14-12-2020 I, Smti.Visazolie Lea, W/o Late Dipelo Lea of Chobama (Tsupfume) village, aged 55 years residing at Razeba in the District of Phek, Nagaland do solemnly declare and affirm as under:1. That I am a bonafide citizen of lndia belonging Chakhesang Naga.

2. That my official name in my First Appointment Order, it has been entered as Visazolu. In my Service Book, Educational document and Birth Certificate as Visazolie, Promotion from ANM to FHW Grade-1, Service Confirmation, Service Identity Card, G.P.F. Statement as Visazole, Aadhar, EPIC, Indigenous Certificate, Scheduled Tribe Certificate, Permanent Residency Certificate, Bank Account, Pan Card as Visazolie Lea, and ANM Marksheet, ANM Certificate as Visazole Rhi respectively.

3. That Visazolu, Visazolie, Visazole, Visazole Rhi and Visazolie Lea are same name, same person and one identity only. All the names are in use for all official purposes whatsoever, and there is no duplicity.

4. That henceforth, my official name shall be known as Visazolie Lea in all my official dealings, future correspondences and references and this affidavit shall bear evidences for all official purposes whatsoever.

5. That the statements made in this affidavit at para 1, 2, 3 and 4 are true to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing material is concealed thereof.

And I solemnly affirm and sign this affidavit on this day the 10th December 2020 before the Judicial Magistrate 1st Class at Pfutsero.

Deponent K-2066

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Rahul, Cong members walk out of Def Parl panel meet

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other members of his party on Wednesday walked out of a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, alleging that the panel’s time was being wasted in discussing armed forces’ uniform instead of the crucial issue of national security, sources said. Gandhi was disallowed to speak at the meeting by the panel chairman Jual Oram (BJP) when he sought to raise the issues of Chinese aggression and better equipping the soldiers at the border in Ladakh, they said.

The sources said the issue of uniforms of the Army, Navy and the Air Force was being discussed in the presence of the Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat when Gandhi intervened to say that instead of discussing this, the political leadership should discuss the issues of national security and how to strengthen the forces who are fighting the Chinese in Ladakh.

A presentation on the

File photo of Rahul Gandhi and Congress leaders

colour of uniforms in the Army, Navy and Air Force was being made to the Committee when a BJP member called for uniformity in the uniform colour of the 3 forces as in the US. H ow e ve r, G a n d h i said Army, Navy and Air Force should decide what the colour of their uniform should be, and not the politicians.

“The politicians should have no business to tell Army, Navy or Air Force which uniform to wear and it is neither their jurisdiction nor domain and should not belittle or insult them”.

“The political leadership should instead provide

hot tents, boots and equip the soldiers who are braving out at the border and are fighting the Chinese in Ladakh,” Gandhi was quoted as saying at the meeting.

According to the sources, Gandhi said, “The leadership should also focus on how to push back the enemy and support and strengthen the armed forces rather than dictating the colour of their uniforms.” This led to a heated exchange at the meeting. The committee chairman did not allow Gandhi to speak further, following which the Congress leader decided to walk out, the sources said.

5

national

Farm laws row can be solved in 5 minutes if PM steps in: Raut MUMBAI, DEC 16 (PTI): The issues flagged by agitating farmers can be solved in five minutes if Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself steps in, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday.

Raut said the BJP-led NDA government should have a dialogue with the farmers who are protesting for the last 21 days outside Delhi demanding scrapping of the Centre’s three new agri-marketing laws.

The government can solve the issue in 30 minutes sitting with the (agitating) farmers, if it wants...I think the issue will be solved in five minutes if the prime minister himself intervenes, he told PTI over the phone from New Delhi.

The Sena leader said the protesters are Indias own farmers and the government should have a dialogue with them. Speaking to a Marathi news channel, Raut said the government has stretched the issue far.

Stretching the issue this far, is like paving way for a new anarchy, Raut said.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the Cen-

Sanjay Raut

tre as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow cultivators to sell their produce anywhere in the country.

However, the protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

Raut criticised the Centre over the decision of not holding the winter session of Parliament due to the COVID pandemic. We will have to see why they are not holding the session...because the session has to be held as there is democracy, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Tomar says protest against farm laws an ‘exception’; hopes for an early solution NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (PTI): The ongoing farmers’ protest at Delhi borders is an “exception” and “limited to one state”, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Wednesday and hoped for an early solution as the government is in talks with farmer unions.

“There is an atmosphere of enthusiasm in the country because of the recent reforms in the farm sector,” he said while referring to the enactment of three new legislations.

“The ongoing protest is an exception and the agitation is limited to one state.

We are holding discussions and talks. I believe there will be an early solution,” Tomar said at a virtual conference organised by industry body Assocham.

The minister noted that while there is an agitation going on on one side, there are also lakhs of farmers coming in support of these laws.

Tomar highlighted the measures taken by the central government in the last six years to boost farmers’

Narendra Singh Tomar

income and make agriculture sector profitable.

Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab and Haryana, are protesting for more than two weeks against the three farm laws, saying the new legislation will lead to the dismantling of the MSP (Minimum Support Price) and mandi systems and leave them at the mercy of corporates.

Tomar, who is leading the negotiation with about 40 farmer unions along with Food Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, said the government has taken various initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic for the growth of farm sector, in-

cluding a Rs 1,00,000 crore fund for creating farm-level infrastructure and setting up of 10,000 FPOs. (Farmer Producer Organisations).

These budgetary provisions in agriculture and allied sector will strengthen the rural economy and make farming activities profitable, he said.

As the standoff continues between the government and groups of protesting farmers over the three farm laws, Tomar had on Tuesday said the Acts have been welcomed in various states and that the Centre was willing to continue its talks with “genuine farm unions” to find a solution with an open mind.The MSP at which the government commits to procure the produce from farmers is an administrative decision and it “will continue as it is”, the minister had said.

Earlier this week, Tomar told PTI that the next round of meeting will definitely happen to engage with farmers. The farmer leaders have to “decide and convey” when they are ready for the next meeting, he added.

TMC MLA Adhikari resigns as Bengal MLA

British Foreign Secretary calls on PM Owaisi visits Uttar Pradesh after Bihar success

KO L K ATA , D E C 1 6 (IANS): Former West Bengal Transport and Irrigation Minister and Trinamool Congress heavyweight from East Midnapore district Suvendu Adhikari formally resigned from the state legislative assembly on Wednesday. Adhikari went to the Assembly here at around 4 p.m. and submitted a handwritten letter at the secretariat as Speaker Biman Banerjee was not present in his office. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya welcomed Suvendu’s resignation from the state legislative assembly.

He said that the 50-yearold rebel Trinamool leader would be welcomed if he joined the BJP. BJP national vice-president and also a former Trinamool laeder, Mukul Roy, also reiterated the same, saying that Adhikari will be welcomed if he wished to join the saffron brigade. Veteran Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said that the move was expected from the former state transport minister.

LU C K N OW, D E C 1 6 (AGENCIES): Buoyed by its success in Bihar, the Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has set its sights on Uttar Pradesh.

In his first visit to UP since his party won a creditable five seats in the October-November Bihar assembly elections, Owaisi, the MP from Hyderabad, met former BJP ally Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party’s chief Om Prakash Rajbhar at a Lucknow hotel Wednesday. The meeting lasted an hour and a half, and the leaders announced that AIMIM will be part of the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha, the Rajbhar-led alliance of smaller parties for the 2022 assembly polls.

Owaisi and Rajbhar also discussed the upcoming panchayat polls in UP, expected to be held in February.

AIMIM’s Uttar Pradesh unit president Shaukat Ali told ThePrint: “This meeting was about joining the Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha and form a grand alliance of

potential of India-UK partnership in post-Brexit world discussed

Narendra Modi during a meeting with Foreign Secretary, United Kingdom, Dominic Raab, in New Delhi. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, DEC 15 (PTI): British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Wednesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which they discussed the vast potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-COVID and post-Brexit world.

In a tweet after the meeting, Modi said he was looking forward to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit to India to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations next month.

“Excellent meeting with @DominicRaab, UK Secretary of State of @ FCDOGovUK. Discussed the vast potential of the India-UK partnership in the post-COVID, post-BREXIT world,” Modi tweeted.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the UK Foreign Secretary called on Prime Minister Modi and the discussions during the meeting covered various facets of the two country’s strategic partnership.

British Prime Minister Johnson will visit India next month to attend the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest, UK Foreign Secretary Raab had announced on Tuesday after holding talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during which the two sides agreed on the key elements of an ambitious 10-year roadmap to further broaden ties, and also boost strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

In their wide-ranging talks, Jaishankar and Raab had also discussed having an ‘Enhanced Trade Partnership’ by next year that could be a stepping stone towards a future free trade agreement.

Raab’s three-day visit to India from December 14-17 comes at a time the UK is holding complex negotiations with the European Union on reaching a post-Brexit trade deal.

In the wake of Brexit, the UK has been looking at ramping up trade cooperation with leading economies like India.

teams up with BJP’s ex-ally SBSP for 2022 elections

Govt could send notices to 3 IPS officers & Bengal govt over deputation tug-of-war so notices could be issued,” a senior government official said.

When reached for a comment, the MHA spokesperson Nitin Wakankar told ThePrint, “As per my information, nothing has been sent so far.”

The DoPT spokesperson did not respond to calls and message requests for a comment by ThePrint till Mamata Banerjee addresses during a rally at Rashmela the time of publishing this Ground in Cooch Behar district, Wednesday. (PTI) report.

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 from West Bengal — who (AGENCIES): The three were in-charge of BJP naIPS officers from West Ben- tional president J.P. Nadda’s GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND gal, who were summoned security when his convoy by the Centre, as well as was attacked last week — the state government, could for central deputation. A NAGALAND : KOHIMA soon receive show cause day later, the Mamata Ba- No. SCERT/NTSE/3/2016 Dated: the 16th December, 2020 notices from the Ministry nerjee government said it GENERAL PUBLIC NOTICE of Home Affairs (MHA) for “cannot spare” them. not coming on deputation In its response, the Subject: Announcement of date for NTSE Stage-II Examination 2019-20 despite orders.

Centre is expected to emThis information is for all the candidates eligible for NTSE Stage-II Examination According to sources in phasise that the MHA is the the Department of Person- cadre-controlling authority 2019-20. The Examination which was earlier scheduled for May 10th 2020 was nel and Training (DoPT), of all Indian Police Service postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. The postponed examination is now the Centre has been con- officers and, to that extent, re-scheduled on 14th February, 2021 (Sunday) in all the States/UTs. All related sidering what action can is the final decision-making information in this regard will be updated through NCERT website: www.ncert. be taken. It is possible that authority with regard to nic.in. the three officers from the issues of postings and depuThe candidates who want to seek change of examination center for any reason police service and the West tation. are required to submit their request to the Head, Educational Survey Division, Bengal government will “Even the state govern- NCERT New Delhi in the prescribed format latest by 28th December, 2020 have to explain why the ments’ decisions to extend through email at ntsexam.ncert@nic.in. The format for change of centers can be officers were not relieved the tenure of officers be- downloaded from SCERT Nagaland website: https://scert.nagaland.gov.in/ for deputation despite the yond retirement has to be (TUOLIE SELEYI) Centre’s orders. run through the Centre. In Additional Director, HOD The MHA Saturday that sense, the Centre is the SCERT, Nagaland: Kohima summoned three officers final decision-making body, DC-847

STATE COUNCIL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING

SBSP President Om Prakash Rajbhar meets AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi, in Lucknow. (PTI)

different smaller parties with the same ideology.”

Owaisi himself did not divulge too much when he met the media after the meeting. “The two of us are sitting before you. We stand together and we will work under his (Rajbhar) leadership,” he said.

Responding to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s charge that the AIMIM was “colluding” with the BJP, Owaisi said: “Never was a man born who can buy Asaduddin Owaisi with money. Her allegation is baseless; she is restless. She should worry about her

own home; so many of her people are going to the BJP. She has insulted the voters of Bihar and the people who voted for us.”

There is speculation that former CM Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party could come together with the AIMIM and the SBSP, though she hasn’t shown any interest so far. If the BSP does join in, the alliance could take the shape of the Grand Democratic Secular front led by Rashtriya Lok Samta Party’s Upendra Kushwaha, another former BJP ally.

But since the BSP is not showing interest, the alliance is looking to bring in the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohiya) led

by Shivpal Yadav, former UP minister and brother of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND DIRECTORATE OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE STATE HEALTH AGENCY NAGALAND :: KOHIMA

No: DHFW-12/ PM-NHPM/2-0/ 2018/9908

Dated Kohima the 15th Dec 2020

Request for Expression of Interest

The State Health Agency, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland, invites Expression of Interest from interested Insurance Companies for the implementation of “Self Sponsored Health Insurance Initiative” on a voluntary self paid premium basis in the state of Nagaland.

REOI and TOR for responding to this invitation, and any updates thereafter will be available at https://nagahealth.nagaland.gov.in from 15th December 2020 onwards. For further enquiries, please contact at email: nagaland.nhpm@gmail. com; Mobile: +91-9436006134/ 7005074012.

(Dr. VIZOLIE Z SUOKHRIE) Principal Director Directorate of Health & Family Welfare DC-845

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ENGINEER: PHED NAGALAND : KOHIMA

NO.CE/PHED/WSSO-JJM/SA

Dated Kohima, the 16th Dec 2020

SKILL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING (Crash course) The Department of PHED, Nagaland in collaboration with Kudatech Skill Centre, Walford Colony, Dimapur, Nagaland (Govt. Regd. No : RS/HOME-6300 DT. 13-04-2009) is inviting applicants to undergo 1(one) month skill training on various trades mentioned below.

