December 31, 2020 by Nagaland Post

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXXI No. 26

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020 Pages 8 ` 4.00

FC Goa come from behind to beat Hyderabad 2-1 sports, Page 8

Govt, farmers agree on 2 issues Consensus on power tariff, stubble burning; next meet on Jan 4

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): The sixth round of talks between agitating farmers and the Central government ended today with a slight ray of hope with the latter agreeing to two of the four main demands while deciding to meet again on January 4 to deliberate on the critical issues of repeal of farm acts and legal guarantee for MSP. According to Business Standard, the Centre has agreed to keep farmers outside the ambit of the Pollution Control Ordinance for NCR that will prevent any penal action for stubble burning and also ensure that the draft electricity amendment act does not tinker with the existing system of subsidy disbursal in states. Sources said on the main demand for repeal of the three farm acts passed by the Parliament in September and legal guarantee for MSP, which was the first two of the four-point charter of demands pushed by the agitating farmers’ unions, the Centre proposed constituting a committee, a final decision on which is

State prepared for COVID-19 vaccine drive, says Kronu

Neiba Kronu (NP)

Staff Reporter DIMAPUR, DEC 30 (NPN): The State government was fully prepared for the COVID vaccine. Asserting this, planning & co-ordination, parliamentary affairs and land revenue minister Neiba Kronu, who is also one of the spokespersons of the High Powered Committee (HPC) on COVID-19, however told Nagaland Post that as of now no specific timeframe has been given as to when the vaccine would be made available to the State. But he added that the State government eagerly waiting for it. When asked regarding the State’s preparedness in view of the new mutant strain of COVID as discovered in the UK, Kronu admitted that the HPC was yet to discuss the new strain, but assured that if any positive case was detected with the new virus strain, the committee would deliberate on it.

This is it!

“Like your ambulance, we too are in great hurry to do last minute shopping.” K Y M C

A farmer shouts slogans during a protest against Centre’s farm laws, at Ghazipur border in New Delhi, Wednesday. (PTI)

expected in the next meeting. The Supreme Court, too, which is hearing a petition related to the farmers’ agitation has said in one of its observations that a panel comprising of farmers’ leaders, government officials and independent experts could be constituted to break the deadlock. “Discussions on the three farm laws and MSP are continuing and will continue in the next round of talks on January 4,” Tomar told reporters after the meeting ended. He said talks were held

in a cordial atmosphere and the two sides reached an agreement on two issues -one relating to the proposed electricity law and the other about an ordinance on penal provisions for stubble burning. “Decision on 50 per cent of the demands have been reached for the remaining we will meet again on January 4 in Vigyan Bhawan,” the minister added. He hailed the unions for maintaining peace and discipline during their protest, but urged them to send the elderly, women and children back to their homes due

to the extreme cold weather. After the meeting, one of the protesting Union leader Kalwant Singh Sandhu said Wednesday’s talks mostly focussed on electricity and stubble burning, while the next meeting on January 4 would focus on the MSP guarantee and the three farm laws. Farmers meanwhile have decided to withhold their proposed tractor march on the Kundli-ManesarPalwal highway on Dec 31 in protest against Centre’s laws. Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Food and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash at the meeting Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, UP and some other states are protesting against the three farm laws. Enacted in September, the farm laws have been projected by the central government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

Govt to hold countrywide dry run for Covid vax rollout; meeting with all states today NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): After a successful dry run conducted in four states to test the preparedness of Covid-19 vaccine rollout, the Government of India is gearing up to hold similar exercises across the country. A meeting has been convened with the states Thursday to discuss the matter. Every state, sources said, will be asked to identify two Covid vaccination sites in their capital cities to conduct a nationwide dry run to review the level of preparedness for the roll out of the vaccine. “We have conducted a dry run in seven districts of four states and we have received some feedback and some inputs based on which we have made changes in the protocol. Now we are planning to expand it to the whole country,” said a senior health ministry official.

“We will tell states to identify two sites in their capitals and conduct a dry run there to check about the level of preparedness, real time monitoring etc. We will tell them about the date and time of the exercise later,” added the official. The purpose of the countrywide exercise is to keep the vaccination machinery well-oiled, even as the wait got a little longer for a licensed Covid vaccine in India with the Subject Expert Committee of the Drug Controller General of India seeking more time to study the data submitted by both the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. The review of the preparedness of Covid sites for vaccine administration, the official said, will also test whether the feedback received from the four states after the dry run makes a qualitative addition to the

nagalandpostofficial

process. The dry run on 2829 December was carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Assam. Among the first group of beneficiaries that have so far been identified are healthcare providers and workers-- about one crore of them-- in healthcare settings of both government and private. The second group are frontline workers-- about two crore of them. They include personnel from the state and central police departments, armed forces, Home Guard and civil defence organisations, including disaster management volunteers and municipal workers, excluding healthcare workers. “All of these people are more likely to be concentrated around the capital. That is why we are asking for sites in the capital to be included in this review exercise,” the official explained.

nagalandpostofficial

Nagaland declared as ‘disturbed area’ for another 6 months DIMAPUR, DEC 30 (NPN): The Centre has declared Nagaland as ‘Disturbed Area’ for another six more months under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act with effect from December 30, 2020. In a gazette notification, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the Centre was of the opinion that the area comprising the whole of the state of Nagaland was in “such a disturbed and dangerous condition” that the use of armed forces in aid of civil power was necessary. “Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 3 of the AFSPA, 1958 (No.28 of 1958), the Central Government hereby declares that the whole of the State of Nagaland to be ‘disturbed area’ for a period of six months with effect from 30th December, 2020 for the purpose of the said Act,” stated the notification. AFSPA, which empowers security forces to conduct operations anywhere and arrest anyone without any prior notice, has been in force in Nagaland for six decades now.

UK Parl to vote on ‘historic’ Brexit trade deal with EU international, Page 7

No vaccine approval yet, drug regulator analysing SII, Bharat Biotech data NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (IANS): The analysis of the additional data and information submitted by Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech is still being conducted by regulator Central Drug Standard Control Organisation’s (CDSCO) Subject Expert Committee and their next meeting will be held on January 1. The Subject Expert Committee met on Wednesday to consider the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) request of Pfizer, SII and Bharat Biotech Private Ltd. Further time was requested on behalf of Pfizer, while the additional data and information presented by the SII and Bharat Biotech was perused and analysed by the SEC. “The analysis of the additional data and information is going on. SEC will convene again on 1st January 2021 (Friday),” the Centre said in a statement. America’s Pfizer was the first one to apply for the accelarated approval on December 4, followed by the SII and Bharat Biotech who applied on December 6 and 7, respectively. On Decem-

IT return filing deadline extended till January 10 NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): Centre on Wednesday extended the deadline to file income tax return (ITR) for individuals by 10 days to January 10, 2021. The deadline for filing tax returns by businesses too has been extended till February 15, the finance ministry said in a statement. This is the third time that the government has extended the deadline to file ITR -- first from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020. Also, the due date for filing declaration under the direct tax dispute resolution scheme Vivad Se Vishwas has been extended till January 31. Besides, the date for filing GST annual return for 2019-20 fiscal has been extended till February 28, 2021. The extension of deadline till January 10 is for filing ITR for 2019-20 fiscal year (2020-21 assessment year) and is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable, the statement said. The deadline for other taxpayers whose accounts are required to be audited (including partners of a firm) and/or those who have to submit report in respect to international financial transactions has been extended to February 15, 2021. The extension was in view of the continued challenges faced by taxpayers in meeting statutory compliances due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Kohima, DEC 30 (NPN): Even after 24 hours of continuous burning, the wildfire that broke out in Dzükou range (a hillock near the valley) showed no sign of abating as it raged on Wednesday evening too at the main entry point from Viswema village here. Although Souther n Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) volunteers along with forest rangers were stationed at strategic locations to monitor the fire, there was very little they could do to control it as strong gust of wind blowing out from Dzükou valley made the fire spread more fiercely and rapidly. Battle against the wildfire had to be suspended for the day. As part of his planned visit, Nagaland Governor RN Ravi along with his family on Wednesday visited the

Smoke from forest fire billowing into the sky on Wednesday. (NP)

valley. They had to traverse along a bypass route to get back to his entourage stationed at parking camp on the foothills because the raging fire had engulfed most of the main trekking path after they went into the valley.

Ravi was accompanied by DC Kohima, Mohammed Ali Shihab; SP Kohima Manoj Kumar A, other district administration officials, Jakhama SDO (C), Khuzama police station OC, Kohima forest ranger

and other forest officials, SAYO leaders and SASU president. But other than the governor’s entourage and a lone trekking party of around eight youth, no other trekkers were seen in the valley

Besides, Bharat Biotech is developing country’s indigenous coronavirus vaccine - Covaxin - in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research. The Central government plans to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people in the first phase of drive. It will be offered to one crore healthcare workers, along with 2 crore frontline and essential workers and 27 crore elderly, mostly above the age of 50 years with co-morbidities. Covishield uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the coronavirus if it later infects the body. The vaccine can be stored, transported and handled at normal refrigerated conditions at two to eight degrees Celsius for at least six months and administered within existing healthcare settings.