Sl. No

Trades

Duration of course

Minimum educational qualification

Seat capacity

1

Plumbing

4 Weeks

8th Standard

50

2

Welding

4 Weeks

8 Standard

24

3

Masonry

4 Weeks

8th Standard

12

th

12 4 Electrician 4 Weeks 8 Standard Terms & conditions: 1. Applicants must be above 18 years and an upper age limit of 40 years.

2. A written application should be addressed to the undersigned along with bio data, educational qualification documents, any identity proof & two recent passport photo should be submitted to: The Executive Engineer, WSSO, PHED Office of the Chief Engineer, PHED Nagaland, Kohima.

For any queries contact No (+91) 97747 07883/ (+91) 98628 08037 3. Last date of submission – 15th January 2021 Sd/(Er. N. THSATHRICHEM SANGTAM) Chief Engineer, Sanitation & WSSO PHED, Nagaland, Kohima K-2065 th

6

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXxI NO. 15 Dimapur, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

W

A tall order

hen compared with the 2019, there has been a marked decline of crimes in Nagaland for 2020 till October with 844 cases while 392 cases falling under local and special laws such as Arms Act, NDPS Act, NLTP Act, NSR Act etc. The decline over the previous year’s statistics comes against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic situation. Of all the state’s urban towns, Dimapur surpasses all others with 560 cases as against 68 in Kohima district. Even under local and special laws, Dimapur registered 145 cases as against 23 in Kohima district. In an exclusive interview to this newspaper, Nagaland Police ADGP(Law & Order) Renchamo P.Kikon also disclosed that as per the directives of higher authorities to tackle rampant extortions, the state police has formed its Special Investigation Team(SIT) to deal with extortion .

Furthermore, Kikon also reiterated that as police has taken serious note of extortion and will not wait for registration of complaints but take up suo moto notices. However, extortion is not the only major crime as there are several others that are hindering development. Nagaland Police has grown very big and so also the problems. Today it is just like another department where political interference in appointments, transfers and postings and selection of officers to man crucial wings are considered ‘normal’ but which has adversely affected the efficiency and morale of the force. So much disgruntlement has percolated to the lower ranks because of irregularities in appointments etc. Naga police jawans have more than proved themselves wherever they were sent for duty to various parts of India. The feats of the 9 IR(NAP) in fighting Naxalites in Chhattishgarh has become legendary, that till today, the Naga boys are still in demand. However, fighting is not the be-all and end-all of policing. If the law is to be effectively enforced, the police must have the right officers in the right place and brook no political interference.

The adverse impact on the force can be seen in the systemic de-institutionalisation of the force, which has led to overstepping the limits of law more frequently, in greater dimension, more daringly and in a variety of bizarre ways. It is also crucial that police reforms be implemented as it relates to transparency and accountability in selection of officers and men based on pure merit and ability. If the police is serious in tackling crimes, it has to first of all undergo a major overhaul of the system. The role of the police is crime prevention, criminal investigation, criminal prosecution and administering justice to society. For this, police should have the best men or women placed at crucial positions to improve overall quality. Improvements don’t come cheap or easy; they require a transparent and accountable system where success is rewarded and failure is penalised. Due to certain inherent problems, many people are gradually turning to other parallel authorities to settle cases. Therefore, to ensure effectiveness against crimes, a great deal of improvement is required at the police and judicial levels in order to meet the challenges.

DailyDevotion Wrestling Before God

Take up the whole armor of God…praying always… —Ephesians 6:13,18 You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer forother people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God….”

Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.

Quotes

People fall forward to success. ~ Mary Kay Ash

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Post-mortem

To pit people’s protest against infrastructure

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etween the lawns of Rajpath and the barricaded borders of Delhi today, we see the city becoming increasingly hostile to dissent. The state wants to keep the protestors out and the general public accepts the rhetoric of disruption with ease.

In his book India after Gandhi, historian Ramachandra Guha illustrates the landscape of Rajpath in the New Delhi of the 1970s.

He describes the lawns of Rajpath as a “village of tents” — tents belonging to people who would come to New Delhi from various parts of the country to protest about their issues.

The lawns were hardly ever empty. As Guha notes, the lawns were vacated in the early Nineties because the government considered a display of protest at the central location in the country as defamatory in front of the world. Following this displacement, Jantar Mantar became the gathering spot for protestors and Rajpath was sanitised of the complaints of India’s citizens.

It is important to note the significance of this extinct landscape of Delhi.

Rajpath, the central space

for the nation, was also a space for dissent. The tents at the lawns of Rajpath were representative of the people’s equal claim over India’s capital and the government’s acceptance of its critical citizens. Citizens occupied the most visible place in the country — not for short sit-ins, but elaborate demonstrations at the venue of our national parades.

Displaced from the lawns, we saw several protests at the Ramlila Maidan and Jantar Mantar. Anna Hazare’s anti-corruption movement found its place at the Maidan. They pitched shamianas and created a high platform for performances. Baba Ramdev occupied the ground in 2011 with elaborate tents. Jantar Mantar was the seat for the One Rank One Pension movement by the retired army veterans and for activists raising the issue of Delhi’s air pollution in 2016.

In October 2017, ironically, the National Green Tribunal ordered all protests to be stopped at Jantar Mantar as the charade was “too noisy” for the peaceful green region. The displacement has been pushed further away.

As the protesting farmers started marching towards

the capital in November, the government stopped them at the borders of Delhi. Water cannons were used, farmers were beaten by the police, shelled with tear gas, and trenches were dug on the roads to prevent protesting citizens from entering the capital of the country and having their voices heard.

Quite metaphorical of the neglect that Indian urbanity has exercised towards its rural regions. The farmers, consequently, sat at the border and now sleep under their trucks, inside tractor trolleys, and on the roads. Not in tents pitched along Rajpath, or under shamianas at the Ramlila Maidan.

The Shaheen Bagh movement, interestingly, was a significant deviation from this trend. The protestors sat where they lived — the Muslim ghettos of Okhla.

The infrastructure required to sustain protests was generated in the same ghettos and visibility was availed by sitting at the main spinal road of the neighbourhood.

The protestors, disillusioned by the government, did not acknowledge the citadel of Indian politics to protest, the politicians were asked to come to Shaheen Bagh. The

subaltern of contemporary India, protesting the CAA and NRC, claimed its own segregated pocket of the metropolis as the site of dissent and visibility. The power structures of politics and media came to Okhla, the subaltern did not go to Lutyen’s Delhi.

Several arguments are peddled in order to generate public consent for the displacement of protests away from the city. Infrastructure — the physical aspect of the city — is the foremost. The violent prelude to Delhi riots of 2020, as reflected in Kapil Mishra’s speech in February, demonised Shaheen Bagh for obstructing traffic. The “ultimatum” given to the police was to “get the roads cleared” lest the pro-CAA crowd take to the streets.

Convenience to the public and transport was privileged over people exercising their constitutional right to protest. Protest was perceived as a disruption of public life, not the continuation of the (critical) publicness, an element of chaos, not peaceful association, an act of destruction, not one of constructive dialogue. We see a similar pattern with the ongoing farmers’ protests. The farmer sitting at

Paving way for Digital India

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uild for a billion. That has been the vision behind India’s successful innovations, such as Aadhaar or UPI. These solutions had to be frugal, or the people could not afford them; interoperable, so competition could be harnessed to create value for the consumer; and easy to roll out, for the benefits to quickly reach our countrymen in the remotest areas.

What is the secret to building such solutions in the digital age? Unbundle a problem into manageable pieces, create robust and interoperable solutions for each part, and glue the components together through connectors called APIs. India also has a history of leapfrogging digital technologies. Even at its peak, India’s tele-density of landlines never exceeded 7 per 100 people. Today, due to mobiles, it stands at 90 per 100 people. We also have a history of frugal architectural innovation to make expensive infrastructure accessible. When landlines were scarce, PCOs proliferated.

From 2015 to June of 2020, we grew from 302 million internet subscribers to 750 million. That is a CAGR of 20 per cent, making India one of the fastest growing internet markets in the world.

However, this statistic obfuscates the quality of access. Only 23 million are wired internet subscribers. If Digital India vision is to be achieved, we need to deliver a resilient and reliable connection to every Indian, so that they can have reliable access everywhere, at affordable price points.

Despite excellent advances in 4G technology, wired connections still offer superior quality, reliability and throughput. On December 9, the Union cabinet gave approval to the Pradhan Mantri Wireless Access Network Interface (PM-WANI).

On the surface, this looks like a project to install WiFi hotspots, one that most other countries already have. However, the devil is in the details.

Comparing WANI to other public WiFi schemes would be akin to saying that the automobile was just a faster horse. If you had to compare, the right contemporary for PM-WANI would

be UPI. UPI created common payments infrastructure that unbundled whose app you use to pay from which bank your money was in. This resulted in 3 Cs — greater convenience, higher confidence and lower costs. PM-WANI unbundles whose wired connection you use from who you pay to use that connection. Instead of redundant networks by ISPs to compete for top users, it allows them to interoperate and focus on connecting the last user. It is built on unbundling three As — access, authorisation and accounting.

There are two dimensions along which PMWANI has broken away from the past — regulatory and technology. PM-WANI has liberalised the resale of bandwidth.

Thus far, only licensed players could become Internet Service Providers and resell bandwidth. Due to the inherent network effects of investing in network infrastructure, this has led to the top 5 ISPs owning 75 per cent of the volume of all wired subscribers.

PM-WANI allows anyone — a kirana shop owner, a tea-stall vendor, or a Common Service Centre — to resell internet to its customers without a licence and without fees! By installing a wireless router, they can get on the PM-WANI network and start selling connectivity. These small vendors will be called Public Data Offices (PDOs), in a deliberate hark back to the Public Call Offices of yore. PCOs became centres of economic activity, providing small businesses with a steady trickle of clients that they could then sell other sachet-sized products.

Due to this deregulation, the distribution of endpoints of PM-WANI will be selected by entrepreneurs rather than being decided top-down.

That means the communities’ connectivity problems will be solved by members of the community itself.

PDOs will make similar sachets out of reliable data and serve it over an interoperable WiFi network.

This is where the second dimension of PM-WANI becomes exciting. One of the reasons ISPs are regulated is because an open internet endpoint can be used for malicious purposes. Even cybercafes in India are required to note the details of

clients and log their visits. In countries which do not have this protection, we have seen public WiFi being used by bad actors for harassment, stalking, fake bomb scares and even death threats.

Thankfully, India has built a versatile and robust identity infrastructure in the form of Aadhaar and DigiLocker. PM-WANI builds on these to authenticate its users. This architecture also allows a central data balance and central KYC that users can use inter-operably across all PDOs. The network operators then settle accounting between them, much like how telecom operators settle call termination charges.

The end result is unlike other countries; Indians can log in once and enjoy access on all available WiFi networks. Having such a public network also allows international travelers to take advantage of India’s connectivity, without paying exorbitant roaming charges to their home networks. PMWANI is forward-looking in its design. A single-click, multi-device experience has been envisioned.

With cabinet approval, the ball is now in the Department of Telecom’s court.

Without good execution, PM-WANI is merely an exciting concept on paper.

However, if done right, PMWANI will revolutionise the way India accesses the internet and be a fillip to small businesses. We hope there will be more than 10 million WiFi hotspots in the next two years. Interestingly, it will also provide a demand-side pull to fixed line connectivity making these as profitable lines for Telcos.

These PDOs can become local distribution centres for content. Students in rural areas can access offline content without using bandwidth. Even with the world’s lowest data rates, the average Indian consumer still monitors their total data consumption to save money.

The cost of access over PMWANI will be lesser than that of 4G. Combine this with the liberalisation of the Other Service Providers (OSPs) regulations, and you can see that India is paving the way for digital SMEs to go online without the burden of onerous compliances.

Ram Sewak Sharma (former chairman, TRAI).

I

the border is “blocking the highway”. If he enters the city, he will disrupt urban life. And therefore, must be kept out. A city, however, contains layers that define urbanity. There is the infrastructure — roads, power lines, and buildings in their physicality. There is the political construct — laws, citizen politics, addresses, and municipal wards. There is the socio-economic construct — workplaces, places of gathering, religious institutions and markets. Many such layers come together to create a city and to ignore all but the infrastructure is to deny right to the city, and to diminish and destroy the constructs that make us city dwellers.

Today, we see urbanity of dissent pitched against the infrastructural city.

The fundamentals of urbanity are, in fact, the opposite. Cities have been harbingers of civilisation. The urban is the place of liberation. It features institutions that are supposed to impart ideas of enlightenment.

The politics of the nation is embedded in the city. It promises opportunities precisely because it is premised on breaking the networks that oppress a person due to their identity of birth —

it promises social mobility.

It promises visibility, and most importantly, cities are places of free expression. It is, therefore, indispensable that the various layers of the city interact. From the barricades of French revolution to the Arab Spring at Tahrir Square, central spaces of the city have been the sites of protest. It is not for nothing that the expression for revolution is “taking to the streets” because by allotting a designated place to protest, the state dictates visibility — it calibrates the degree of being noticed and thereby has the power to vanish the cause from the nation’s eyes and consciousness. Between the lawns of Rajpath and the barricaded borders of Delhi today, we see the city becoming increasingly hostile to dissent. The state wants to keep the protestors out and the general public accepts the rhetoric of disruption with ease. A city must incorporate disagreement, acknowledge the politics of urban life, and most importantly, a democracy must lend its ears to criticism.

We must foster and exercise urbanity of dissent.

Fahad Zuberi (An academic and writer based in Ahmedabad)

Response to CCoRoRP deadline to Government

have traveled all over the eastern region & had witnessed the suffering and needs of my people. My travel had taken me to Longleng, Shamator, Chessor, Noklak, Kiphire, Chare and to almost all the villages of Chang. I also had the privilege to travel with my Sumi colleagues to Zunheboto and Sataka, my Ao Colleagues to many Ao villages.

There’s huge income disparity & underdevelopment even in the villages.

History: As we all know the coming of American Baptist Mission not only brought education but also civilization of the western culture to the Nagas. The five tribes as opposed to the reservation, Ao, Angami, Sumi, Lotha & Rengma, are the beneficiaries of the education & western civilization. You are also beneficiaries of all the development that were allocated from the statehood of Nagaland. Education came to us only in the mid nineteenth hundreds. We have over five to six decades of difference in education.

Do any of you even take a serious look at Nagaland diary? All those that hold the highest office are from these five tribes. The employment from highest to the lowest comes through those officers & their branches. Many jobs that are allocated for eastern tribes are already distributed to the advanced tribes. Have you even looked at the distance we have to travel to reach the capital? It cost human toll, finances and time even to get a small paperwork done.

Education: One example of what impact a good school could lift up a tribe or region. St. John’s School, Tuensang, had raised and educated many of the leaders from the eastern tribes. It was the commitment of the nuns and priests from South India Catholic Mission. Other schools, colleges and government departments that were managed and run by we Nagas had greatly failed the students and the people. Most of those employees, teachers, doctors & officers especially during the early years were not from the eastern tribes. Some never set their foot but drew salaries from distance from the comfort of their homes. Those employees

failed the students and the people. There were some who dedicated their lives to uplift the eastern Nagas. I appreciate for their sacrificed.

All the good performing institutions are in your areas. You benefits in every aspect since you have easy access to good schools and colleges. The infrastructures in the eastern areas are very poor. Even if we have buildings, we cannot attract qualified employees.

Finance: In real estate “location” is the prime market. These five tribes are in the prime location to the state capital and the business hub. It takes few hours to reach the business centre to sell your goods and to reach the Kohima. But for us we have to travel between six to ten hours, in rugged terrain. Sometimes, our travels are hindered by weather. There is no immediate or easy way to sell our goods for living. We cannot return within a day. We have to arrange for accommodation and food. That takes a financial toll. Many times work at the capital cannot be finished within a day.

Nepotism is the favorite underground business in every department. We don’t have the connections or the finances to buy the employment.

Solution: The only option is through reservation for a period of time. The state government need to invest larger share of the state budget to develop the infrastructure of the eastern areas. More help/scholarship should be allocated for the eastern tribes that major in science and technology.

The state needs to recruit qualified teachers to work in schools and colleges even if that has to bring employees from outside for short period. The leaders of eastern tribes need to unite for the common interests of our people and region. We need to educate ourselves how the system works from New Delhi to Kohima. That means we need to elect responsible, well informed and dedicated politicians if our future generation is to be serve well.

Asonla Ongbou Chang Tuensang.

Reader’s Post

Sir,

Restaurants flouting food safety

I have recently been a witness of an incident where a friend got hospitalized after eating momos from a restaurant in Dimapur. The momo fetched her 100 rupees whereas the aftermath affect of the ‘momo’ cost a total of 7,000 rupees. Shedding light on this incident, I would like to make an inquiry of the unhygienic and deplorable conditions of certain “top notched” restaurants in Dimapur which promised to provide the tastiest of foods. As taste alone gives little satisfaction, the question here is, does your restaurant provide clean and healthy foods? Also, what are the food security authorities doing to combat the problems created by these restaurants?

When hundreds of food joints and hotels, from roadside eateries to tea stall, restaurants and bakeries and the recently introduced food apps and instagram cafes are running efficiently undeterred by corona, the least that they can do for the society is- ‘Ensure and Provide clean and hygienic food’; not poison their regular customers.

With regard to this, I request the authorities in charge of overseeing matters as such to be vigilant and do what is necessary and beneficial for the citizens.

Amenla Ao, Duncan, Dimapur

Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

PM lights ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ for ‘Vijay Diwas’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lights the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ at the National War Memorial, on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, in New Delhi, Wednesday. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lit the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ from the eternal flame of the National War Memorial here, marking the beginning of the 50th anniversary year celebrations of India’s victory over Pakistan in 1971.

In a tweet, Modi said, “On Vijay Diwas we recall the unwavering courage of our armed forces that resulted in a decisive victory for our nation in the 1971 war. On this special Vijay Diwas, had the honour of lighting the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ at the National War Memorial.”

The prime minister was

joined by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the chief of defence staff and tri-service chiefs as he laid wreath and paid homage to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

Four victory mashaals (flaming torches) will be carried to various parts of India, including to the villages of Param Vir Chakra and Maha Vir Chakra awardees of the 1971 war, the defence ministry has said.

“Soil from the villages of these awardees and from areas where major battles were fought in 1971 are being brought to the National War Memorial (NWM),” it said.

India celebrates De-

cember 16 as Vijay Diwas to commemorate its victory over Pakistan during the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

As December 16 marks the anniversary of the military victory, the nation will celebrate ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ (golden victory year) through several events across the country, and it will continue for a year.

Various commemorative events will be conducted pan-India wherein war veterans will be felicitated, the statement said, adding that band displays, seminars, exhibitions, equipment displays, film festivals, conclaves and adventure activities will also be held.

7

national/state

Himachal MLA ‘beats up’ truck driver in middle of road

DHARAMSALA, DEC 16 (AGENCIES): Independent MLA from Dehra in Himachal Pradesh Hoshiar Singh was booked under the SC/ST Act late on Tuesday on the complaint of a truck driver from his constituency, Sanjeet Kumar.

In his complaint, Sanjeet, a resident of Paisa village, alleged that around 2.30 pm on Tuesday when he was returning to Dehra from Ranital after getting his oil tanker repaired, a white Fortuner came speeding from the opposite direction near Parmar petrol pump in Sunhet on the Rantial-Dehra road.

To avoid a collision with the vehicle, the driver alleged, he turned his tanker towards the left side.

The Fortuner still derailed from the road, though a collision was averted, he claimed.

Sanjeet alleged the Fortuner driver turned the vehicle, chased him and parked the SUV in the middle of the road, blocking traffic movement.

“Four to 6 persons, including Dehra MLA Hoshiar Singh, Mohit Garg and Subhash Chand, stepped out of the SUV. The Fortuner driver pulled me down from the truck. The MLA started beating me up and asked his men also to do so,” complained Sanjeet, alleging Mohit Garg identified him and started shouting caste abuses. The MLA too followed suit and abused him on the basis of his caste, he alleged.

A case under Sections 341, 323, 504, 506, 34 of the IPC and Section 3(I) of the SC/ST Act has been registered against Hoshiar Singh and those accompanying him.

It was time when neighbours feared violating borders: Rahul on 1971 war NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (IANS): Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday paid tributes to the fallen soldiers on the 50th anniversary of the 1971 India-Pakistan War highlighting the role of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saying there was a time when the neighbouring countries accepted the mattle of the Indian Prime Minister and were afraid of violating the border of the nation.

In a tweet, Rahul Gandhi said, “On the anniversary of India’s historic win over Pakistan in 1971 greetings to the people of the country and the tributes to the valor of the armed forces. This was a time when the neighbouring countries accepted the mettle of Indian Prime Minister and were afraid of violating the borders of the country.”

In December 1971, the

Rahul Gandhi (File)

Indian Armed Forces secured a decisive and historic Victory over the Pakistan Army, which led to creation of a Nation -- Bangladesh -- and also resulted in the largest military Surrender after World War-II. From December 16, the nation will be celebrating 50 years of Indo-Pak War, also called ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’. During the 1971 war Indira Gandhi was India’s Prime Minister.

Congress General Priyanka Gandhi also took to

Twitter and wrote, “India gave a befitting reply in 1971 to those giving threats of the “seventh fleet” by its victory over Pakistan and planted the flag of India’s power and sovereignty.

Homage to patriotism-inspired Indira Gandhi and the brave Indian Armed Forces officials.”

The siblings were joined by host of several other Congress leaders in saluting the armed forces and remembering Indira Gandhi, who was Prime Minister at the time.

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said, “1971 war was not to protect India’s interests alone but to protect peace in South Asia.

The way it was conducted and concluded represented true nationalism. There were no boasts, no exaggerations, yet India played its part as a responsible regional power.”

IAF to get new ‘Made in India’ surveillance planes along borders

NEW DELHI, DEC 16 (AGENCIES): In a major boost for the surveillance capabilities of Indian Air Force along the borders with China and Pakistan, DRDO is making six new ‘Made in India’ planes. These would be built on passenger aircraft flying with Air India.

“As per the plans the six new aircraft would be made in India by the DRDO and would be provided to the Air Force in the Rs 10,500 crore project which

is expected to be cleared soon at the topmost level,” government officials told India Today TV. The six new aircraft would be known as the Airborne Early Warning and Control Block 2 planes that would be better equipped than their predecessor NETRA plane and provide 360-degree coverage deep inside the enemy territory during missions, said officials.

To build the AEW&C

system on the existing aircraft from the Air India fleet, the DRDO will make formalities to transfer funds to the Air India. It may also mean that India may not buy the six Airbus 330 transport aircraft that were to be acquired.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had earlier planned to build six Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) on the Airbus 330 aircraft

for which a facility was planned to be created in Bengaluru.

As per plans, the six new aircraft would be sent to a European destination to the original equipment manufacturer for modification of the planes for installation of the radar, the sources said.

Sources also said the project has been planned in a way to promote ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in the defence sector.

The Block I of the project

was delayed beyond the scheduled timelines but with the prior experience under its belt, the Centre for Airborne Studies lab of DRDO is planning to complete this in a shorter timef rame.

The IAF has three PHALCON AWACS systems bought from Israel and Russia under which the radar is provided by the Israelis whereas the platform used is of the Russian Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft.

State

Central team reviews COVID-19 activities in Dimapur Activities conducted under BBBP in Mokokchung, Wokha

departments involved. He also mentioned how the district handled COVID-19 with support from the subdivisional level committees for COVID-19 and faithbased organisations and communities.

District surveillance officer, Dr. Imtiwabong, and medical superintendent,

news in Brief DC Dimapur informs landowners and beneficiaries: Deputy commissioner of Dimapur, Rajesh Soundararajan has informed all the landowners & beneficiaries affected due to the construction of 220Kv D/C transmission line from Dimapur to Zhadima from AP-82 to 153, that compensation for the affected landowners for land, building and other items shall be paid in the conference hall of DC, Dimapur on December 19, 1 p.m for the following villages: New Chümoukedima village; Kukidolong; Medziphema; Pherima-A; Tsiepama Model village; Tsiepama villages. Chairman/Hd. GB & members of the concerned village council are informed to be present in person for identification of landowners & beneficiaries, issue of NOC during disbursal of cheques, failing which, payment shall be withheld. All the affected landowners & beneficiaries are directed to come “in person” alongwith the identity proof, bank passbook (original and xerox), passport photo (5 copies) etc. Payment to any other representative other than the concerned person shall not be entertained.

DC Noklak informs: Deputy commissioner, Noklak, Reny Wilfred has informed to all concerned that the last district planning and development board, Noklak-cum-coordination meeting for the year 2020 has been scheduled on December 19, 11 a.m at DC’s conference hall, Noklak.

All concerned members have been asked to attend the meeting positively.

NCGC-1CU office to remain closed for holidays: Nagaland Govt. Registered Cl-1Contractors Union (NCGC1CU) office will remain closed with effect from December 15 till January 17, 2021 on account of Christmas and New year. NGRCl-1CU also wishes merry Christmas and happy New Year to all.

NSCN (I-M) tatar hoho winter session 2020: NSCN (I-M) has informed that the tatar hoho winter session 2020 will be held on December 15, 10 a.m at council headquarters (CHq) Hebron. All the members and authorities have been requested to attend the session positively. The elderly and other members having ailments/sicknesses

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND have exempted from attending the session due to surge of OFFICE OF THE PRINCIPAL COVID-19 pandemic.

GOVERNMENT HINDI INSTITUTE TUD general meeting: Tikhir Union Dimapur (TUD) has ORIENTAL COLONY, DIMAPUR : NAGALAND convened its general meeting on December 19, 8.30 a.m at NO. GHI/ADM/ADV/2020-2021/: Online Applications its union treasurer Padumpukhuri. All members have been in prescribed format are hereby invited from bona-fide requested to attend the meeting positively. candidates for undergoing Three years Hindi Teachers NS centennial jubilee: Naharani Samaj will celebrate its Diploma (D.El.Ed./Praveen) Course (fifty seats) at centennial jubilee of Shri-Shri Laxmi Mandir on Decem- Government Hindi Institute, Dimapur for the Session 2020- 21, vide Govt. approval NO. EDS/ESTT/HINDI/20ber 20 at Naharbari village, Dimapur.

14/2017/633, dated, 07-09-2020 and DSE OM NO. ED/ GPRN/NSCN condolence: GPRN/NSCN has expressed EST/B-27/2014/993, dated, 10-12-2020 Registration procedures & eligibility: Candidates shock at the loss of two national worker, namely Nishito Yeptho ‘tatar’, son of Muto Yeptho of Xekiye village, must be 10+2 Passed from any recognized Board (with union territory region on December 16 and Pukhato Hindi as an elective subject or Kovid, Visharad etc.) with pass percentage in 10+2 (5% relaxation for SC/ST/ Kappo ‘razoupeyu’, son of late Zughoto Kappo of Henito 50% OBC). Age limit should not be less than 18 (eighteen) village, union territory region on December 10. GPRN/ years and not more than 28 years as on 01/07/2020.