Nagaland COVID tally 11921 COVID-19 STATUS AS ON december 30, 2020 District

Dimapur Kiphire Kohima Longleng Mokokchung Mon Peren Phek Tuensang

ACTIVE CASES Symptomatic AsympCritical-ICU tomatic ModMild Severe With- With On erate out Oxy- VentiOxygen gen lator 71 6 2 0 0 0 4 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 6 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

RecovDeath under Total Death Migrated ered Investigation Cases

6191 34 3584 9 124 592 498 44 243

51 1 21 0 2 2 0 0 1

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

72 0 29 9 6 9 1 0 0

6397 41 3710 18 178 603 502 47 244

Wokha

Zunheboto Total

0 195

0 14

0 4

0 1

0 0

0 4

139 11493

0 79

0 0

3 131

142 11921

*10 deaths not due to Covid-19 *0 deaths under investigation

DIMAPUR, DEC 30 (NPN): Nagaland COVID-19 tally rose to 11921 after 4 new cases were reported on Wednesday-- 3 in Dimapur and 1 in Mokokchung. Further, the distribution across various categories include 4654 cases from the armed forces/police, 1836 returnees, 4865 traced contacts and 566 frontline workers. PTI adds: India’s COVID-19

Battle against wildfire in Dzükou range continues Correspondent

ber 9, the Subject Expert Committee had asked the SII and Bharat Biotech to submit more data and information to get approval. The expert panel had then recommended the SII to submit outcome of the assessment of UK regulatoe for grant of emergency use approval, the updated safety data of the Phase 2/3 clinical trial and immunogenicity data from the clinical trials in UK and India. Bharat Biotech was recommended to present the safety and efficacy data from the ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in the country for further consideration. Their applications were reviewed again earlier on Wednesday, hours after the UK accepted the recommendation of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, named Covishield, for emergency use. The authorization was significant for India as the Pune-based SII had tied up with the company to conduct clinical trials and manufacture the vaccine.

although it is a hotspot for thrill seekers, especially during this time of the year. Meanwhile, the fire had burnt out most grass bed and trees as far as the eye could see and left only the pygmy bamboo (pleiosblastus pygmeaus) behind. The bursting sound of the bamboos coupled with the howling wind created an eerie feeling as the fire blackened out mountains one after the other. SAYO vice-president Khesie Sale said the organisation was contemplating to seek the help of NSDMA, Air Force and others if the fire continues to burn at this rate. He further stated that the volunteers along withforest department, police and district administration would return to the valley on Thursday to help douse the fire and also conduct an assessment on the damage caused by the fire.

caseload rose to 1,02,44,852 with 20,549 new infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 98.34 lakh pushing the national recovery rate to 95.99 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,48,439 with 286 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.

Dimapur Traffic personnel penalize wrong-lane drivers

Dimapur Traffic police seized 19 vehicles and penalized the drivers for wrong lane driving in the highway. Licenses of the defaulters have been impounded & being processed for disqualification. (Dimapur Police on Twitter) K Y M C

state

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

Jubilees observed by various organisations

D I M A P U R : We s t e r n Chakhesang Youth Organisation (WCYO), Lükhüyimi Kiphimi Kükhakulu (LKK) and Atoizu Range Students’ Union (ARSU) celebrated golden jubilees respectively. WCYO: Minister of Planning and Co-ordination, Parliamentary Affairs and Land Revenue, Neiba Kronu said that it was high time to create opportunities, instead of complaining and depending on others and to move forward instead of being stagnant. Neiba was speaking as special guest at the golden jubilee celebration of Western Chakhesang Youth Organisation (WCYO) at Bade village on Wednesday. Neiba asserted that it was time to lead and create

opportunities since one was residing in a cosmopolitan city and dominating the major areas. Emphasizing on the flourishing organic products which could be marketed on commercial level, he asserted that people would have to concentrate more on business sector which can propel standard of living and self sustainability. Expressing willingness to extend help to any entrepreneur interested in business sector, he urged them to focus on self sustainability and organic produces, and also provided financial assistance as seed money in the programme to venture into small scale business start-up. Neiba also unveiled the jubilee monolith, which was dedicated by pastor, CBC Bade, Rev. Senokhape Losou. Ku z h o l u z o N i e nu nagalandpost.com Poll (Azo), MLA, released the Q.: Despite formation of jubilee souvenir as guest police SIT, has illegal of honour. In his speech, collections stopped? he stressed on issues faced by youths and urged them 100% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 90% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– to weight carefully as to 80% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– whether “we” were thriving 70% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– or surviving in the society 60% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– and to reflect on one’s place 50% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– in the community. Stressing 40% –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– on equality of all, he stated 30% 20% 10% 0%

Neiba Kronu, Kuzholuzo Nienu, WCYO officials and Er. Hukato Shohe speaking at the golden jubilee others at the jubilee monolith on December 30. (NP) introduction session held at Atoizu town.

that all tribes should be given equal opportunities and also help one another to grow and live in peace, instead of encroaching and trying to bring down one another. Azo reiterated the gathering to advocate love and support towards other tribes. President, Western Chakesang Hoho (WCH), Dietho Rhakho, in his speech asserted that jubilee celebration was a symbol of fruit yielded from the hard work, sacrifices and dedication of the past leaders. He urged the gathering to respect the great leaders

who were working continuously for the welfare of the community. Rhakho also stressed that talking about past glorious will lead nowhere, and encouraged to focus on the future. Vice president, Chakesang Youth Front (CYF), Zhietshüte Kapfo, in a brief message opined that there should be a seminar for the youths of Chakesang annually. Earlier, programme was chaired convenor, organizing committee, Neisalie Losou, invocation by pastor, CRC Dimapur, Rev. Dr. Khape Ladu and presiden-

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

tary, SBAK, Nito Mount, Rev. Hukügha Jimomi from December 28 to 30. A press release by LKK stated that, chief guest, Pükhayi Sümi advisor GoN appreciated the advancement in education and in particular, the increase in number of students in the higher level of education. He also encouraged the students to try for entrepreneurship instead of only looking forward to government jobs. Expounding on the theme of the jubilee, the

Hebrews 13:14

14%

former president ARSU, Er. Hukato Shohe. Speaking at the function, he encouraged the students to focus on excellence because the world was fast changing and only the best would stand a chance. Shohe also stressed on the importance of quality education and the responsibilities of students to uplift the society towards better future. Meanwhile, greeting message was addressed by retired director, Animal Husbandary & Veterinary Services, Dr. Pihoto Khala and president SKK, Hutoshe Kits. Earlier, GB, Atoizu town, Hewoto Aye delivered welcome address, invocation by pastor, ATBC (Nito Mount), Daniel Zhimo, special number by Vilo Yepthomi, souvenir opening by evangelist, SBAK (Nito Mount), Rev. Ahoto Awomi and benediction by pastor, Imlomi Baptist Church, Khenito Achumi.

10th DEATH ANNIVERSARY of Lt. K. Nokshei Angh

It's been a decade after you left us for heavenly abode in our heart we missed you dearly, you were a good husband, a good father and a good grandfather. Your good deeds has been a blessing to us and to a generation to come. Though you are no more with us we continue to hold you close to our heart. May your soul rest in peace.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

“This world is not our permanent home; We are looking forward to a home yet to come.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A Yes. B No. C Can’t Say.

tial address was delivered by president, WYCO, Likalo Letro. Folk fusion and a melodious song were sung by Coloured Keys and Jano Nyekha. First president of WCYO, Veshulü Vero also delivered a short message, and benediction was offered by pastor, CBC, East Dimapur, Rev. Dr. Nuvocho Dzudo. (Staff Reporter) LKK: Lükhüyimi Kiphimi Kükhakulu (LKK) celebrated its golden jubilee under the theme “great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:23) with executive secre-

Reverend related the story of Israelites and how they defied God’s commandment and suffered and King David, who overcame his enemies through undying faithfulness towards God. He prayed and blessed LKK, students and entire village for a bright future and a challenge to renew their faithfulness. Meanwhile, president Eastern Sümi Students’ Union (ESSU), Hokato Yeputhomi delivered greetings and encouraged the students to earnestly pursue their studies. Hundreds including people from neighbouring villages and town attended the jubilee. ARSU: Atoizu Range Students’ Union (ARSU) commenced its two-day golden jubilee celebration at Atoizu town. A press release by the organisers stated that, the introduction session was graced by president, Atoizu Tokujo Kukami Kuqhakulu and

83% 3%

DP-5790

Next poll

Q: C a n t h e U PA b e

reformed under a leader other than Rahul Gandhi?

-Loving wife, children and grandchildren.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

 Yes.  No.  Can’t Say.

WEATHER FORECAST December 31

Max Min

Agartala Hazy sunshine

26 12

Hazy sunshine

25 7

Guwahati Hazy sunshine

26 11

Hazy sunshine

25 7

Itanagar Pleasant with plenty of sun

24 10

Shillong

Pleasant with plenty of sun

19 5

Kohima

Hazy sunshine

22 7

Aizawl Imphal

Dimapur Hazy sun

24 8

Tuensang Plenty of sun

18 4

Wokha

Hazy sunshine

Zunheboto Plenty of sun

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who stood by us and rendered us unconditional love and support physically, ﬁnancially and morally during the short illness and demise of our beloved father and my husband Lt. R. Bendangtoshi Imchen on 21-12-2020. It is our sincere prayer that God will always shower upon you all His choicest blessings.

26 10

Mostly sunny

Mkg

10-02-1948 – 21-12-2020

21 10

Loving Wife, Children, In-laws and Grandchildren.

21 7 DP-5785

We are Grateful

1ST DEATH ANNIVERSARY Late Mrs. Visakhonu Mekro

DP-5791

(Temperature in ºC)

As we grieve the sad demise of our beloved Late Zevizole Neikha, words are inadequate to express our deepest heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to all individuals, friends, wellwishers, Churches, Organizations, Associations, Councils, Groups and Unions for your unreserved contribution physically, materially, ﬁnancially and unconditional empathy through words of comfort and encouragement at the sudden demise on 13th December, 2020. We would like to express from the depth of our heart that your prayers, presence, gifts and assistance have been an immeasurable source of help, encouragement, strength, comfort and consolation which will continue to cherish in our hearts forever. Though we are unable to thank each and everyone personally, it is our ardent prayer to Almighty God that you be richly blessed. DP-5798

Loving Brother, Sisters and Loved Ones.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; your rod and Your staff, they comfort me - Psalm 23:4

20.06.1960 – 31.12.2019

Atang Hangsing 16.08.1987 – 20.12.2020

We deeply appreciate your kind expression of sympathy during our time of grief. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts & upholding us in your prayers. DP-5796

K Y M C

Loved Ones

Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” Says the Spirit, “They will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” – Revelation 14:13. In loving memory of our beloved mother, who had held this family together with her everlasting love and care. We miss you so much. Loving husband, children, in-laws and grandchildren. K-2121

1st November 1959 – 26th December 2020 With profound grief, we, the family members of Late Kezhalezo Suohu, would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all relatives, neighbours, churches, friends, well wishers, individuals and organizations who have blessed us through their generosity and prayers throughout his illness until his last breath. We are deeply moved and comforted by your unceasing kindness and support. Though, we are unable to thank each and everyone individually, May the Good Lord bless all abundantly. -Loving wife, children, in-laws, grand children and relatives. K-2135 K Y M C

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

Assam passes Bill to shut state-run madrasas

As per the Bill, all madrasas will be converted to upper primary, high and higher secondary schools. GUWAHATI, DEC 30 (PTI): The Assam assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill to abolish all state-run Madrasas by converting them to general schools amid a walkout by the opposition when their demand for sending the legislation to the Select Committee was rejected. After Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma turned down the request of the Congress

NSCN (K-YA) cadre surrenders

KOHIMA, DEC 30: An armed insurgent of NSCN (K-YA) holding the post of SS Vice Chairman of Wancho region surrendered to security forces along with one 9mm revolver, 13 live rounds of 9mm, four live rounds of 7.62mm SLR, nine rounds of AK-47, one live round of 5.56mm and one Chinese hand grenade before the joint team of Security Forces and Police. A press release by PRO (Defence) stated that the surrendered insurgent and recovered items have been handed over to longding police station, for further investigation.

and the AIUDF members to send The Assam Repealing Bill, 2020 to a Select Committee to have a “proper discussion” on the issue, Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami placed the Bill for voice vote. After witnessing a noisy scene, the Bill was passed with a majority. Members of all alliance partners of the BJP the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bodoland

People’s Front (BPF) -supported the government move. The Bill proposes to abolish two existing acts – The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation) Act, 1995 and The Assam Madrassa Education (Provincialisation of Services of Employees and Re-Organisation of Madrassa Educational Institutions) Act, 2018. “I feel this is going to be a gift to the minority community. The students studying in those madrasas will hail the decision after 10 years,” Sarma said, replying to the opposition members’ objections. As per the Bill, all madrasas will be converted to upper primary, high and higher secondary schools with effect from April 1 next year with no change of status, pay, allowances and service conditions of the teaching and non- teaching staff.

Mnp Police collects Rs 1.45 cr fine from people for violating COVID guidelines Imphal, Dec 30 (PTI): Manipur Police has collected a sum of Rs 1.45 crore as fine from people for violating COVID19 guidelines in the state, an officer said. The Manipur State Disaster Management Authority issued COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions like compulsory wearing of masks in public places, no spitting in public and maintaining social distancing norms after the first coronavirus case was detected in the state in March. A press release issued by the Inspector General of Police (Operations) E Priyokumar Singh said on Tuesday that the cumulative number of violators detained ever since restrictions were imposed in the state in March is 1,07,362 while the number of vehicles detained is 51,850. A sum of Rs 1,45,48,880 was collected as fine from people for violating the COVID-19 guidelines. Thoubal district reported the highest number of violators during the period with 45,456 individuals and 17,379 vehicles detained from whom Rs 38,95,640 was collected as fine. Strict penalties have been imposed against individuals who failed to wear masks, maintain social distance and spitting in public places, it said. The state has so far reported a total of 28,096 COVID-19 cases till Tuesday, with 26,521 having recovered from the disease, a report by COVID-19 Common Control Room said.

Man sentenced to death for rape and murder

Correspondent

IMPHAL, Dec 30: A 40-yearold man convicted of murdering his three-month pregnant girlfriend 10 years ago was awarded death sentence by a session court in Manipur’s Thoubal district on Wednesday. Session Judge Thoubal, A Noutuneshwari Devi, while awarding the capital punishment to Irom Chaoren Singh (40) son of I Biren a resident of Leishangthem Khong Manung of Thoubal district, after a sentence hearing today, also slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict. “Irom Chaoren Singh is sentenced to death with a fine of Rs 50,000 only and the convict shall be hanged to death”, the order of the special judge stated. Earlier on December 28, the special judge declared Chaoren guilty for rape and murdering his girlfriend who was three-month pregnant and causing the death of his unborn child. The session court further ordered a compensation amount of Rs 10 lakh to the brother of the victim woman, which National Legal Service Authority is to pay under the scheme for compensation of women victims or survivor of sexual assault or

other crimes. While hailing the judgment of the court, additional public prosecutor P Dhanakumar said that “It is one of the rarest cases that occurred in Manipur”. The case is a double murder case. The convict had not only murdered his girlfriend but also his unborn child, he added. The sentence hearing of the case was held in an open court today with strict adherence to COVID-19 SOP and notification of the High Court of Manipur. As per dossiers of the case, the dead body of the victim woman was recovered from the Imphal river along the Chongtham Kona Meitei Leikai stretch in Imphal East district on 26 July, 2010. On the same day the body of the victim was recovered, the convict was arrested based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s younger brother before Thoubal police station. The convicted Irom Chaoren called out the victim at around 9 am on June 18, 2010 to meet him at Thoubal Bazar. Since then her whereabouts remained untraceable until her dead body was recovered from the river bed 10 days after she went missing. The convict murdered the

victim by strangulation before throwing the body into the Imphal River stretch after pouring poison in her mouth on June 18, 2010. The convict hatched the entire plan to eliminate his girlfriend with one of his cousin brothers who was acquitted from the case on December 28, the day the court pronounced the judgment of convicting Chaoren. The trial of the case was on from January 2017 onward in connection with the rape and murder case of the woman. Considering the chain of circumstance/evidence/established facts against the convict, the court observed that the convict had a love affair with the deceased for two years and he did not meet the victim for around three/four months. The court observed that during their two years of love affairs, the convict had sexual relationships with the woman on many occasions during which the victim got pregnant. However, he (the convict) wanted to get rid of and later planned to eliminate her by calling her out on the pretext of eloping on June 18, 2010. The court convicted Irom Chaoren under sections 376/ 302 and 316 of IPC.

NF Railway offers discount to Bodo becomes associate official language of Assam Northeast traders in parcel trains Guwahati, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): To help the local small scale producers/ traders of North Eastern region, Northeast Frontier (NF) Railway has decided to grant 30pc discount in eight Time Tabled Parcel Special trains, reports The Sentinel Assam. This discount will be initially applicable up to March 31, 2021, and thereafter will be reviewed for extension every six months depending on the utilisation of the parcel space, NFR CPRO Subhanan Chanda stated in a press release on Tuesday. This discounted rate will enable producers/ traders to transport their pro-

duce/ goods to various part of the country in a more reliable, faster and cheaper way. It is likely to provide them with a competitive edge in terms of timely and costeffective delivery of their product/goods. The timetabled parcel train services were introduced during the nationwide lockdown to provide reliable time-bound services to courier services, e-commerce companies and other transporters. The details of the timetabled parcel trains are as follows: • Train no 00304 from Guwahati to Howrah • Train no 00314 from Guwahati to Sealdah

• Train no 00620 from Guwahati to Bangalore • Train no 00618 from Dimapur to Bangalore • Train no 00779 from Guwahati to Kacheguda • Train no 00950 from Guwahati to Okha • Train no 00320 from Agartala to Sealdah • Train no 00328 from Agartala to Howrah After reviewing the services, it might be extended for every six months depending on the utilization of the parcel space. To boost the economy, various innovative measures were taken by Railways since the country-wide lockdown began in March this year.