NSCN in a condolence through its MIP stated that, both Admission will be done purely on merit basis based their services and legacies for the cause of the Naga nation on marks percentage of 10+2 Exam. Incomplete/fake will be remembered and recorded in the pages of the Naga document application shall be summarily rejected. history. GPRN/NSCN conveyed deepest condolences to Intending candidates have to visit the official website of the bereaved family members and pray that the departed Government Hindi Institute, http://www.ghidmrnld.co.in for detail information. Registration/Submission of application souls rest in eternal peace. will start from the date of issue of this advertisement and NPGN/NNC condolence: National People’s Govern- will close on 31st December 2020. ment of Nagaland/Naga National Council (NPGN/ (Dr. B.P. Philip) NNC) has expressed grief over the untimely demise of Principal GHI Dimapur K-2071 late ‘captain’ Rocky Aye of NPGN/NNC from Asukhomi village on December 14. A condolence note by PURANA BAZAR, DIMAPUR NPGN/NNC through its MIP stated that the demise had created a void and that his selfless contribution would be recorded in the Post : pages of the Naga history.

1. Staff Nurse B.Sc/GNM – 5 (Five) NPGN/NNC conveyed Application with relevant documents may be submitted to the condolences to the bereaved family members and friends Nursing Superintendent / Human Resource Dept on any working day. and prayed that the departed soul rest in peace.

For any enquiries, please contact +91 9366451969 DC-849

tration and DLCW-MSK under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) in collaboration with Beauty and Aesthetic Society of Nagaland organised an awareness programme on livelihood generation and education on December 15 at DC conference hall, Wokha.

According to DIPR report, Miss Nagaland 2019, Vikuonuo Sachü talked on the demands of local produce by the people of

Nagaland. She also emphasised on the hardships faced by local farmers especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged the participants to buy local produce.

EAC (P) Arhonbeni Ezung thanked the team for taking such kind of initiatives as a representative of Nagaland youths. Vote of thanks was given by Grace Ezung in the programme chaired and invocated by Libeni Ezung.

DC-846

Dr. Antoly Suu stated that, the team held a meeting with Dimapur District Task Force (DTF) on COVID-19 led by DC Rajesh Soundararajan. Highlighting that Dimapur was the gateway of the state and also neighbouring states like Manipur, the DC said that maximum effort was needed by all the

the second and third positions.

Winners of the sketch competition were Imnichitla Jamir, Longmuso Jamir and Impongtsung Aier & Tsungsanger Jamir. Akumsunep Longchar bagged the 1st prize in the slogan writing competition, while Imolemla and Merensashi R Jamir bagged second and third position. In poetry competition, Tiarenla Jamir bagged the first position, Sunepjungla Walling second and Temjennaro third position. Winners were awarded cash prizes and certificates and participants with certificates and gift hampers. Pamphlet distribution, signature campaign, putting up of hoardings were also organised in and around Mokokchung town.

Wokha: In continuation with the beauty with a purpose project phase-2 of Miss Nagaland 2019, Wokha district adminis-

DP-5523

DIMAPUR: COVID-19 central team visited Dimapur district to review the district’s COVID-19 activities and to support the district in public health measures and clinical management of COVID-19 on December 13.

A press release by deputy CMO, Dimapur,

DIMAPUR: District administration and District Level Centre for Women-Mahila Shakti Kendra (DLCW-MSK) under the banner of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) conducted various activities in Mokokchung and Wokha.

Mokokchung: In Mokokchung several activities on account of 16 days of activism against gender based violence on the theme “orange the world: fund, respond, prevent, collect” was conducted from November 25 to December 10.

A press release by women welfare officer, district administration, Moamenla Longkumer stated that activities conducted were painting, sketch, poetry and slogan writing competitions.

In the painting competition, Longmuso Jamir bagged first position, while Temsupong Imsong and Limasenla Jamir bagged

ZION HOSPITAL & RESEARCH CENTRE

VACANCY

DC-838

Central team with other district officials during the review meeting held on COVID19 at Dimapur on December 13.

District hospital Dimapur, Dr. Keveduyi presented the district COVID-19 activities and COVID Hospital activities respectively since January till date.

The central team visited District Hospital Dimapur and COVID Care Center Chümoukedima after the meeting. Team included Dr. S. R Karmakar, sr. public health specialist, All India Institute of Hygiene & Public Health, Kolkata and Dr. Mohd.

Jamil, associate professor medicine, NEIGRHIMS, Shillong.

Earlier, programme was chaired by state nodal officer, IDSP, Dr. Nyan.

Dr. Antoly Suu, Dy.CMO, Dr. Temsu, pathologist, Dr. Toska, Dr. Bano, Dr. Benchilo, Dr. Rebecca, Dr. Longri, Dr. Ron, Dr. Narola and IDSP Dimapur staff attended the programme.

No. 4397 Yesterday’s solution No. 4396

No. 3421 Yesterday’s solution No. 3420

LAND FOR SALE Next to New Showuba with Rubber Plantation 40 Bighas. Rs. 50 per sq. ft.

Genuine buyer may contact : 9366889154 DP-5606

LAND FOR SALE

at NIHOTO VILLAGE Near Prayer Center and 5 minutes drive from Aoyimti Any size of plot available at Rs. 90 per sq. ft.

Slightly Negotiable Contact : 9856619322 DP-5462(B) 9436053227

LAND FOR SALE

TO LET

LABRADOR PUPPY

URGENT SALE!

FOR SALE

Contact No. : 9774210844

20+ Bighas Under Chumukedima A Village KHOUVA ROAD (Ward 10, Chumu Road) Rs. 110 per sq. ft. (Negotiable) WhatsApp only : 6009472556 NO BROKER DP-5641(B)

LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE

1. At 4 Lane Touched 12 Bighas Commercial & Farming Site Rs. 175 per sq. ft.

2. 18 Bighas Teak, Bamboo & Firewood Plantation Rs. 50 per sq. ft.

Ph. No. : 8787702327

at Naga United Village Bordering Aoyim Village, Dimapur.

at Vihokhu Village Rs. 45 per sq.ft.

Near Foot Hill Road Contact No. 9383344284 9862403626

LAND FOR SALE

Land with Building at Khermahal Police Point

LAND FOR SALE

Female / 2 Months Location: Kohima Contact: 7628812774

LAND FOR SALE

Land at Kohima New Secretariat/NPSC office area Road attached.

Prime area.

Area : 100 x 60 approx.

Rs. 42 lakhs. Negotiable.

Call: 7085416488

(No Broker)

FOR SALE

K-2063

2 Rooms with Kitchen Available for Rent at A.H Road, Khermahal Opposite Blue Dart Dimapur Contact : 9862767587

Location : Ekranipathar 2.5 Kms from TK Service AREA : PRICE 4857 sq. ft. : 7.7 Lakhs 4259 sq. ft. : 6.7 Lakhs Contact : 9402615648/7005204949

LAND FOR SALE

DP-5509

DP-5589

Contact : 9612958620/9402697861

Location : Signal Bosti, Kevijau Lane-3 colony 1. (55*43) sq. ft. - 11,50,000/2. (50*47) sq. ft. - 11,50,000/(No Broker Please) Ph. No. : 8119034458

Residential Plot of Land available for sale at Seithekima Basa, boundering by fencing Faith in Action Healing Prayer Center. 12ft. road provided to each plot. Price as below: 1. 14 Bighas - Negotiable.

2. 110 X 140 (15,400 sqft.) - Rs. 145/sq.

Contact No. 9366723347 K-2055

1st Class Bricks stock available @` 9.70/Satyam Co. Ltd. at Monday Bazar, Near Pine Mount School, Padumpukhuri, Dimapur

Contact : 9436676778/7630859600

BULK LAND FOR SALE

LAND FOR SALE 1. At Tenyiphe-II - 3½ Puras Rs. 125/- per sq. ft.

Any size available Rs. 2,40,000/- onwards 2. Dimapur Outskirt 24 Bighas - 28 Lacs Contact : 8837010780

BRICKS FOR SALE

DP-5609

Km 26000 only Tip Top Condition Price : 1.60 Lakh (Fixed) # 8729881352

FESTIVE OFFER For December month ERRA BEAUTY PARLOUR a. Glatt Rs. 1600 Any Length b. Loreal Rs. 1700 Any Length c. Hair Cut+Eye Brow Rs. 150 Dhobinala Police Point Near Virat Bazar

1. Kushiabill Four Lane Touched @ Rs. 150 per sq. ft.

2. Diphupar near Green Park 3. Pagala Phar (Paddy field) @ Rs. 40 per sq. ft.

4. Diezephe @ Rs. 8.20 Lacs 100/100 Price Negotiable, No Brokers please Contact No. : 9862954673/9436865033

DP-5605

ALTO LXI (2007)

In the international market, gold was quoting in the green at USD 1,854 per ounce and silver was flat at USD 24.72 per ounce.

“Gold prices extended gains awaiting comments from the US Fed while rising hopes for US stimulus pressured dollar index which boosted buying in precious metals,” HDFC Securities, Senior Analyst (Commodities), Tapan Patel said.

LAND FOR SALE FOUR-LANE TOUCHED 3 min drive from Showuba Flyover 1½ bighas (Road level), Rs. 290/- sq. ft.

Contact : 7005123406

DP-5551

Across 4. Putter (6) 7. Insinuation (8) 8. Man's overcoat (6) 10. Hackneyed (5) 13. Notion (4) 14. Auction (4) 15. Scheme (4) 16. Religious sister (3) 17. Unguis (4) 19. Labour (4) 21. Vitally important (9) 23. Worry (4) 24. Slippery fishes (4) 26. Drinks counter (3) 27. Go up (4) 29. Wading bird (4) 32. Cooking vessels (4) 33. Employment (5) 34. Tags (6) 35. Proof (8) 36. Head covering (6) Down 1. Withers (5) 2. Slow-moving creature (5) 3. This place (4) 4. Cheese type (5) 5. Girl's name (4) 6. View, glance (6) 9. Edible seed (6) 11. Uncooked (3) 12. Nervy (5) 13. Malady (7) 15. Baked food (3) 16. Nothing (3) 18. Of the stars (6) 20. Fertile spot (5) 21. Make a mistake (3) 22. Golf peg (3) 23. Outer appearance (6) 25. Large (3) 28. Picture within another (5) 30. Marriage proclamation (5) 31. Cut off (5) 32. Hairstyle (4) 33. Unfasten (4)

CAR FOR SALE

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI): Gold price gained Rs 215 to touch Rs 49,059 per 10 gram in the national capital on Wednesday supported by strong global precious metal prices, according to HDFC Securities.

In the previous trade, gold had closed at Rs 48,844 per 10 gram.

Silver price jumped Rs 1,185 to Rs 64,822 per kilogram. It was at Rs 63,637 per kilogram in the previous trade.

LAND FOR SALE

1. Dry Land 4 Bighas Rs. 180/- sq. ft. (Any Size) 2) Land 100 X 350 (Any Size) with Modern House - Rs. 1.2 Cr. Negotiable Phone Number : 7005224768 8974463704 DP-5599

IN DIMAPUR 1. Model Colony - 2 Bighas 2. Thilixu - Area available 3. Kuda -B- 4½ Bighas 4. Kushiabill - 2 Bighas 5. Mon Bosti - 4 Bighas At Reasonable Price Contact No. : 7005424879

DP-5545

No. 9778 Yesterday’s solution No. 9777

ing infection cases may be checked.

“Furthermore, consistent FII inflows supported Rupee. Rupee may trade in the range of 73.0 to 74.0 in next couple of sessions,” said Saif Mukadam, Research Analyst, Sharekhan

by BNP Paribas.

According to Devarsh Vakil, Deputy Head of Retail Research, HDFC Securities, the gain in rupee was in line with other Asian currencies. “The weakness in dollar index ahead of FOMC meeting, foreign fund inflows and risk-on sentiments pushed rupee higher on Wednesday. The dollar index continues to trade near the lows of the year. If dollar index were to break the crucial support of 90, that would enthuse Rupee bulls,” Vakil said.

LAND FOR SALE 50 x 70

at Kushiabill

Earth filling required Price : 4,50,000 (Nego) 2850 sq. ft.

at Eralibill

Price : 8,50,000 (Nego) No earth filling required Contact : 9863401673

DP-5598

KAKURO

chasing shares worth a net Rs 1,981.77 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, rose 0.26 per cent to USD 50.89 per barrel.

“The Dollar Index was down 0.32 per cent at 90.18 this Wednesday afternoon trade in Asia, lingering near its lowest level in over two years ahead of the Fed’s policy review where the US central bank could provide forward guidance on asset purchases,” said Sriram Iyer, Senior Research Analyst at Reliance Securities.

Meanwhile, risk appetite improved in the market amid reports of progress on reaching a deal on the coronavirus relief bill in the US House of Representatives.

“Market sentiments improved on optimism that talks over fiscal stimulus in US are progressing and rollout of vaccine strengthened hopefulness that surg-

LAND FOR SALE Location : Bor Lengri (Near Highway) Area : 95 x 84

Price : Rs. 9,30,000/- (Nine Lakhs Thirty Thousand) only Contact No : 9402280030/ 7005025809

LAND WITH HOUSE FOR SALE Location : Bor Lengri (Near Highway) 1 (One Bigha)

DP-5601

Su doku

focus is on tonight’s Fed policy. The hopes of a dovish Fed have kept dollar bulls on sidelines. In our view, the global optimism over rolling out of coronavirus vaccine and the hopes of another US fiscal stimulus package may push USD/INR spot towards 73.25.

“Also, RBI is not very aggressive with its intervention. So, consistent trading below 73.25 will push the price towards 73 zone, while 74 will act as a strong resistance,” said Rahul Gupta, Head of Research- Currency, Emkay Global Financial Services.

On the domestic equity market front, BSE Sensex ended 403.29 points or 0.87 per cent higher at 46,666.46, while NSE Nifty rose 114.85 points or 0.85 per cent to 13,682.70 -- record closing for both the benchmarks.

Foreign institutional investors maintained their buying momentum, pur-

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI): The government on Wednesday approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore to sugar mills for the export of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener during the ongoing marketing year 2020-21 as part of its efforts to help them clear outstanding dues to sugarcane farmers. Briefing media after the meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a subsidy of Rs 3,500 crore on exports of 60 lakh tonnes of sweetener and the subsidy amount will directly be given to farmers.

The minister said both “sugar industry as well as sugarcane farmers are in crisis” because of high domestic production at 310 lakh tonnes as against the annual demand of 260 lakh tonnes.

The decision will benefit 5 crore farmers, said Javadekar, who is also Union Environment Minister.

Gold gains Rs 215; silver at Rs 1,185

DP-5587

Crossword

Mumbai, Dec 16 (PTI): The r upee appreciated 5 paise to close at 73.58 against the US dollar on Wednesday, propped up by sustained foreign fund inflows and a weak greenback overseas.

Strong domestic equities also strengthened investor sentiment, traders said.

At the interbank forex market, the rupee opened at 73.49 against the US dollar and witnessed an intra-day high of 73.48 and a low of 73.60. The local unit finally closed at 73.58 against the American currency, registering a gain of 5 paise over its previous close.

On Tuesday, the rupee had depreciated by 8 paise to end at 73.63.

The dollar index, which gauges the greenback’s strength against a basket of six currencies, slipped 0.35 per cent to 90.15.

“The currency market is very lacklustre and the

a permanent output loss of around 9 per cent of GDP. It further said even as growth outlook has improved, the decline in government expenditure has been quite significant to Rs 3.62 lakh crore in Q2 FY21 from Rs 4.86 lakh crore in Q1 FY21.

"We believe that a large part of fiscal expenditure by the government has been indirect and are off balance sheet items. This gives us hope that the government might be able to spend in Q4 to resurrect growth further," it said. The research report has revised its fiscal deficit estimates for FY21 at 8 per cent of GDP.

K-2067

(From p-1) feasts or if unavoidable, may be served in take-away packages and to follow all social distancing measures and COVID appropriate behaviour at all times.

It also appealed citizens to avoid travelling to other places particularly from towns to villages to attend social events and if unavoidable, to follow preventive measures at all times.

Further, food vendors have been asked to observe SOPs and not entertain customers without wearing face mask and ensure that there was no crowding around the stalls, and to serve the food in take-away packages.

People with Flu-like symptoms have been asked to isolate themselves and come forward for testing as timely testing, detection and early treatment was crucial to prevent debilitating complications and reduce mortalities.

Public transport operators have also been asked to comply with the SOPs and authorized enforcing agencies have been asked to take strict action against violators as per legal provisions.

While pointing out that maximum positive cases were reported in the age group of 20-40, the house made known to all young people that COVID-19 complications does not discriminate, but affects all age groups.

“Even if they don’t develop complications, they may spread the disease and become super-spreaders endangering the community particularly the elderly and people with co-morbidities,” the house stated.

With the rise in symptomatic cases, the department has fervently appealed all to strictly follow all COVDI-19 safety protocols/SOPs.

Rupee climbs 5 paise to 73.58 per US dollar

DP-5593

Crucial to follow all...

DP-5597

is looking at country of origin certificates, which will be voluntary with selfcertification to be vetted by certain entities. It will be applicable to natural as well as manufactured goods.

To be eligible for the tag, manufactured goods producers need to be registered in India and should comply with the prescribed health and safety standards.

A minimum 20% local content is being discussed with the final assembly required in India.

Sources said the en-

downward bias), it said.

Out of the 41 high frequency leading indicators, 58 per cent are showing acceleration in the third quarter.

Apart from Q3 FY21, the Q4 growth will also be in positive territory (at 1.7 per cent). However, all projections are conditional on the absence of another wave of infections, the report said.

The research report forecast FY22 GDP growth to be at 11 per cent, primarily due to base effect.

The report said it will take almost seven-quarters from Q4 FY21 to reach the pre-pandemic level in nominal terms and there will be

DP-5574

Piyush Goyal

tire certification process is proposed to be completed within six to 10 days of an application being filed, with monitoring expected to start after six months. Once a decision is taken, the mission can be launched in around a year with the initial plan to be tested through a few pilots.

Those who opt for the scheme may be given recognition by the government emarketplace and other platforms, preference in public purchase and other benefits, including those under trade agreements, sources familiar with the deliberations told TOI, adding that the plan is still to be firmed up.

After the recent tension with China, the government has shifted to an Atmanirbhar Bharat strategy, where it is seeking to get Indian companies to be part of the global value chain, in addition to produce for the domestic market.

cent in FY21 on better than projected recovery, said a SBI research report, upgrading its earlier forecast of (-) 10.9 per cent.

The report also believes that it would take seven quarters from the fourth quarter of FY21 for GDP to reach the pre-pandemic level in nominal terms.

"We now expect GDP decline for the full year (FY21) to be in single digits at 7.4 per cent (compared to our earlier prediction of () 10.9 per cent), aligned with RBI and markets' revised forecasts post Q2," SBI said in its research report - Ecowrap.

It said the revised GDP estimates are based on SBI 'Nowcasting Model' with 41 high frequency indicators associated with industry activity, service activity, and global economy.

Based on this model, the forecasted GDP growth for third quarter would be around 0.1 per cent (with

DP-5575

NEW DELHI, Dec 16 (Agencies): The government is all set to launch a ‘Brand India’ mission, focused on the promotion of quality products that are manufactured in the country. The move, being piloted by the Piyush Goyalled commerce and industry ministry, is based on similar policies in other countries, including the US, Switzerland, Germany and France, which regulate claims made to goods produced in their jurisdiction.

According to TNN, the idea is linked to the extent of local production with countries such as Switzerland offering the tag to service sector companies if they are headquartered there. In case of food products, the requirement is 80% local production. Goyal’s plan, discussed with the Quality Council of India and other agencies last week,

New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI): Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Tuesday said it will hike prices of its entire range of passenger and commercial vehicles from next month in order to partially offset the impact of rise in input costs.

Effective January 1, the company will increase the price of its range of passenger and commercial vehicles, across models, the Mumbai-based automaker said in a statement. This has been necessitated due to the increase in commodity prices and various other input costs, it added.

Details of price increase across different models will be communicated in due course, the automaker, which sells models like Thar and Scorpio, said.

Last week, Ford India had said it would increase prices of its vehicles across models by up to 3 per cent from January 1 to offset the rising input costs.

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Centre all set to launch ‘Brand India’ mission

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020 business/state M&M to hike SBI report raises FY21 GDP estimate Cabinet okays Rs prices of vehicles Mumbai, Dec 16 (PTI): 3,500 cr sugar GDP growth is exfrom January India's export subsidy pected to be at (-) 7.4 per

DP-5525

8

Including Bore Well, Pucca Retaining Wall, 3 (Three Bamboo Grove) Price Rs. 25,00,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Lakhs) Negotiable Contact No : 9402280030/ 7005025809

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Joe Biden to take oath outside Capitol on Jan 20

File photo of Capitol Hill where the oath taking ceremony will take place.

Washington, Dec 16 (AP): President-elect Joe Biden and Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris will take their oaths of office outside the US Capitol building as inauguration planners seek to craft an event that captures the traditional grandeur of the historic ceremony while complying with COVID-19 protocols.

Biden’s team released some broad details for the January 20 event on Tuesday. They’re proceeding with the plans without any assurances that outgoing President Donald Trump will participate.

The president, who continues to make unproven claims of widespread voter fraud, has not yet told current and former White House aides whether he will attend Biden’s inauguration.

While many had assumed he would skip the event after his loss, some now do expect him to make

an appearance for the sake of tradition, even if he tries to overshadow the event by, perhaps, announcing the launch of his 2024 campaign just before.

Despite this week’s rollout of the new vaccine, its availability to the general public is still months away. Biden’s team is urging supporters not to come to Washington, DC, to celebrate the inauguration.

“The ceremony’s footprint will be extremely limited, and the parade that follows will be reimagined,” Biden’s inaugural committee said in a statement.

After the swearing-in ceremony, Biden will deliver an inaugural address that “lays out his vision to beat the virus, build back better, and bring the country together,” the statement said.

The committee announced that Dr David Kessler, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, had been named

as chief medical adviser for the inauguration.

“The pandemic is continuing to have a significant public health impact across the nation,” Kessler said.

“We are asking Americans to participate in inaugural events from home to protect themselves, their families, friends, and communities.”

As it seeks to retain some of the traditional touchstones of the event and imagine new pandemicera aspects, the committee is turning to the same production team that handled this year’s Democratic National Convention.

Features of that convention, such as the virtual roll call from every state, may be incorporated.

It’s still unclear whether other traditional inaugural events, such as a luncheon with members of Congress or a pre-ceremony tea with the outgoing president, will happen this time.

9

international

Quarter of world may not have access to COVID vaccine until 2022 Washington, Dec 16 (PTI): Nearly a quarter of the world’s population may not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine until at least 2022, according to a study published in The BMJ on Wednesday which warns that vaccines will be as challenging to deliver as they were to develop.

Another study in the same journal estimates that 3.7 billion adults worldwide are willing to have a COVID19 vaccine, highlighting the importance of designing fair and equitable strategies to ensure that supply can meet demand, especially in low and middle income countries. These findings together suggest that the operational challenges of the global COVID-19 vaccination programme will be at least as difficult as the scientific challenges associated with their development.

In the first study, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US analysed pre-orders for COVID-19 vaccines ahead of their regulatory approval that had been publicly announced by countries around the world.

“This study provides an overview of how high income countries have secured future supplies of COVID19 vaccines, but that access for the rest of the world is uncertain,” the researchers said. “Governments and manufacturers might provide much needed assurances for equitable allocation of COVID-19 vaccines through greater transparency and

accountability over these arrangements,” they said.

The researchers noted that by November 15, 2020, several countries had reserved a total of 7.48 billion doses, or 3.76 billion courses from 13 manufacturers, out of 48 COVID-19 vaccine candidates in clinical trials.

They said over half (51 per cent) of these doses will go to high income countries, which represent 14 per cent of the world’s population, while low and middle income countries will potentially have the remainder, despite these comprising more than 85 per cent of the world’s population.

If all of these vaccine candidates were successfully scaled, the total projected manufacturing capacity would be 5.96 billion courses by the end of 2021, with prices ranging from USD 6 per course to as high as USD 74 per course.

Up to 40 per cent of the vaccine courses from these manufacturers might potentially remain for lowand middle-income countries, the researchers said.

However, this will depend, in part, on how highincome countries share what they procure and whether the US and Russia participate in globally coordinated efforts, they said.

The researchers noted that even if all of these vaccine manufacturers were to succeed in reaching their maximum production capacity, at least a fifth of the world’s population would not have access to vaccines until 2022.

Bangladesh celebrates 50th Victory Day

File photo from the Liberation War.

Dhaka, Dec 16 (IANS): The people of Bangladesh on Wednesday celebrated the 50th Victory Day. On December 16, 1971, Lt. Gen Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, the Chief Martial Law Administrator of East Pakistan and Commander of Pakistan Army forces located in East Pakistan had signed the Instrument of Surrender the led to the formation of Bangladesh.

Niazi had signed the Instrument and Surrender in the presence of Jagjit Singh Aurora, who was representing the Indian and Bangladesh Forces in Dhaka.

The country was liberated from the Pakistani occupation on the day after a nine-month-long bloodstained War of Liberation in 1971. At the time of surrender only a few countries had provided diplomatic recognition to the new nation. Over 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered to the Indian forces and Bangladesh Liberation forces, making it the largest surrender since World War II. Bangladesh was born

as an independent country under the leadership of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the cost of supreme sacrifice of three million people and the honour of nearly half a million women. Though the pandemic Covid-19 has almost paralysed the whole world barring the people from attending any public gathering in person, the celebration of the Victory Day got a different dimension.

The day is set to be celebrated as Mujib Borsho, on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu from March 2020March 2021, just ahead of the country’s golden jubilee year of Independence to be celebrated in 2021.

On behalf of President M. Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina their representatives laid the wreath at the altar of the National Memorial around 6.30 a.m. Both of them paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War by placing wreaths at the National Memorial in Savar,

on the outskirts of Dhaka, marking the 50th Victory Day. After placing the wreath, the representatives stood there in solemn silence for a while as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971. Bangladesh’s first government was sworn in in front of local and foreign journalists officially and it began its duties. With the Declaration of Independence on March 6, the country was officially declared as an independent sovereign state. Bangladesh sought admission to the UN with most voting in its favour, but China vetoed this as Pakistan was its key ally.

The US, also a key ally of Pakistan, was one of the last nations to accord Bangladesh recognition.

To ensure a smooth transition, in 1972 the Simla Agreement was signed between India and Pakistan.

The treaty ensured that Pakistan recognised the independence of Bangladesh in exchange for the return of the Pakistani PoWs. India treated all the PoWs in strict accordance with the Geneva Convention, rule 1925 released more than 93,000 Pakistani PoWs in five months. Further, as a gesture of goodwill, nearly 200 soldiers who were sought for war crimes by Bengalis were also pardoned by India. Bangladesh government has organised elaborate programs to celebrate the day at the national level, maintaining the health guidelines in face of the global pandemic Covid-19.

China prepares for return of Nigerians anxious after 330 boys kidnapped by extremists lunar probe with moon samples

Washington, Dec 16 (PTI): US President Donald Trump is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the November 3 presidential election, according to a top White House official.

The statement from White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany came a day after members of the Electoral College met in various states and formally elected Joe Biden, a Democrat, as the 46th President of the United States. Biden is scheduled to be sworn-in on January 20.