GUWAHATI, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): The Assam Assembly today declared Bodo as the associate official language of the state. The declaration comes after the Assembly passed the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill on the third day of its three-day winter session, reports The Sentinel Assam. As per reports, the Amendment Bill was introduced on the floor of the Assembly on December 28 by Assam Parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on behalf of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Earlier on December 22, the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led As-

State

Student bodies hold general sessions

DIMAPUR: Chetheba Town Students’ Union (CTSU), Phek Students’ Union (PSU), Medziphema Town Sümi Student’s Union (MTSSU) held general and annual sessions respectively on December 29 and 27. CTSU: Chetheba Town Students’ Union (CTSU) held its 31st general session under the theme “amplify your proficiency” at town hall, Chetheba on December 29, with SDAO Chozuba, Thepusa Nakro as guest speaker. A press release by CTSU stated that, Thepusa Nakro reminded students that there was no substitute to hard work and no shortcut to success. Adding that God has created all with a purpose to be successful and not a failure, he urged them to start working hard towards the goal with their potentials as success waits in the end. Exhorting the students that everyone was a genius, he advised the students to identify the unwanted desire which prevented them from reaching the goals. He said one has to start enlarging their skills, capabilities and potentialities in order to explore and make the best of the God given talent. While there may be many obstacles to success, he said that giving up would be end of the journey but being brave to face the consequences would bring success. CTSU president Senetsolu Nyekha in her presidential address said Chetheba town was established mainly for the purpose of educational centre. President also suggested that with changes in technology and pandemic striking the world, there was need to change the method of educational approach. Chokri Baptist

Northeast/State

School headmaster Zakhoto Rokha impressed upon the students to work hard and utilise the time wisely. He also suggested the parents to find capabilities in their children and mould them at the tender age, adding that degree oriented alone was not enough in this fast changing world. Meanwhile, 34 students were awarded meritorious awards for excellence in academic performance. Art gallery of the students was also exhibited, organised by the union during the state wide lockdown under the banner “Unlock the Mind 2020”. PSU: Phek Students’ Union (PSU) held its 62nd general session and seminar at Phek village under the theme “committed to excellence” on December 29. A press release by PSU stated that, chairman of Phek Village Council, Chivozo Soho unfurled the PSU flag on behalf of Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, MLA. Azo in his written message stated that the economy was in such a degraded state that one has to learn to be self-sufficient/selfdependent by trying hard. He cited that the theme was not something that was randomly chosen but rather an in-depth thought. To him, the theme connoted that mere degree was not as useful as it was before and what was needed today was excellence which was quality education. Challenging the students to focus on their goals, Azo also appealed to the intellectuals to transfer and share their knowledge with one another, more importantly contribute more to make the society better. In his speech, Chivozo

Soho congratulated all grade A holders including other students who successfully cleared their examinations for the year 2020. Chakhesang Youth Front (CYF) assistant social & cultural secretary, Nusata Vero challenged students to make their parents and community proud through academic excellence. Headmaster in-charge, Government High School Phek village, Thupukhruyi Venuh encouraged the students to take up B.Ed in order to pursue teaching profession. Earlier, PSU education & statistical secretary, Hukuyi Venuh led the meritorious award for academic year 2020, PSU president, Tuku Venuh delivered welcome address, while RO (Estb.) SP Office Phek, Zavekho Vero and junior engineer (electrical), Nuthozo Hoshi spoke on “education is not a vessel but to be ignited” and “an approach to career planning and competitive exams” respectively. MTSSU: Medziphema Town Sümi Student’s Union (MTSSU) held its 24th annual session under the theme “revitalize your education” on December 27 at Medziphema Town Sümi Baptist Church, Medziphema town. A press release by MTSSU media cell stated that, during the session, guest speaker, professional AICRP, honeybee and pollination, NU SASRD, Otto S Awomi encouraged the students to explore their full potential. He added that no talent should ever be wasted and challenged the students to sell their talents and earn through it. He concluded by encouraging them to participate in church activities which will boost their lives

and the future. Earlier, programme was chaired by advisor MTSSU, Mughato Zhimo and invocation by Pastor MTSBC, Kiyezhe Sümi. Meanwhile, the new elected office bearers for the tenure 2021-2022 is headed by Tonato Mulumi Rochill as president and Alopu Swu as general secretary. UVSU: Usutomi Village Students’ Union (Usutomi Kiphimi Küqhakulu) celebrated its 60th diamond jubilee from December 28 to 30 at Usutomi Baptist Church under the theme, “Visionary student (Jukucho Kiphimi).” A press release by UVSU president, Tomika H. Chophy and general secretary, Tomugha Awomi stated that, theme speaker SDO PWD (NH) Zunheboto, Er. S. Hovito Chophi said that a student’s vision should be to be truly educated with positive thinking, without which one would fall into trouble. Quoting Proverbs 28:28, he reminded that one must first have faith in God, to be honest and righteous. He said that the Naga youths have adopted the American culture by sleeping during day and staying awake at night and that such behaviour has no place in Naga society. He urged the students to be productive, share one’s vision with family and act according to what the family can afford, as when one is truly honest and humble God prepares a place. Deputy registrar Co-operative Societies, Bokato Hesso and Herali Aketo Shohe asst. professor Dimapur Govt. College also spoke. Earlier, Sumi Students Union Guwahati, Jevi Kinni Hesso chaired the programme, Bolivi Shohe

chaired on women’s session and Miyito Kiho Social Welfare secretary UKK chaired the valedictory session. Greetings were extended by Pitovi Achumi, president Diphupar Naga Students’ Union and Toiho Achumi president Shena New Students Union. PSU: Pholami Students Union (PSU) held its 58th general session, wherein BJP Nagaland state secretary, Zaveyi Kezo graced the occasion as special guest. A press release by PSU media officer stated that, speaking at the session, Kezo exhorted the students that excellence alone can bring about sustenance and stability in this competitive world. He urged students’ community to focus on preserving traditional values and not be carried away by westernised cultures. Advising the students to make the most of modern technology, he also cautioned them to refrain from abusing and misusing technology. He gave a clarion call to the students to excel and go beyond and stated that the only way forward was to be humble, honest and hardworking while not forgetting their roots. Further, the special guest also made a special mention of some achievers in his address. He congratulated Batsolu Medeo for securing the top 12th rank in HSLC and Er. Shede Swuro and Er. Vehiivo Nakro for securing the posts of SDO (class-I gazetted), PWD. Former ENPO president and state BJP executive member Y .P Chillio also exhorted the students, while former wrestling champion Vecita Khesoh and PA to minister of PHED, Keve Nuh were part of the entourage.

sam Cabinet sat in a meeting and decided to approve the bill in the Assembly session. The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Bill stated that the Bodo language written in Devnagri script now becomes an associate official language of Assam “for all or any kind of official purposes.” The proposal seeking an amendment of the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill was actually moved by Congress MLA from North Karimganj constituency, Kamalakhya Dey. In his proposal Dey had opined that in addition to Bodo, Bengali also should be made the associate official language

all across Assam. He stated that while a total of 14 lakh people speak Bodo in Assam, an even larger population of 90 lakhs speaks Bengali in the state. However, in the debates that ensued over Dey’s demand, State Finance, Health and Educaton Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Bengali is already a recognised and well-established Indian language, hence there is no such need to give it the associate official language status in Assam. Moreover, the language is spoken by a huge population in the entire country and is even declared as the official language for the Barak valley region. The salient feature of

the bill passed today concerns with substituting the Section 5A of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, in order to implement Clause 6.2 of the MoS (memorandum of settlement) signed on January 29, 2020 with Bodo groups. Reportedly, the threeday winter session of the Assam legislative assembly began uproariously when the opposition parties Congress and AIUDF staged a walk out in the middle of the session proceedings. The designation of the Bodo language as an associate official language will surely come as a news of pride and glory to the native Bodo community of Assam.

Door to door fuel delivery facility launched in Nagaland

Fuel Kart-Fuel on call inaugural and flagging off held at Tseipama on December 30.

DIMAPUR: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a fortune 500 oil refining, exploration and marketing PSU with Maharatna status has taken a revolutionary step in fuel delivery by inaugurating the first door to door delivery (DDD) facility named Fuel Kart-Fuel on Call in the state of Nagaland on

December 30. The DDD facility was inaugurated for commercial sales by Mowsam S Khaund, territory manager (Retail), BPCL Shillong Territory in the presence of Prithviraj Nath, sales officer BPCL and customers & esteemed guests through a launch function held at M/s M.K Asser-

tion Station, Tseipama, Dimapur. The facility comprises of a state-of-the art automated mobile dispensing browser which has an inbuilt dispensing unit. The browser has a 6000 litre capacity tank fitted on a vehicle and is licensed to provide door delivery of diesel to customers.

news in Brief NIIT informs: NIIT Dimapur centre will be closed from December 31 and will reopen on January 4, 2021. Many new age technological courses will be launched in the next quarter and NIITians have been advised to complete their courses during their statute of limitation period. NIITians looking for jobs & better opportunities may apply with their updated resume with technology details to niitdimapur@yahoo.co.in. NIIT Team Royal Tigers wishes a very happy & prosperous 2021 to the citizens of Nagaland. NPGN/NNC (N/A) Lotha region informs: NPGN/NNC (N/A) Lotha region chairman, Chenithung Lotha has informed that one Robin Tungoe/R .Lotha has been producing fake authorisation and assignment documents and declaring himself as chairman, Lotha region around Wokha town in the name of NPGN/NNC (N/R). All business establishments, Lotha public, union contractors and departmental heads have been informed not to entertain him in any matters. For more queries, one may contact at 9612364474/ 6009582488. Dimapur police recovers unidentified body: Dimapur police has recovered one unidentified body of a suspected non-local male, 30 to 40 years from railway track, near Sangtamtilla village, Dimapur on December 30. According to Police/PRO, on completion of all legal formalities the dead body was shifted to District Hospital Dimapur for PM examination and identification. Claimant/relatives/friends of the deceased have been requested to contact officer-in-charge, GRPS, Dimapur.