“The president is still involved in ongoing litigation related to the election.

Yesterday’s vote was one step in the constitutional process. So, I will leave that to him,” McEnany told reporters on Tuesday at a

news conference.

McEnany was responding to a question if Trump, a Republican, has any plans to invite Biden to the White House now that the Electoral College has voted. “Does the president acknowledge that Joe Biden is the president-elect,” she was asked.

“The president is pursuing ongoing litigation,” McEnany said. “Yesterday was one step in the constitutional process leading up to the January 20th date in the Constitution,” she said.

McEnany defended Trump’s litigation against elections.

President Trump still refuses to concede, making unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud during the presidential election won by Biden.

RWDA FELICITATES

OFFICE OF THE

DIPHUPAR 'B' VILLAGE COUNCIL

LEANGHA STUDENTS’ UNION

DIMAPUR : NAGALAND

MON : NAGALAND FELICITATION

Recogn. No. GAB 13/17/83 (VOL) 22-1-92

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Diphupar 'B' Village Council gratefully acknowledges the following persons for their valuable and generous financial support during the renovation/ repairing of village road (Black Topping).

1. Kezhienye Khalo, MLA 50,000/2. D. Mero, Kilo-Kilonser 50,000/3. O. T. Chingmak, Commissioner & Secretary 1,00,000/4. N. Jacob Yanthan, Jt. Director 1,00,000/5. Er. Imti, Rtd SE Power 50,000/6. Ar. Jwenga Seb 30,000/7. Er. Lipongse Thongtsar 10,000/8. Er. C. Hento, EE PWD 10,000/9. Kewe Lasushe 5,000/10. Er. Vikishe Yeptho, EE 50,000/11. Avito, Class 1 Contractor 2,00,000/(N. MHABEMO MOZHUI) Secretary

(Y. Tokhuvi Shohe) Chairman, RWDA

The Leangha Students’ Union is pleased and honored to felicitate with immense pride and profound happiness to the following Doctors from Leangha Village Mon, Nagaland who were selected recently to the post of Junior Specialist/ Medical Officers, 2020, under the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Nagaland.

SL NO

NAME

DESIGNATION

1

Dr. C. Longe Peter, MED Junior Specialist S/o T. Chahying Konyak

2

Dr. N. Penjei Konyak S/o Neiven Konyak

Medical Officer

3

Dr. Pangkhat Konyak S/o Neiven Konyak

Medical Officer

The Union further pray and wishes good luck for their future endeavors.

T. Gohi Konyak President Leangha Students’ Union

Y. Pangwai Konyak General Secretary Leangha Students’ Union

LONGKUMER (AKHORI) KIDONG TELONGJEM, CHANGKI B.P.O. Changki, Mokokchung : Nagaland

FELICITATION The members of the Longkümer (Akhori) clan, Changki, take extreme pride in congratulating Mrs. Narola Sophie, Sr SP, daughter of Mr & Mrs M. Lanuteka Longkümer NCS (Rtd) and Mr. Kevithuto Sophie, Sr SP (son in law) son of Mr & Mrs. Kekutsol Sophie of Jakhama Village, on their induction into the prestigious Indian Police Service.

It is our confidence and prayer that they will scale greater heights in their future career, under the everabiding grace and guidance of the Almighty God. Temjenmongba Longkumer Secretary

(Tongpangwati Longkumer) President

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(V. Hoshito Yeptho) Secretary, RWDA

because of insecurity,” said 58-year-old Syvester Anachike, who sells newspapers in Abuja.

“Just imagine, the children been abducted in the president’s state! It is unfair.

It’s not good.”

Friday’s abduction has become a rallying cry for Nigerians fed up with the ongoing extremist violence. #BringBackOurBoys is trending on Twitter as people express their frustrations and hark back to 2014 when the #BringBackOurGirls campaign became an international rallying cry for girls kidnapped from a government boarding school in Chibok, in northeastern Nigeria.

OFFICE OF THE

We, the ROTOMI WELFARE DIMAPUR AREA (RWDA) with immense pride & honour congratulates its member Shri Y. Vizheto Shohe on being promoted to CDPO & posted at Tokiye under Social Welfare Department.

The Welfare further extends its best wishes for a successful career ahead with good health & wisdom.

OFFICE OF THE

(KAHUTO. N. CHISHI) Chairman

“There’s no way I can measure my anger now,” said Marwa Hamza Kankara, camping outside the school Tuesday night for word of her son. “No woman wants to be outside at this hour but we cannot sleep,

we cannot eat, because of our missing children.”

Hamza says that all those missing belong to Nigeria. “I am not only crying for my child but I am crying for all the children,” she said.

When armed patrols go by, parents outside the school momentarily gain hope that they may have found their sons.

Across Nigeria, people are closely following the fate of the kidnapped boys and many criticise the government for the continuing extremist violence.

“Nobody is happy about the insecurity in the country. Even kids are afraid of being in present Nigeria

OFFICE OF THE

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES UNION LEPHORI,

PHEK DISTRICT: NAGALAND Motto: Skilful Serving Headquarter: Lephori Estd: 2006 FELICITATES The Government Employees Union Lephori (GEUL) under Meluri Sub-Division congratulates the following members for their achievement in different fields, 1. Wachusie Katiry - Promotion to Deputy Director (Urban Development Dept. Nagaland) 2. Lutho Katiry - Promotion to Executive Engineer (PHED Nagaland) 3. Nyusasie Katiry - Promotion to Senior Supervisor (Social Welfare Dept. Nagaland) 4. Diwatho Katiry - Promotion to Head Assistant (Rural Development, Nagaland) 5. Katitho Katiry - State Teachers Award 2020 (Head Teacher Govt Middle School Weziho) 6. Sarah Pfithu Pojar - Promotion to UDA (School Education Dept. Nagaland) 7. Luchüsie Katiry - For getting the post of Data Entry Operator (DEO) at Regional News Unit All India Radio: Kohima The Union further expresses happiness to the above individuals for bringing laurels to the village and wishes them more success in their future endeavour.

POSHUTHO JOSHOU President, GEUL

DICHIISIE POJAR Gen. Secy., GEUL

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‘Trump still involved in ongoing litigation related to prez polls’

not, however, identify the attackers who the government earlier described as bandits.

Parents are tired of waiting for the situation in the north, home to President Muhammadu Buhari, to improve.

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reported. Plans call for it to perform an initial bounce off the Earth’s atmosphere to reduce its speed before passing through and floating down on parachutes, making it difficult to precisely calculate where it will land, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted Bian Hancheng, a leader of the recovery crew, as saying.

State broadcaster CCTV showed four military helicopters standing

by Wednesday morning at a base on the snow-covered grasslands. Crews in vehicles on the ground will also seek to hone in on signals. While sprawling in size, the area is relatively familiar because of its use as a landing site for China’s Shenzhou crewed spaceships.

Parents of a missing Govt Science Secondary School student wait for news on their child in Kankara, Nigeria, Tuesday.

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Beijing, Dec 16 (AP): Chinese ground crews are standing by for the return of a lunar probe bringing back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 45 years.

The Chang’e probe is expected to land in the Siziwang district of the vast Inner Mongolia region late Wednesday or early Thursday. It fired its engines early Wednesday to put it on course before the orbiter separates from the return vehicle, with all systems functioning as expected, the China National Space Administration said.

Recovery of the return vehicle will be complicated by its small size, darkness and heavy snow, state media

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The Chang’e probe is expected to land in the Siziwang district of the vast Inner Mongolia region late Wednesday or early Thursday.

Chang’e 5 set down on the moon on Dec. 1 and collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples by scooping them from the surface, and by drilling 2 meters (about 6 feet) into the moon’s crust. The samples were deposited in a sealed container that was carried back to the return module by an ascent vehicle.

Flying a Chinese flag, the lander ceased functioning soon after it was used as a launching pad for the ascender, which was ejected from the orbiter after transferring the samples and came to rest on the moon’s surface.

The spacecraft’s return will mark the first time scientists have obtained fresh samples of lunar rocks since the former Soviet Union’s Luna 24 robot probe in 1976.

Chang’e 5 blasted off from a launch base in China’s southern island province of Hainan on November 23 on a mission expected to last 23 days. It marks China’s third successful lunar landing but the only one to lift off again from the moon.

Kankara (Nigeria), Dec 16 (AP): Anger, fear and exhaustion. Anxiety has overwhelmed many parents in Nigeria’s northern village of Kankara who await word on their sons who are among the more than 330 kidnapped by extremists from a government boys’ school late Friday.

Nigeria’s Boko Haram jihadist rebels have claimed responsibility for the abduction of the students from the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara.

Hundreds of other students managed to escape by jumping the fence during the extremists’ attack or by fleeing as they were taken into the nearby forest.

Boko Haram kidnapped the boys from the school because it believes Western education is unIslamic, the rebels’ leader Abubakar Shekau said in a video claiming responsibility for the attack, according to SITE Intelligence Group.

The Nigerian government is in talks with the attackers in an effort to free the boys, government spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement. He did

Infotainment

10

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

‘Mission: Impossible’ Sexism still rife in Hollywood Slash hails Eddie Van Halen TomcrewCruiseforabuses violation of Covid norms despite #MeToo uproar: Survey for his ‘pure musical talent’ H T S lash has hailed the late EDDIE VAN HALEN for his “pure musical talent”.

The GUNS N’ ROSES axe-slayer has heaped praise on the late Van Halen guitar legend - who passed away after a battle with cancer in October - for his “phenomenal” technical ability and insisted there aren’t many other “rock’n’rollers” who have that level of nuance in their playing.

In an interview with Consequence of Sound, he said: “Any instrument he had chosen to play would have been phenomenal, because he just had that pure musical talent. And he chose guitar, because that’s what turned him on.

“And for somebody with that kind of musical talent to get turned on to rock‘n’roll guitar was sort of unique unto itself, because most of us guitar players are a ragged bunch of rock‘n’rollers who don’t have too much technical ability or schooling. We just sort of go for this raw thing. And he had that, but he also had this musical,

sort of classical gift.”

Slash added: “So he was just an amazing artist, period.”

The ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ hitmaker was among those to pay tribute to Eddie at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony last month.

He said: “His style and his sound were completely unique to him. He had a massive impact on guitar playing. I don’t think there’s anybody who’s picked up guitar since 1978 that hasn’t been touched in some way by Eddie Van Halen’s influence.”

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett agreed, adding: “Eddie Van Halen was amazing. Not since Jimi Hendrix

had there been a guitar player that had so much impact and was so inspiring to me. He just explored the most simplest thing: a harmonic on a string and brought it into this realm of technique that no one even thought was possible.

He was from a different planet.”

While Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello hailed Eddie “the Mozart of our generation”.

He said: “He had the kind of talent that maybe comes around once a century. Eddie Van Halen inspired me to practice 20,000 hours to try to get within 100 miles of his inspired mastery of the guitar.” (Contactmusic)

ollywood star Tom Cruise lost his cool on the crew members of his upcoming film.

Mission Impossible 7, for not following Covid-19 safety protocols, and threatened to fire them.

His angry rant at the crew members was caught on audio, and has been leaked online.

The news was confirmed by two sources close to the production to variety. com, stating that Cruise expressed his frustration with crew members after he saw them breaking Covid guidelines.

After Cruise saw two crew members standing too close to one another in front of a computer screen, he told the crew: “If I see you do it again you’re f**king gone.”

In an audio obtained

by The Sun, Cruise can be heard saying: “We are the gold standard. They’re back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing. I’m on the phone with every f**king studio at night, insurance companies, producers and they’re looking at us and using us to make their movies. We

are creating thousands of jobs, you motherf**kers.

I don’t ever want to see it again. Ever!”

Cruise has been very particular about the safety protocols as he shoots for the movie in Britain. In his angry rant, he scolded the crew for not taking it seriously.

“You can tell it to the people who are losing their f**king homes because our industry is shut down. It’s not going to put food on their table or pay for their college education. That’s what I sleep with every night – the future of this f**king industry!” Cruise said.

“So I’m sorry, I am beyond your apologies. I have told you, and now I want it, and if you don’t do it, you’re out. We are not shutting this f**king movie down! Is it understood? If I see it again, you’re f*king gone.”

hree years after the #MeToo scandal roiled Hollywood, causing dozens of powerful men to lose their jobs, two-thirds of women who took part in a survey of the entertainment business released on Tuesday report continuing incidences of sexual harassment.

The survey by the Hollywood Commission also asked about racism, and found that fewer than half of those who took part believe that Hollywood values diverse backgrounds and points of view.

The online survey, launched in November 2019, was billed as the largest ever in the industry, embracing workers in television and film, commercials, live theater, music, broadcast news, talent agencies, public relations, and corporate settings.

Almost 10,000 people responded. Some 67% of women reported experiencing gender harassment during the prior 12 months, with 42% of women reporting unwanted sexual attention.

One person who took part anonymously told the commission that when

A protester holds a sign up during a #MeToo demonstration in New York City, December 9, 2017. (Reuters)

they were working as an assistant, the chief executive of the company “gave me actual assignments to flirt with other powerful people in the industry to try to get my bosses more meetings.”

The commission, chaired by law professor Anita Hill, said Hollywood had made progress in tackling “significant culture and climate issues of harassment and discrimination” but more must be done.

The commission applauded new diversity standards for future Oscar contenders to win a best picture Academy Award, a pledge

by Netflix to donate $100 million to Black-owned fi-

nancial institutions, and an initiative by actor Michael B. Jordan to increase Black voices behind and in front of the camera.

Recommendations by the commission included limiting confidentiality and nondisclosure agreements, prohibiting bullying, increased mentorship, and bystander training that helps employees defuse racist or sexist incidents.

Hill became an icon for many women when she accused now-Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in his nomination hearings in 1991. Thomas denied the accusations.