OPINiON/EDITORIAL

Nagaland Post Vol. XXxI NO. 26 Dimapur, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

BJP versus others

hile the BJP continues to be in election-mode even after its impressive successive victories in 2014 and 2019; the opposition has been compelled to get their act together against an aggressive and marauding ruling BJP at the centre. BJP managed to retain Bihar with the JDU in the October assembly elections but how long the coalition will last is another matter. Now the BJP is eying West Bengal where it has made impressive inroads to take on Mamata and her TMC. With a few months left for crucial elections to four state assemblies -Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one union territory of Puducherry by 2021- the BJP is going all out to win in at least two states and one UT. The BJP does not have any notable presence in Kerala and Tamil Nadu unless it teams up with some regional parties. For the BJP, winning West Bengal is critical to its pan-India plan and is leaving no stone unturned. The BJP has already launched its multi-pronged campaign spearheaded by prime minister Narendra Modi, followed by a blistering campaign by union home minister Amit Shah and then party president and union minister J.P. Nadda. In West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate and CBI has unleashed spate of summons on TMC leaders for alleged offences. However, when some TMC leaders, joined BJP, the probes stopped. This has been the standard operating procedure in several states, clearly indicating abuse of power by those in authority. Even the West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar has been openly attacking the TMC government and acting not as the agent of the president of India but that of the BJP.In Kerala the Left government is not exactly on a sticky wicket however, in the event of voters seeking change, it would be for a Congress-led front. In Tamil Nadu, the fight is mainly between the ruling AIADMK and the resurgent DMK. In Puducherry, the Congress alliance will face the AIADMK. In Assam, the BJP heads the coalition but is determined to win 100+ seats to rule the state without the burden of taking other alliance partners on board. With the BJP in an unending election mode and Modi having a field day with no opposition leader to take him on; opposition parties have veered around the fact that they need to respond and quickly to the need. TRS supremo and Telangana chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, had mooted an alliance minus BJP and Congress but it has not gone beyond exploratory meetings.With uncertainty surrounding the leadership question in the Congress, speculation has started in political circles on Sharad Pawar replacing Sonia Gandhi as the Chairman of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).Sonia has not been keeping well and has almost disappeared from public view. The Congress has been adrift in a comatose stage as Rahul, who is Sonia’s choice to lead the party, has proved he is incapable or prepared to don the mantle of leadership. To add to the party’s woes, the Gandhis have also been considerably weakened by the passing away of Ahmed Patel, Sonia’s chief strategist and organiser for her behind the scenes including Motial Vohra, veteran Congress warhorse and family loyalist. The charisma of the Gandhis has faded but the party continues to live in the dynastic aura of the family. The Congress should remember the old saying ‘time and tide waits for no man’ and perhaps the Gandhis need to accept the reality instead of living in fantasy.

DailyDevotion “And Every Virtue We Possess”

…All my springs are in you. —Psalm 87:7 Our Lord never “patches up” our natural virtues, that is, our natural traits, qualities, or characteristics. He completely remakes a person on the inside— “… put on the new man…” (Ephesians 4:24). In other words, see that your natural human life is putting on all that is in keeping with the new life. The life God places within us develops its own new virtues, not the virtues of the seed of Adam, but of Jesus Christ. Once God has begun the process of sanctification in your life, watch and see how God causes your confidence in your own natural virtues and power to wither away. He will continue until you learn to draw your life from the reservoir of the resurrection life of Jesus. Thank God if you are going through this drying-up experience! The sign that God is at work in us is that He is destroying our confidence in the natural virtues, because they are not promises of what we are going to be, but only a wasted reminder of what God created man to be. We want to cling to our natural virtues, while all the time God is trying to get us in contact with the life of Jesus Christ— a life that can never be described in terms of natural virtues. It is the saddest thing to see people who are trying to serve God depending on that which the grace of God never gave them. They are depending solely on what they have by virtue of heredity. God does not take our natural virtues and transform them, because our natural virtues could never even come close to what Jesus Christ wants. No natural love, no natural patience, no natural purity can ever come up to His demands. But as we bring every part of our natural bodily life into harmony with the new life God has placed within us, He will exhibit in us the virtues that were characteristic of the Lord Jesus. And every virtue we possess Is His alone.

Quotes

The limits of the possible can only be defined by going beyond them into the impossible. ~ Arthur C. Clarke

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

Post-mortem

will mandated MSP create more problems?

ew agri-trade laws have provided options to farmers to choose their buyer and the prices to sell their produce with or without commission. This freedom of trade gives bargaining power to farmers. In order to protect their monopoly on commission and other commercial interests, the commission agents and traders mobilised some farmers leaders to oppose a news law and to build farmers sympathy and support introduced the demand of legally mandated “Minimum Support Price (MSP)”. Background: There is no denying that in the last 70 years farmers of India remained poor but middlemen and commission agents are among the richest people in the society. Please look around in your society and cross verify this fact. It means the existing system is not benefiting the small farmers but benefiting the middlemen. After 56 years of existence of APMC and FCI in Punjab and other protesting regions, if farmers are still feeling helpless without FCI procurement and unable to stand on their own feet, it means something is seriously wrong with the system. In which country of the world even after 56 years of tax payers regularly supporting a section of society remain underdeveloped and few 100s have become rich at the cost of many million

poor farmers. Now, there are views that the government assurances on MSP do not convince the farmers because they are witness to the dismantling of the APMC mandis as the bills came into force for the last few months. For example, out of 259 APMC mandis in Madhya Pradesh, 47 have recorded zero business in October and 143 have seen a trading drop by 50 per cent in the last 6 months. The solution proposed is to make it legally mandated MSP at higher rates Implications of this demand: In the business world consumers do not work with emotions. Farmers, when they go shopping like any consumer, they also look at value for money like any buyer. Are they not buying Chinese products in place of products of Indian companies? Why do they do this? The points which we should consider are:  Today, the MSP of most crops in India is higher than world market prices. That is why we are losing in the export market.  M a n y A P M C markets are getting less volume because same traders buying outside man dies because now they do not have to pay taxes.  Farmers are selling outside APMC because they are getting a better price than APMC mar-

kets.

 If it is legally made binding, what will be the liability of the government if private trade also develops a cartel and refuses to buy. Where is the budget to buy the material from all farmers?  No one is telling what will be the quality for MSP rates. Who will buy the material which is substandard and what should be the price for that material.?  MSP is an everincreasing cost with the demand to hike. MSP will always be there and the world market will become cheaper and cheaper. In case the private sector will import more in place of buying from Indian farmers, who will buy the crop of Indian farmers? The classic case is edible oils. 70% of edible oil is imported. Sunflower crop has virtually vanished because it was unsustainable to compete with imported crops. Demand for sesame and groundnut oil has reduced drastically. What this indicates.  The sugar sector is suffering due to everincreasing mandatory FRP and now without subsidy, we cannot export. First pay subsidy to grow sugar cane, then pay a subsidy to exports. Is this good economics? Is this good for the national economy? Whose money is getting blocked and who is benefiting?  Look at the case

of maize, Indian was exporting 45 lakh tons of maize every year now it is less than 5 lakh tons due to rising MSP. Maize is 50% cheaper in the world market. Expensive maize means opening the floodgate for poultry imports. Poultry will suffer means maize farmers will suffer more.  In the last few years imports are becoming cheaper and growing at faster rates than exports from India. As the Indian rupee becomes stronger, imports will come cheaper.  India had to quit RCEP because our agriculture cost of production is so high due to the ever-rising MSP that today, we cannot be part of any international trade agreement.  The MSP formula proposed by the Swaminathan committee only encourages inefficient production, higher the cost of production, higher will be the MSP. Zero Budget Agriculture and organic agriculture needs fewer resources and has a lower cost of production but saves the environment and consumers health. According to CACP based Swaminathan Formula, they should get less MSP, because their cost of production is low because they claim that there is no loss of productivity. Is this logical? Way Forward: No one can ensure sustainable profit other

than consumers. Most of the Consumers are paying higher than MSP for all crops but it is not reaching the farmers. Who is keeping the farmers’ share? Who is responsible for the leakage? These leaky pipelines should be changed with the direct farmerconsumer interface. This was the demand of many farmers’ bodies since industrial liberalization. Possible options are: 1. H a n d o v e r a l l APMC markets should replace commission agents with farmers’ bodies so that they have full control of the market and pricing system in the APMC market and also outside APMC markets. With full control of the market, farmers can decide the price based on consumers capacity to pay, like any other sector. Are state governments willing to help the farmers by giving them control of APMCs? Farmers are managing Amul and many similar companies, they can also manage APMCs as well. This will also give them an opportunity to decide which crop to grow and which one to avoid. 2. While making any policy keep an eye on the global market because with increasing MSP, there will be more imports and the press will crash sharply in India. The private sector will buy on that part of the crop which can be sold higher than the purchase price and after adding all

overheads because of legal implications. They will prefer to import because they can do value addition to absorb the higher price in some cases. India is part of the global economy and with rising cost of production we will be further marginalised. Our agro-processing industries will also suffer because of rising costs, exports will suffer and imports will start in a big way. So, the main issue is how to make agriculture profitable and competitive. We need better technologies, infrastructure, market intelligence and guidance for farmers. Legally binding MSP will create more problems than solutions, because buyers will have the choice not to buy expensive crops from Indian farmers. Please learn from our own experiences why Chinese products flooded Indian market and why MSME was suffering. Indian consumers are buying Chinese products, but not buying products of MSME in India. Why? I do not want Indian farmers to suffer, that is why I am opposing this move planted by commission agents in order to block the consumerfarmer direct interface by agriculture reforms. Please think over it. Vijay Sardana Techno-legal and Trade Policy Expert for Agribusinesses Advocate, Delhi High Court