(Reuters)

Lana Del Rey engaged to India to host Global Film Summit in 2021: Javadekar musician Clayton Johnson? I

Kidima Community Dimapur Area

Prakash Javadekar

with IIT-Bombay where courses in AVGC will be provided.

Moreover, he said, the Centre will undertake initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and encourage start-ups in the sector.

JAPUKONG YOUTH ORGANISATION HQ. LONGCHEM, DIST. MOKOKCHUNG : NAGALAND

OFFICE OF THE

MEDZIPHEMA VILLAGE STUDENTS' UNION FELICITATION

Regd. No. Home - SRC/7936/2019

FELICITATION

T h e J a p u k o n g Yo u t h Organization extends its heartiest congratulations to Mr. Edwin Kubzar, son of Late Mr. Andrew Kubzar from Longjemdang Village for winning the "Myntra Fashion Superstar" 2020, a competition between social media and influencer from all over India.

The Organization appreciates him for bringing good name and laurels to the village and the Japukong Range as a whole.

The JYO wishes him the best for more future endeavours.

IMTILIBA IMCHEN General Secretary, JYO

technologies and Indian gaming which also have an export potential.

With the year 2022 being the 75th year of India’s independence, celebrations of which will take place within the country and outside, the secretary invited the industry to help project India’s soft power through media and entertainment.

Khare also invited the participants of the summit to the 51st IFFI which will be celebrated in a hybrid mode.

(IANS)

Dist. Dimapur : Nagaland, Pin No. - 797106

OFFICE OF THE

LIMAYANGER IMCHEN President, JYO

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Amit Khare referred to amendment in allocation of business rules in November saying the idea behind the change was to bring content at one place while keeping platforms at another place.

Khare also said that the media and entertainment industry has grown and we must facilitate the industry. This pandemic, he said, has opened new avenues like educational

A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS

We , t h e M e d z i p h e m a Village Students' Union would like to extend our heartiest congratulations to our member Dr. Rokozeno Chalieu, D/o Mr. Rokolhoutuo Chalieu and Mrs. Amile Chalieu on being conferred Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Soil Science and Chemistry on the thesis "Influence of carbon nitrogen sources on enzyme activities and population dynamics of trichoderma viride and its performance or impact on chickpea." Under the supervision of Dr. NG Mitra from Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur, M.P. We praise our Almighty God for her accomplishment and wish her success in all her future endeavors.

Ruokuokedo R. Kuotsu President

Lhouvituo Sachii General Secretary

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Kidima Community Dimapur Area

and media industry”.

The minister remarked “Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) is a sunrise sector and our experts are providing back-end support to top filmmakers of the world”.

He added that it was time that these professionals started doing more of this for our own films so that the use of animation and graphics in Indian films grows manifold.

Javadekar also announced that the government is forming a Centre of Excellence in cooperation

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S

inger Lana Del Rey is reportedly engaged to musician Clayton Johnson just after a few months of dating.

According to a source to Us Weekly, the 35-yearold singer is believed to have gotten engaged to Johnson after just months of dating, reports usmagazine.com.

The singer sparked engagement speculation while performing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on December 14. Several fans spotted a ring on her left finger as she sang “Love you like a woman” on the show.

ndia will host a Global Media and Film Summit next year and it will also set up a special pavilion at Cannes in 2022 on the occasion of Cannes Film Festival’s 75 years celebrations, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Wednesday.

Javadekar made the announcement while addressing the CII Big Picture Summit through video conferencing in which he mentioned that “we are a country where growth of communication technology is phenomenal and “Y’all see that?” one romance Instagram official this presents a tremendous fan tweeted, sharing a close- in December that year. scope for entertainment up photo of the singer.

A while back, another FELICITATION Twitter user had pointed out that “Lana is caught The Kidima Community with a ring on her finger Dimapur Area, would like to extend our heartiest AGAIN”.

The singer had con- c o n g r a t u l a t i o n s t o firmed her romance with Dr. Kikruneino, D/o Late Johnson on Instagram in Mase Angami for successfully August. Since then, the completing her Ph.D on the couple have been regularly thes is “Assessment and mapping of Plant Diversity posting pictures together. of Japfu Mountain Eco The engagement news system, Nagaland” under the came eight months after supervision of Dr. Neizo Puro Del Rey split from Sean from Nagaland University.

“Sticks” Larkin. The forMay our Almighty God bless you in all your future mer couple were first spot- endeavours. ted together in September Neizakie Ltu Medongol 2019. They made their Chairman, Joint Secretary

OFFICE OF THE

TUOPHEMA VILLAGE YOUTH & SPORTS ORGANISATION KOHIMA : NAGALAND

CONGRATULATIONS

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K Y M C

From your Aunts, uncles, cousins & all relatives

DC-844

K-2073

With immense joy and pride, we heartily congratulate Ar. Zuren T. Kikon, son of Mr. & Mrs. N. Thungdemo Kikon from Lakhuti Village for passing out Bachelor of Architecture in First Division from K.R Mangalam University, Gurugram; Haryana and for winning the most prestigious Gold Medal for the Best Architectural Thesis for Bachelor of Architecture 2020 on the topic/project, "THE NAGA HUB- Redefining the Commercial Hub of Dimapur, Nagaland."

May God bless and guide you in your future endeavors.

With immense pride and joy, we the Tuophema Village Youth and Sports Organization (TVYSO) would like to congratulate our soil son, Mr Kekhriesilie Rio, S/o Shri.

Zhalie-o Rio for winning the FEI (Federation Equestrian International) World Jumping Challenge 2020 (South Zone) in Category 'A' on Claudette, held at Embassy International Riding School, Bangalore. Thus, becoming the First NorthEast Indian to win a National Championship in the field of Equestrian Sports.

Your achievement have inspired people from both far and near and youths in particular, that dreams do come true if one have the enthusiasm and dedication.

With pride, we thank you and congratulate you for bringing laurels to our people and Nagas in general, Northeast citizens at large.

The TVYSO also pray for your good health as you continue your future endeavor. May you grow and shine, excel and reach the climax of what our Almighty have stored for you and bring more laurels to our people even in the days to come.

(Neitho-u Kense) (Vilesa Rio) President, TVYSO General Secretary, TVYSO K Y M C

India face Aus might in Pink Ball affair

Adelaide, Dec 16 (PTI): A peerless Virat Kohli and his “fearless” India would look to unleash their might on an Australian team which is ready for revenge but not exactly in ‘pink of health’ ahead of the first Day/ Night Test starting here on Thursday.

Media mogul Kerry Packer, while promoting his path-breaking ‘World Series Day/Night Test matches’ on Channel 9 back in late 1970s, had an unforgettable caption “Big Boys Play At Night”.

Even in 2020, there couldn’t have been a more appropriate catch-line for a series where Kohli’s magnificence meets its match in Steve Smith’s manic consistency, Cheteshwar Pujara’s doggedness challenged by a much younger Marnus Labuschagne, ready to show the world that he isn’t a one-season wonder. All this would be under lights at the Adelaide Oval.

And then there are those mean fast men on both sides aiming to instill the fear of pink ball in twilight zone, creating all sorts of doubts in the batsmen’s minds.

A Josh Hazlewood versus Mohammed Shami will be as enticing a subplot as Jasprit Bumrah bowling those yorkers in reply to Pat Cummins’ barrage of bouncers.

With a workhorse like Ishant Sharma missing from Indian ranks and the enforcer David Warner absent in the Austra-

Virat Kohli and Tim Paine with the BorderGavaskar Trophy. lian line-up, the teams are evenly placed in terms of strength.

However, there will certainly be some distinct home advantage for Australia along with the experience of playing more Day/ Night Tests.

A d ay / n i g h t Te s t match has its own little grammar where batsmen are expected to attack in the first session while bowlers are at their peak once the sun sets, allowing the pink kookaburra to pick its pace up. Never has an Indian team been so spoilt for choices with multiple options in place for various positions.

But Indian skipper Virat Kohli made it clear that Shubman Gill and KL Rahul will have to wait for their chances with the management deciding to stick to an out-of-form Prithvi Shaw in the opening slot.

“Shubman hasn’t got opportunities at this level yet in Test cricket, so as and when he gets an opportunity it will be great to see

how he goes about things, because he is a very, very confident young man,” Kohli said on the eve of the game.

“Prithvi has performed at the Test level, but he will be playing in Australia for the first time. So, I think it is very exciting to see his progress as well.”

Can Rahul be fitted in the team at some stage?

“KL is obviously a quality player and hence he has been included back into the Test squad and you know we have to see what combinations suits the balance of the team best,” skipper’s statement stressed that Hanuma Vihari, with his part-time off-breaks, is the choice for now.

For the much-speculated wicketkeeper’s slot, Wriddhiman Saha was preferred over the explosive but erratic Rishabh Pant.

In the build-up to the series, Saha’s fifty in the red-ball first-class match was achieved in a tougher setting than Pant’s 73-ball 100 under lights against a

Used to sleep with Lin Dan’s poster in my childhood, says Subhankar

Jaipur, Dec 16 (IANS): Indian badminton player Subhankar Dey has opened up about his victory over Lin Dan in the SaarLorLux Open Badminton Championship in 2018, saying it was a dream come true moment for him to defeat the two-time Olympic goldmedalist.

The 27-year-old shuttler first rose to national prominence when he defeated Sai Praneeth in the quarterfinals of the senior badminton nationals held in Nagpur in 2017 and the win against Dan in 2018 ensured he grabbed national headlines. “When I was small, my sister made a big poster for me of Lin Dan and I used to sleep next to it. And I used to think that one day I will play against him. I never thought of defeating him that time since I was very small. It was always a dream for me. I wanted to see Lin Dan, play like him and copy

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Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Subhankar Dey him when I was in Kolkata,” said Subhankar during an interaction on Sports Tiger’s show ‘Building Bridge’.

“I celebrate a lot after every win but after defeating Lin Dan, I did not celebrate at all. It was quite surprising as everybody in India was like, you beat Lin Dan, so some expression should be there. But I just went and shook hands and left. That was the respect I had for him,” he added. The current world number 46 also spoke about his early days in Kolkata and how his elder brother and sister inspired

him to take up the sport. He moved to Mumbai with just Rs 500 and terms that as the turning point of his career.

“I feel my turning point was when I came to Mumbai. I started performing well after moving there on India level. Initially there weren’t any sponsors but I became India No.6 and became part of Asian Championship U-19, that time I got a scholarship from Hindustan petroleum of Rs 12k. That was the first scholarship I got for me and it was a huge amount for me at that time,” he said.

Tokyo Olympic torch relay to start in 100 days

second string Australia A attack.

Also, Umesh Yadav predictably, after his good show in the practice game, got his place in the side as the third pacer.

On Tuesday, India’s top batters were being troubled by Thangarasu Natarajan’s incoming deliveries with pink kookaburra at the Adelaide nets.

If Natarajan, at 130plus, can trouble them so much, then Mitchell Starc, the world’s top wickettaker in pink ball Tests, can be menacing.

At times, less options make it easier to choose and Kohli would hope that he has made the right choices so that Ajinkya Rahane can help India do an encore once he takes a break.

Tokyo, Dec 16 (IANS): The torch relay for the Tokyo Olympic Games will begin on March 25, 2021, almost along the same route set before the Games was postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The relay’s start point will still be the J-Village National Training Centre in Fukushima, which was hit hard by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, reports Xinhua news agency.

The flame, lit in Olympia of Greece in March, will travel 121 days through 859 municipalities across all 47 prefectures before it arrives at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 23 when the Games opens.

About 10,000 torchbearers will take part in the event.

To mark the 100-day countdown until the start of the relay, a special illumination of the Tokyo SkyTree will take place later to see the landmark light up in Sakura and gold - the colours of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch.

Yukihiko Nunomura, vice director-general of the Tokyo 2020 organising committee, told a press conference that Covid-19 countermeasures will be taken to ensure “everyone’s health is secure”.

Japan is suffering a third wave of Covid-19 pandemic, with 1,677 new confirmed cases reported on Monday, 305 of which were from Tokyo, the hardest hit city by the virus among Japan’s 47 prefectures.

Squads:

India (playing XI): Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane (vc), Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandra Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav.

Australia: Tim Paine (captain & wicketkeeper), Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.

Match Starts at 9:30 am IST.

Qatar to host 2030 Asian Games, Saudi Arabia in 2034

Muscat (Oman), Dec 16 (AP): The 2030 Asian Games were awarded to Doha on Wednesday and the 2034 event went to Riyadh after a deal was struck between the rival nations.

The Qatari capital of Doha beat Saudi Arabian counterpart Riyadh for the 2030 Games in the vote at the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) general assembly.

The vote took place amid a bitter and longrunning political dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Saudi Arabia is one of four countries which has imposed a trade and travel boycott on Qatar since 2017, though there have recently been indications the dispute could be resolved.

The OCA reached a deal to vote on the 2030 host but to give the other candidate the 2034 event.

“That means no win-

Chairman of Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad al-Thani (2nd L) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani (2nd R) on December 16. (AFP)

ner, no loser,” OCA president Sheikh Ahmad alFahad al-Sabah of Kuwait said, thanking the Saudi and Qatari foreign ministers and conference host Oman for helping to broker the agreement.

“Thank you, Asia, for solidarity and coordination.” Qatari bid officials wore masks and waved flags as they celebrated together.

Vote totals were not immediately announced. Qatar will also host the 2022 World Cup. The vote on Wednesday was repeatedly delayed by problems with the electronic voting system with many delegates taking part remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic. In the hall, 26 delegates were given paper ballots and 19 voted remotely.