In 2020, we learnt the End of a year, beginning of an era need for human touch L

he virus remains a great leveller; it doesn’t care about race, colour, nation, gender. All humans are fair game. Will we remember these things in the future? Not very likely, because we have been given the gift of amnesia. The story of the Bombay plague of 1896 is a fascinating one, combining in itself all the horror of an epidemic, personal courage, scientific achievement, resistance to the autocratic measures of a ruling foreign power, nationalism and an assassination. After that terrible outbreak, epidemics, except for the Spanish Flu, became a distant memory in India. As medical science steadily advanced, it mowed down a number of diseases, both big and small, which had troubled the human race. The next great mystery was cancer, which Siddhartha Mukherjee speaks of in his The Emperor of All Maladies as an “epidemiological catastrophe”. Another catastrophe was waiting for us in the 21st century. News came early this year of a strange illness in China which threatened to be worse than AIDS. AIDS needed some kind of contact. This new disease moved from one human to another without any contact; a cough, a sneeze, even just talking could transmit the virus. In those early days, we saw pictures of ghost cities in China, with empty roads and an eerie silence. We became witnesses to the swiftness of its mad rush round the globe, the ruthlessness which made it inescapable; this was truly a formidable enemy. Yet so strangely does the human mind reject the idea of our own vulnerability, we still hoped the coronavirus, as it had been named, would by some miracle ignore us. It didn’t. The virus and COVID-19 came to India. It was the lockdown that really brought home the horror of the situation. Suddenly all the things that our lives consisted of were swept away, as if a tidal wave had swallowed them. Isolated in our homes, not seeing a human face for days, struggling with chores — this was a nightmare we had never envisaged. Fear lapped at the edges of our lives. Of the loss of everything we had taken for granted. And worst of all, thoughts of death without any dignity. When the lockdown was lifted, people crawled out with exhausted bodies and ravaged minds. Even the most sanguine knew that the ordeal was not over, that tragedy was still lurking in our midst. For there were no drugs that could tame the virus. Doctors were reduced to working

like the vaids of old, trying anything, everything. The only hope was a vaccine. So many vaccines had been developed through the years, surely scientists, now at the peak of human achievement, would find one? In its absence, three measures were our only hope: Wear a mask, keep a distance from others, wash your hands. Easy and simple enough it would seem. Nevertheless, postlockdown, people went about without masks. I wondered: Don’t they care about life, about survival? The Buddha told his disciple Ananda: That which you love the most will be taken away from you. What is it that we love most? Children? Parents? Lovers? Yes, we love them, but above all we love life, we want to survive. Survival is a basic animal instinct. Why, then, do people behave as if it didn’t matter? Going to weddings, to temples, to the beach, attending parties and political rallies — did these matters more than life? We have learnt a few things from this terrible time. We have learnt how much we can do without, how little we really need. We have learnt the joy of thrift, the beauty of austerity. We have learnt that we need human company, that we need human touch. Watching people frantically trying to get home from wherever they were, we re-learnt the importance of home. We saw for the first time the invisible strata of our cities, when migrant workers made a rush for home, some walking hundreds of miles, some dying before they reached home. We discovered how much the women who helped us at home lightened our tasks, allowed us to do other things. Above all, we could have, hopefully, learnt the lesson: All things are connected. For the first time, maybe, the whole world has united in suffering, in fear of the virus and grief at the deaths. But the demand for vaccines tells us how little has changed. Rich nations are buying more than they need. Scientists are above pettiness, but politicians are not. The cloak of liberalism and humanism has fallen, there’s only selfishness left. The virus remains a great leveller; it doesn’t care about race, colour, nation, gender. All humans are fair game. Will we remember these things in the future? Not very likely, because we have been given the gift of amnesia. Burdened as we are with the knowledge of our own mortality, would we have survived if not for forgetfulness? Shashi Deshpande (Novelist) Reader’s note: Articles or letters published in any of the columns

etting go of 2020 with a renewed resolve to be human, to survive together, to learn together and persevere in the many beginnings that we are still to see, will mark the birth of an all-powerful conscious era for us. The year 2020 is one that will never be forgotten. Not only will it stay etched in the memories of the ones who lost and lived through it, but for all future generations as the year that reminded humanity to never take things for granted. This is a year that brought the world to a standstill, all at once, and spared no one, no matter their age, status, or designation. 2020 impacted children as much as it did elders; countries worldwide struggled to firefight, endure, and overcome. This year was infected by a deadly virus that took away over 1.5 million lives. Thankfully, the year is soon coming to an end. ‘The end’ is an interesting phrase. A lot has to do with the way you use it and perceive it. From the end of the road meaning the end of a situation, the end of one’s tether when one is not able

to cope with a problem any longer, to light at the end of the tunnel reflecting a positive turn awaiting us at the end of a difficult challenge, this year showed us several opportunities to comprehend the end. While in most cases pain accompanies it, but at the end of the day, ‘the end’ means what you will make it mean. I saw some cases this year where life, family, work, or health changed irreversibly, marking the end of something in their lives. For some, the year seemed like the beginning of the end and to some, not the end of the world. Many have moved ahead with a resolve to make this a new beginning. Everything that ends marks a new beginning when we choose to see it. Such is the cycle of nature, machines, technology and everything that comes into being. 2020 in particular, armtwisted many to awaken to this cycle, accept, and become conscious of our inner strengths in the toughest times. The year marks the beginning of an era of psychological and spiritual awareness and growth. It is not that we didn’t know

earlier, but COVID-19 did push us in the direction of awareness, acceptance, digging deep to find the power in our resolve, adjust and adapt to survive. Pain, loss and endings have a way of leaving us to process and think, both being strengths of the human race. “Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid. And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us,” remarked Daniel Abraham. Beginnings may not necessarily be cheerful or easy. Many are marked with sweat and blood, many more with challenges to endure. The journey of spotting the opportunity to create one needs the strength of the mind and body. This is not for a blessed or chosen few, it is a universal power within all humankind, waiting to be explored and manifested. It is an ability that has helped us survive chaos and calamities when man has chosen such. Dr Shwetambara Sabharwal (Mumbai-based psychologist and psychotherapist)

Reader’s Post

Sir,

Forgiveness before the New Year

With just a day before the old year closes in and with the arrival of 2021, let us hope for the sake of humanity that troubles of 2020 will be swept away. New Year’s Eve is the time for fellowship with family and friends. It is the perfect time to bury old grudges, to forgive one another, to mend broken relationships through Jesus Christ and also to redeem ourselves. And as such, all other traits like envy, jealousy, anger and frivolities must be burned before we begin the tryst into the New Year. Christmas passed by peacefully and as believers, one must continue to pray fervently for the wholesome peace and advancement in the state. In this process, let us also learn to truly love by reaching out not only with the gospel of Christ but practically providing for the needy. Also as far as the COVID-19 is concerned, the vaccination has begun in various parts of the world and India is also gearing up for distribution of vaccine to each state. God’s wisdom has guided the scientists and pharmaceutical companies to work on the vaccine which can protect people against the Coronavirus and its variants. Therefore, let us prayerfully wait for the vaccine and trust in God to make the world safe from this scare that engulfed the whole world since its outbreak in Wuhan on December 2019. Wishing all a blessed New Year. Asangla Longchar, Dimapur do not reflect the view of this newspaper nor that of the Editor in any manner.

Curb crowding on New Year: Centre asks states, uts to check superspreader events

Affairs has mandated that States and UTs, based on their assessment of the situation, may impose local restrictions with a view to contain the spread of Covid-19, such as night curfew. Drawing attention to this, the Health Secretary has urged the States to promptly assess the local situation and consider imposition of appropriate restrictions on December 30 and 31, 2020 as well as on January 1, 2021. Earlier today, the Centre extended the suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom till January 7 amid

alarm over the new highly contagious strain of the coronavirus. The decision was taken on the recommendations of a Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) headed by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) and the National Task Force jointly headed by DG, ICMR and Member (Health), NITI Aayog. “It has also been suggested to Ministry of Civil Aviation that after January 7, 2021, strictly regulated resumption of limited number of flights originating from UK into India may be considered,” the statement by the health

Retd bureaucrats term UP ‘epicentre of hate politics’

seek withdrawal of anti-conversion ordinance NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh has become the “epicentre of the politics of hate, division and bigotry” and the institutions of governance are “steeped in communal poison,” alleged 104 retired civil servants in a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The signatories of the letter, including former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao, ex-national security adviser Shivshankar Menon, former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, also demanded immediate withdrawal of the anti-conversion ordinance. They alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance was being used to “victimise especially those Indian men who are Muslim and women who dare to exercise their freedom of choice”. Promulgated on November 27, the ordinance specifies the procedure for undergoing religious conversion and prohibits unlawful religious conversion. The BJP-led Madhya Pradesh government too has come up with a similar ordinance. “It has become painfully evident that, in recent

years, UP state, once known as the cradle of the GangaJamuna civilisation, has become the epicentre of the politics of hate, division and bigotry and that the institutions of governance are now steeped in communal poison,” the retired civil servants wrote in the letter dated December 29. They also referred to a case of an interfaith marriage involving a Muslim man and a Hindu woman in Moradabad. “In the Moradabad incident, 22-year-old Rashid and his 25-year-old brother, Saleem, were arrested, to be released only two weeks later when Rashid’s wife, Pinki, gave testimony that she had married him willingly, without any compulsion,” the letter, also signed by ex-police commissioner of Pune Meeran Borwankar, stated. It added that the couple had married in July 2020, well before the promulgation of any ordinance on the issue of interfaith marriage, and were on their way to have their marriage registered on December 5 when they were accosted by alleged Bajrang Dal men, who accused Rashid of “love jihad”, and took them to the police.

“The vigilantes who had accosted them brought Pinki’s family to the police station. What is inexcusable is that the police remained mute as the vigilantes harassed and interrogated the innocent couple. Pinki suffered a miscarriage, possibly as a result of the harassment. Rashid is reported to have said. “Does this not amount to effective murder of an unborn child and is the police force of your state, by their inaction, not complicit in this?” the letter stated. This is only one of a series of “heinous atrocities committed by your administration” against young Indians across Uttar Pradesh, it said. What is worse is that law enforcement machinery, with the active backing of the state government, is playing a role reminiscent of the “secret police in authoritarian regimes”, they alleged. “You can pose no greater threat to the nation than by turning its own citizens against one another, a conflict that can only serve the country’s enemies. As Chanakya taught us, a crafty politician must sow dissension amongst rivals. Here you are sowing dissensions among our own people,” the letter added.

Explore innovative ways to make govt offices paperless: President

Ram Nath Kovind addresses at the Digital India Awards 2020 in New Delhi. (PTI)

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (IANS): President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday advocated exploration of innovative solutions to make government offices run in paperless and contactless mode for the safety of every citizen amid the Covid-19 pandemic. He said that it will also help in making administrative processes more ecofriendly. Speaking after the presentation of ‘Digital India Awards 2020’ via videoconference, Kovind said: “We must also leverage technology and ICT-driven innovative solutions to aid economic inclusiveness and social transformation even in the remotest corners of our country.” Noting that a large segment of our population is still not able to derive the benefits of digital devices and services, the President said that the number of such

people needs to be minimised by extending digital access to them through effective innovations. “This will make our digital revolution more inclusive,” said the President. “Thus, the Digital India initiative of the government should continue to strive towards reducing the digital divide.” Pointing out that information is power, he said: “Sharing more information with more people not only increases transparency in society, but also empowers citizens and civil society. With this noble ideal in mind, the government has started putting different data sets and data resources in the public domain.” The President said that this is highly necessary for an informed citizenry, which is the cornerstone of democracy. The National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy too envisages a participatory model of governance in which citizens can access non-strategic information from public authorities and become partners with the government in various reform processes, he said. Mentioning that coronavirus has changed the world in terms of social relations, economic activities, healthcare, education and several other aspects of life, the President said that “technological advances this year helped us overcome the big disruption to a great extent”.

Shaheen Bagh shooter removed from BJP hours after joining

New Delhi, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): Kapil Gujjar, who fired a gun at the demonstration against the centre’s controversial citizenship law in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh earlier this year, has been expelled from the BJP hours after the party inducted him. The BJP unit in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, neighbouring Delhi, said they did not know of his antecedents when he joined the party on Wednesday morning. “Kapil Gujjar was among some people who were inducted into the party from the Bahujan Samaj Party. We had no idea of his involvement in the controversial Shaheen Bagh incident. On finding out, his joining has been cancelled with immediate effect,” the BJP’s Ghaziabad chief Sanjeev Sharma said in a statement. In February this year, Kapil Gujjar aka Kapil Baisala had fired twice in the air at Shaheen Bagh, where a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was underway. After being overpowered by police personnel,

ministry read. The British Government had recently announced that the newly identified strain of the virus found in their population is up to 70 per cent more transmissible. Pursuant to announcement by British government, Indian government had taken cognisance of the reports of mutant variant and put in place a proactive and preventive strategy to detect and contain the mutant variant. It included temporary suspension of all flights coming from UK with effect from the midnight of December 23 till 31. From November 25 to December 23 midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by States and UTs to RTPCR tests. Notably, the presence of the new UK Variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

CHANDIGARH, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): Former Congress minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has offered an apology on Twitter for wearing a shawl having symbols of Sikhism made on it. “Sri Akal Takht Sahib is supreme. If I have unknowingly hurt the sentiments of even one Sikh, I apologise,” the cricketerturned-politician tweeted. The Amritsar legislator said millions wore the revered symbols of Sikhism on their turbans, clothes and even carved tattos with pride. He too as a Sikh wore the shawl unintentionally, he said. Sidhu landed in a controversy after he posted his photo with the shawl on Facebook. T h e p h o t o, w h i c h showed Sidhu with a piece of cloth embossed with Sikh religious symbols around his shoulders, was soon widely circulated on social media, prompting Sikh Youth Power of Punjab, religious body, to take it up with Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh for strict action. The Sikh Youth Power of Punjab claimed it wasn’t the first time Sidhu was involved in alleged desecration.

Farmers don’t trust PM Modi: Rahul Gandhi

Cabinet approves export of Akash missile system

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday alleged that farmers do not trust Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his long history of “asatyagraha” and shared an online survey asking people why the PM was not repealing the farm laws. “’15 lakh in every bank account and 2 crore jobs every year’, ‘Give me 50 days time, else...’, ‘We will win war against corona in 21 days’, ‘Neither has anyone intruded into our territory nor took over any post’. Farmers don’t trust Modi ji due to his long history of ‘asatyagraha’,” he said in a tweet. The former Congress president also shared the online survey, asking, “Mr Modi is refusing to repeal the anti-farmer laws because he is:” and gave the options “anti-farmer”, “run by crony capitalists”, “arrogant” or “all of the above”. Gandhi is currently abroad visiting an ailing relative and also meeting his maternal grandmother. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged in a tweet said that duping and deceiving farmers was the “new normal”. “Dupe and deceive the Anndata is the ‘new normal’ in India as complicit BJP governments look sideways. Tragedy is that they still shamelessly bat for the ‘three black laws’ as a section of media applauds them. Let every Indian rise and question,” he said. The Cong ress has been demanding a repeal of the three farm laws and have supported the farmers agitation against the legislations.

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): In a major move to boost domestic defence manufacturing, the government on Wednesday approved the export of indigenously-developed surfaceto-air Akash missile system and set up a panel to ensure faster approvals for acquisition proposals by various countries. The Akash missile systems have over 96 percent indigenous components and the weapon can hit targets at a range of 25 km. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the export version of Akash missiles would be different from the system currently deployed with Indian armed forces. The decision to export the missile systems was taken at a Cabinet meeting presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Under the #AtmaNirbharBharat, India is growing in its capabilities of manufacturing a wide variety of Defence platforms & missiles. The Cabinet chaired by PM @narendramodi ji today approved the export of Akash Missile System and a Committee for faster approvals has been created,” Singh tweeted. He said Indian defence exports so far included parts and components. “The export of big platforms was minimal. This de-

cision by the Cabinet would help the country improve its defence products and make them globally competitive,” the defence minister said. Singh said the government intends to focus on exporting high-value defence platforms with an aim to achieve a target of USD 5 billion in defence exports and improve strategic relations with friendly foreign countries. The government has been majorly focusing on boosting domestic defence production and set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore (USD 25 billion) turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025. According to estimates, the Indian armed forces are projected to spend around

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he shouted “Jai Shri Ram” and said, “Hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hinduon ki chalegi (only Hindus will rule in our country, no one else),” as he was taken into custody by Delhi Police. He was later released on bail. This incident had chilling similarities to one that took place just 2 km away at Jamia Millia Islamia university days ago, when a 17-year-old Class 12 boy from Uttar Pradesh fired a country pistol at unarmed protesters with

dozens of policemen behind him, watching. The shootings took place in quick succession after controversial slogans of “Goli Maaro Sa***n Ko (shoot the traitors)” were chanted at a Delhi election campaign rally of Anurag Thakur, the Union Minister of State for Finance. Mr Thakur was banned from campaigning in Delhi for three days for egging on BJP workers to shout the “Goli Maaro” slogan.

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Kapil Baisala being detained after the Shaheen Bagh incident. (PTI file)

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USD 130 billion in capital procurement in the next five years. In May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rolled out a number of reform measures for the defence sector including making separate budgetary outlay to procure Indianmade military hardware, increasing FDI limit from 49 percent to 74 percent under the automatic route and generating a year-wise negative list of weapons which won’t be imported. In August, Singh announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light com-

bat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024. Subsequently, the defence ministry released the first list of items, with a detailed timeline, whose import won’t be allowed. The decision was aimed at promoting the domestic defence industry. In a related development, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) identified 108 military systems and subsystems like navigation radars, tank transporters and missile canisters for the domestic industry to design, develop and manufacture.