India unveils bid to host 2027 AFC Asian Cup

New Delhi, Dec 16 (IANS): The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Wednesday unveiled the logo for its bid to host the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, and the campaign slogan, ‘Brighter Future Together’. India is among five countries bidding for the tournament along with Asian champions Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Uzbekistan.

“Hosting Asia’s biggest football event, the AFC Asian Cup 2027 will be a huge milestone for Indian sports,” said Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, who with AIFF president Praful Patel unveiled the

logo and slogan.

“We have extensive experience over the last two decades of successfully planning, organising and staging some of the world’s biggest sporting events and are looking forward to hosting two more big events in 2022 -- the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and AFC Women’s Asian Cup.” Rijiju also pledged “all government support” to the bid.

“It has taken a lot of hard work to reach the level we are at today, where we can think of hosting international events year on year,” said Patel.

2nd DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR BELOVED MOTHER

LT. THONGDINARO MHONTHUNG LOTHA Each day we pass through without your presence, we endure our deepest sorrows looking up to God; you are safe in His caring hands. You are and will always be cherished and missed. We miss you everyday.

Loving husband, children, mother and relatives

DP-5432

1ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY of

LATE BEDUTA DOZO

DP-5594

Benzema sends Real level at top of table 17/12/2019 Even after a year since you left us for heavenly abode, we still miss you the memories that you left behind.

Loving Parents, Siblings and Relatives

K-2057

TRIBUTE TO LATE K. GHOKHETO CHOPHY

Lo n d o n, D e c 1 6 (Agencies): Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao to move level on points at the top of La Liga.

Athletic’s Raul Garcia was sent off early on after two bookings for fouls on Toni Kroos, who put Real ahead with a first-time drive K Y M C

before the break.

Ander Capa equalised for Athletic at the second attempt after he had a shot saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Benzema scored twice to win the game for Real, heading in and then drilling an injury-time second.

That clinching goal came moments after Cour-

tois denied Mikel Vesga an equaliser with a fine save.

Real have now won four games in a row in all competitions as they continue to turn their season around.

Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are all on 26 points at the top of La Liga.

Kiyexu Chishi Chairman, AUZT

Kahoi Chishi Press & Media Secretary, AUZT

K-2062

Benzema wheels away in celebration after restoring Real’s lead at Alfredo Di Stefano stadium.

The Asukhomi Union Zunheboto Town is deeply saddened at the sudden departure of Late K. Ghokheto Chophy, President, Naga Council Dimapur (NCD) and Convenor Joint Committee for Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) on 11th of December 2020.

He was an inspirational and influential individual who always put others before him, sharing their piece of agony and distress as a leader. His humanity extended not only to his family, friends, and community but to anyone else who knew him.

We will always be inspired by his exceptional journey of service and contribution to society. An epitome of kindness, benevolence, and generosity. His legacy lives and breathes kindness.

It is a tragedy that we have lost our strongest pillar.

We pray that the soul of the departed rest in eternal peace. May the good Lord give the family peace and strength to endure the loss.

DP-5595

K Y M C

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ATKMB beat Goa with late penalty in ISL

M a rg ao, D e c 1 6 (PTI): Roy Krishna struck a late goal from a penalty as ATK Mohun Bagan (ATKMB) beat FC Goa by a solitary goal to return to winning ways in the Indian Super League here on Wednesday.

All the action centred around the last 10 minutes in the intriguing clash and it was the Fijian star forward who found the back of the net from a penalty in the 85th minute to seal three points for the Mariners in a dramatic fashion.

It was FC Goa’’s inexperienced substitute Aiban Dohling who conceded the soft penalty, bringing down Krishna inside the box, which changed the fate of the match.

This happened just five minutes after Carl McHugh brought down Jorge Mendoza with a nudge but referee Rahul Kumar Gupta waved away FC Goa players’’ appeals for a penalty.

Credit should also be given to ATKMB goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharja

Players of ATKMB and FC Goa in action on Wednesday. (ISL) who stood tall with some delightful saves to ensure a clean slate.

The win took ATKMB to second spot with 13 points from six matches, level with Mumbai City FC who are ahead on goal difference.

This was ATKMB’’s first win in three matches as they had slipped behind following their loss to Jamshedpur FC and a draw against Hyderabad FC after they had started off with three back-to-back wins.

It was an intense, cagey and tactical first-half of football from both the sides but neither could break the deadlock.

The Mariners looked the better side and had the best chance of the first-half in the 40th minute but Wil-

liams’’ powerful left-footer rattled off the upright.

The Gaurs, on the other hand, were unable to breach ATKMB’’s defence and test Bhattacharja.

After the break, FC Goa had their first chance in the 57th minute when Alberto Noguera came close inside the box but his header was denied by Bhattacharja diving to his left.

The Juan Ferrandocoached side stepped up the intensity, pressing ISL’’s all-time top Indian assist provider Brandon Fernandes into the attack in the 65th minute.

But the Mariners’’ defence stayed compact and parried all the attacks before the penalty in favour of ATKMB which broke the deadlock.FC Goa nearly scored an equaliser in the dying moments of the stoppage time when youngster Saviour Gama’’s powerful 35-yard shot was tipped over the bar by Bhattacharja.

Thursday’s match Odhisa Vs Bengaluru FC 7:30 pm

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2020

Wrestling nationals to be held at three venues for COVID safety New Delhi, Dec 16 (Agencies): In a bid to keep grapplers, coaches and other officials safe from Covid-19, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will conduct its National Championships in three cities over three weekends in January and February, its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said.

While the dates are yet to be finalised, the WFI said it expects wrestlers from all states to take part in the championships, which will be held in Noida, Agra and a yet-to-be-decided venue in Punjab, reports The Indian Express. Strict Covid-19 protocols will be in place and the wrestlers, along with their entourages, will have to undergo RT-PCR tests before being allowed to take part.

If the event goes ahead as planned, wrestling will be the first major sport to conduct its national championships since the outbreak of the pandemic. Sailing is the only sport so far to have held its nationals – in

WFI will conduct the championships in three cities next year. (File) Mumbai last month. The Athletics Federation of India had considered organising the National Throws Championship in October, but could not do so because of pandemic-forced restrictions.

The men’s freestyle championship is scheduled in Noida, while the women’s event will be conducted in Agra. The Greco-Roman category will be held in Punjab. “We will finalise the dates and the third venue in a day or two,” Singh said.

pete for the first time in four years on Wednesday when he takes on Germany’s Osman Kubilay Cakici in a 74kg bout of the World Cup in Belgrade. Yadav was suspended for four years for failing a dope test prior to the Rio Olympics.

Yadav’s retur n to the mat is being keenly watched as India is yet to seal a quota for the Tokyo Olympics in this weight category. If he does well, it would open up a threeway fight between him, his nemesis Sushil Kumar and Yadav set to return Jitender Kumar, who has Dope-tainted wrestler competed in the 74kg catNarsingh Yadav will com- egory in their absence.

Giannis signs richest deal in NBA Mayweather, Laila elected to Boxing Hall of Fame

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Lo n d o n, D e c 1 6 (Agencies): Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has signed a contract extension worth a reported $228.2m (£170.1m) - the richest in NBA history.

The two-time Most Valuable Player, 26, has agreed a five-year deal.

His agent confirmed the details of the contract to ESPN, with the total value beating the mark of $228m (£169.9m) set by Houston Rockets guard James Harden in 2017.

“This is my home, this

is my city,” said Antetokounmpo on social media.

“I’m blessed to be able to be a part of the Milwaukee Bucks for the next five years. “Let’s make these years count - the show goes on, let’s get it.”

Greek forward Antetokounmpo, who was drafted 15th overall by the Bucks in 2013, would have been eligible for free agency after the 2020-21 season if he had not signed.

His new contract permits him to opt out of the deal after four years.

The Bucks finished top of the Eastern Conference last season, with the best record in the NBA, but were upset by the Miami Heat in the conference semi-finals during the play-offs.

Antetokounmpo was named the MVP for the second successive season in September and also won the Defensive Player of the Year - becoming only the third player, after Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, to earn both in the same season.

Harden had two years, worth $59m, left on his previous deal when he signed a four-year $169m extension in 2017.

Antetokounmpo’s average annual salary of $45.6m also surpasses the mark of Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook, who signed a five-year deal worth $206.8m with former team the Oklahoma City Thunder, the equivalent of $41.4m per year.

Canastota (NY), Dec 16 (PTI): Floyd Mayweather, who captured 11 world titles in five weight divisions and retired unbeaten, former heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko, and Laila Ali have been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Class of 2021 announced Tuesday also includes former Olympic champion Andre Ward, Ann Wolfe, Marian Trimiar, and Dr. Margaret Goodman. Elected posthumously were: lightweight champion Davey Moore, Jackie Tonawanda, cut man Freddie Brown, manager-trainer Jackie McCoy, journalist George Kimball, and television executive Jay Larkin.

Honorees were selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians.

Induction day is scheduled for June 13 and also will

include last year’s class, which was postponed by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Class of 2020 includes: Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker, Barbara Buttrick, Frank Erne, Paddy Ryan, Lou DiBella, Kathy Duva, Dan Goossen, Bernard Fernandez and Thomas Hauser.

Born in 1977 in Grand Rapids, Michigan into a fighting family, Mayweather compiled an 84-6 amateur record that included three National Golden Gloves titles and a bronze medal at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He turned pro in 1996 and captured his titles in five weight divisions, getting it started with an eighthround knockout of Genaro Hernandez for the WBC junior lightweight title in just his 18th pro bout.

Trained by his father, Floyd Sr., and uncle Rog-

Floyd Mayweather

Wladimir Klitschko

Laila Ali

er, the fighter nicknamed “Money” retired in 2017 with a record of 50-0 (27 KOs) following a crossover bout and knockout of mixed martial arts star Conor MacGregor.

“It is a great honor for me to be inducted ... as a first-ballot nominee,” Mayweather said.

“Throughout my career, I gave everything I could to the sport of boxing, and now, to be recognized by one of the most prestigious honors in the sport for that hard work and dedica-

tion is very humbling.”

The 6-foot-6 Klitschko capped a 134-6 (65 KOs) amateur career by winning super heavyweight gold at the 1996 Olympic Games.

He turned pro the same year in Germany and won 24 straight bouts before losing to Ross Purrity. He rebounded to defeat Chris Byrd for the WBO heavyweight title and in 2006 stopped Byrd again for the IBF/IBO titles to begin a dominant nine-year title reign that included 18 successful defenses.

Nicknamed “Dr. Steelhammer,” the native of Kazakhstan was heavyweight champion longer than anyone in history (12 years, 2 days) and finished with a pro record of 64-5 (53 KOs).

Ali also retired unbeaten with a 24-0 record (21 KOs) that included a 2003 win over Christy Martin. The 5-10 Ali used a precise jab and powerful right hand to register an 87.5 knockout percentage, living up to her nickname, “She Bee Stingin’.”

Wolves stun Chelsea with late winner

Man City held

by West Brom

Pedro Neto (centre right) celebrates with his Wolves team-mates after scoring the winning goal deep into stoppage time.

London, Dec 16 (Reuters): Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Pedro Neto struck a stoppage-time winner as they came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the Premier League on Tuesday.

Frank Lampard’s visiting side had the better of the first half at Molineux and centre-half Kurt Zouma powered a header against the bar just before the break.

In-form French forward Olivier Giroud then fired Chelsea ahead in the 49th minute, meeting a Ben Chilwell cross with a superb angled volley at the near post that goalkeeper Rui Patricio was unable to

stop cross the line.

But Wolves drew level in the 66th minute when Daniel Podence cleverly created space for himself in the box and then drove a slightly deflected shot past keeper Edouard Mendy.

Wolves were then awarded a penalty, 10 minutes from the end, when Pedro Neto went down inside the box as he was approached by Reece James but the decision was overturned after a VAR review showed there had been no contact.

But Portuguese forward Neto decided the encounter late in added time when he finished off a counter-attack, running

at Kurt Zouma before drilling the ball into the bottom corner.

Chelsea, who have now lost back-to-back games, remain fifth on 22 points from 13 games, three behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool who meet at Anfield on Wednesday.

“At 1-0 we should see the game out,” said Lampard who suggested his team may have become complacent after their 17match unbeaten run before defeat at Everton last week.

“If you are not playing that well, which we weren’t at that time, hang on to 1-0, don’t allow counter-

Manchester City’s hopes of closing the gap on the Premier League pacesetters were frustrated as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to lowly West Bromwich Albion.

City took the lead on the half hour when Raheem Sterling did well to work his way to the byline and pull the ball back to Ilkay Gundogan who expertly side-footed home.

But West Brom, second bottom of the league, drew level two minutes before the break when a shot on the turn from Semi Ajayi hit City defender Ruben Dias and deflected past wrong-footed goalkeeper Ederson.

The hosts camped in West Brom’s half throughout most of the second period but Slaven Bilic’s side showed tremendous determination and defensive solidity.

City had late chances though -- Kevin De Bruyne

went close with a free kick that West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone did well to reach while Sergio Aguero blasted wide from a good position.

Johnstone did well again in stoppage time to keep out a close-range Gundogan header and denied another great opportunity for Sterling who headed straight at the keeper.

After 12 games Pep Guardiola’s City are in sixth place, five points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool who both have 25 points and face each other at Anfield on Wednesday.

Lance Naik Misal Gajanan Babanrao of Dare Devils, the Army Corps of Signals motorcycle display team, rides a Royal Enfield 350cc motorcycle, claiming to create a world record of doing the longest distance while sitting on the tail light of the bike, in Jabalpur, Wednesday. (PTI)

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attacks,” he said.

“Performance is what gives you results. We were playing very well, a long unbeaten run and then maybe the lads think we are playing well and the minute you think you are playing well things like this can happen,” he added.

Wolves, who had lost their last two matches, move up to ninth place on 20 points.

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