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NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (IANS): Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has written to all the states and union territories asking them to curb crowding in the wake New Year celebration and keep a strict vigil on all events that could be a potential superspreader, the ministry said on Wednesday. A total of 107 samples have undergone genome sequencing till now, and as many as 20 people who have returned from the UK to India have tested positive for the new ‘more infectious’ coronavirus strain. On Tuesday, six patients were found to be infected with the mutant virus. These were the first cases to be reported by the country. “The Union Health Secretary has written to all the states to keep a strict vigil on all events that could be potential “superspreader” events, and to curb crowding in the wake of the New Year celebrations and various events associated with it as well as on-going winter season,” the ministry said in a statement. The Ministry of Home

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Maha govt stable, attempts to bring it down won’t succeed: Pawar

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): Confident that any attempt by BJP to bring down the Maharashtra government won’t succeed, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has asserted that the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation is stable and it will continue to rule the state. He also slammed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against leaders of the ruling alliance and their family members as “misuse of authority”. “It has been a year now (since the Thackeray-led MVA government assumed office)... they (BJP) were to bring down the government in two months, then they were to do so in six months, then in eight months. But, nothing will happen,” Pawar told PTI in an interview. “It is a stable government and it will continue,” he said. The MVA government comprising of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress completed a year last month. All through this period, various BJP leaders have been saying that the government will collapse, citing ideological differences among the alliance partners. BJP and Shiv Sena had

C’garh: CAF jawan injured in Cabinet nod to opening Indian missions pressure IED blast by Naxals in Estonia, Paraguay, Dominican Republic

‘Covaxin can deal with new Covid strains too’

Before start of the meeting, some union leaders had said farmers in some parts of the country are being forced to sell crops including paddy below the Minimum Support Price as market rates have fallen and asserted that the agitation will continue till the government agrees to their demands. “After new farm laws were implemented in Uttar Pradesh, prices of crops have fallen by 50 per cent. Crops are being bought at below MSP. Paddy is being sold at Rs 800 per quintal. We will raise these issues in the meeting,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait told reporters. “We will not leave Del-

ing to the District Reserve Guard (DRG), CAF and CRPF were involved in the operation, he said. “While one of the patrol teams was cordoning off the forests between Burji and Pusnar, it spotted an IED placed beneath the ground. When they were engaged in defusing the explosive, it suddenly went off,” the official said. Constable Ritesh Patel, belonging to CAF’s 19th battalion, sustained injuries in the explosion and was shifted to a hospital, the official said adding that he will be airlifted to Raipur for further treatment.

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hi till our demands are met. We will celebrate New year at borders” he said. Punjab farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa came for the meeting carrying placards of media reports of fraudulent cases reported in Guna and Hosangabad after implementation of the new laws. “We don’t have any new agenda. The government is maligning us by saying farmers are not coming for talks. So we gave December 29 date for talks. We have given them our clear agenda but the government is insisting that laws are beneficial for farmers,” Sirsa said. Showing media reports, he said more fraudu-

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the opening of Indian missions in Estonia, Paraguay and Dominican Republic, a move that will help promote trade and cultural relations with these countries, Union minister Prakash Javadekar said. Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always pitched for maintaining good relations with all countries and the move was part of the

lent cases are being reported after the implementation of the new laws and these issues will be raised in the meeting. The meeting between three union ministers and representatives of 41 farmer groups began at around 2.30 pm at Vigyan Bhawan. Tomar is heading the government side, which also included Goyal and Parkash, who is an MP from Punjab. The sixth round of talks between the two sides is being held after a huge gap. The fifth round of talks was held on December 5. The protesting farmer unions are sticking to their position that the discussions will only be on the modali-

efforts to further strengthen ties with other nations. An official statement said the opening of Indian missions in these countries will help expand India’s diplomatic footprint, deepen political relations, enable growth of bilateral trade and investment and facilitate stronger peopleto-people contacts. It said the decision will also bolster India’s political outreach in multilateral fora and help garner support for the country’s foreign policy objectives. “The objective of our

foreign policy is to build a conducive environment for India’s growth and development through partnerships with friendly countries. There are presently missions and posts across the world which serve as conduits of our relations with partner countries,” it said. The statement said the decision to open the three new missions is a forwardlooking step in pursuit of India’s national priority of growth and development or ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.

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HYDERABAD, DEC 30 (IANS): Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday that its vaccine candidate, Covaxin, will be effective in dealing with new strains of coronavirus. Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said the protein components of inactive Covaxin will take care of mutations. His comments came amid growing concerns over new strains of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, especially the variant that was detected recently in the UK. Krishna Ella, who was delivering the ninth Dr Manohar V.N. Shirodkar Memorial Lecture organised by the Telangana Academy of Sciences, observed that that any virus is expected to have a lot of mutation. Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech is developing Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It has completed phase 1 and 2 clinical trials. The phase 3 efficacy trials of Covaxin were in progress with 20,000 volunteers, Ella said. The leading vaccine maker is also developing a single-dose nasal vaccine for Covid-19. In his lecture on “Innovation in Public Health - Our Journey,” Ella said there were 40,000 unknown viruses and 10,000 zoonotic viruses and there was a need to focus on neglected and unknown diseases that could become global pandemics in future. “All neglected diseases start from developing countries. Americans and Europeans are scared of us because these neglected diseases can turn into pandemics,” he said.

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BIJAPUR, DEC 30 (PTI): A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) jawan was on Wednesday injured when a pressure improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Naxals, exploded while it was being defused by security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said. The incident occurred around 8.20 am in the forest near Pusnar village under Gangaloor police station area when separate joint teams of security forces were out on a road security and area domination operation, a police official said. The personnel belong-

Union ministers Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar join farmer leader for langar at Vigyan Bhavan.

Regd. No. 1443/2020

Sharad Pawar

contested the 2019 assembly polls together, but their alliance fell through over the issue of chief ministership. It was Pawar who is said to have then rallied Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress together to form the MVA government. The Maratha stalwart, who has been Maharashtra’s Chief Minister four times and has also been union minister at the Centre in the past, is seen as the guiding force behind the functioning of the Thackeray-led government in the state. When asked about the ED’s notice to Shiv Sena leader and Saamana Editor Sanjay Raut’s wife Varsha, Pawar said, “This is a misuse of authority.” The ED had summoned Varsha for questioning in the over Rs 4,300-crore PMC Bank money-laundering case. She is now expected

to appear before the central probe agency on January 5 after skipping the summons thrice. Pawar said, “They even tried to give me a notice once but later withdrew. I was not even a member of the bank and I didn’t have any account in that bank.” Last year, the ED registered a criminal case in the multi-crore Maharashtra Sahakari Cooperative Bank (MSCB) and the role of Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar and others had come under the scanner of the agency. The ED did not eventually summon Pawar, but the NCP President had at that time insisted that he would visit the probe agency’s office. He dropped the plan later after the state police requested him not to go ahead to avoid possible law and order situation. Shiv Sena has also been alleging that the central probe agencies were targeting its leaders unfairly. Former BJP leader Eknath Khadse, who has recently joined Sharad Pawar’s NCP, was also summoned by the ED for questioning in connection with a moneylaundering case linked to a land deal in Pune.

3 militants killed in J-K

Army personnel conduct searches in the house where militants were hiding at Lawaypora, Wednesday. (PTI)

SRINAGAR, DEC 30 (PTI): Police on Wednesday claimed to have killed three militants in an overnight encounter in the city's Parimpora area but families of the slain youths said they had no connection with militancy and that two of them were students. The families from south Kashmir's Pulwama and Shopian districts also staged a protest outside the police control room here and claimed that of those killed, one was a Class 11 student, one a university student and the other a carpenter. While one militant was killed in the early hours of Wednesday, two others were shot dead a few hours later, a police spokesman said. The three unidentified militants were killed in the overnight encounter in the Parimpora area of the city. Militants had opened fire on security forces during a cordon and search operation on Tuesday evening, he said. Cordon was strengthened and there was an exchange of fire between the two sides. Firing went on throughout the night intermittently, the spokesman said. Police have yet not released the identity or age of the slain youths, but the protesting families claimed

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I, Shri E. Phyantsuthung, S/o Shri Lt. E Patton, resident of Officers Hill Colony, Dist-Kohima : Nagaland, do hereby solemnly affirm and state on oath as under:1. That I am a bonafide citizen of India and a resident of above mentioned address. 2. That my full, correct and official name is "E. Phyantsuthung" which is entered and recorded in my official documents and records. 3. That my name is also used and recorded as "Etsorhomo Phyantsuthung", "E. Phyantsuthung Patton", "Phyantsuthung Patton" and "Phyantsuthung" in some of my documents and official/academic records of my children. 4. That henceforth I will use my name as "E Phyantsuthung" only for all records and correspondences. 5. That statements made above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing is concealed therein. DEPONENT Sworn before me on this 30th day of Dec 2020. NOTARY PUBLIC DP-5794

that the youths were their kin and had no connection with militants or militancy. The slain youths were Athar Mushtaq and Aijaz Maqbool, both students, and Zubair Ahmad, a carpenter, said the families, but did not disclose how old they were. "My brother left for university at 11 am yesterday (Tuesday) as he had to fill some form there. He called me at 3.01 pm to say that he might have to stay at the university. Today, we got a call that he has been killed. He was not a militant," Maqbool's sister told reporters. Maqbool is the son of policeman who is posted in Ganderbal district, she said. A relative of Mushtaq also made a similar claim and said he was just a teenager studying in Class 11. Police officials did not respond to queries about the claims made by the families. However, an army official said the slain youths were "hardcore terrorists" who used a lot of ammunition and grenades against the security forces during the encounter.

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ties of repealing the three new agri laws and giving a legal guarantee on the MSP among other issues. On Monday, the Centre invited the unions for the next round of talks on December 30 on all relevant issues to find a “logical solution” with an “open mind” to the prolonged impasse over the three new agri laws that were enacted in September. But in its letter on Tuesday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, the umbrella organisation which represents the farmer unions, said the modalities for repealing the three contentious laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) must be part of the agenda. The sixth round of talks was originally scheduled for December 9 but it was called off after an informal meeting of Home Minister Shah with some union leaders failed to reach any breakthrough. The government had, however, followed up Shah’s meeting with a draft proposal sent to these farmer unions in which it had suggested 7-8 amendments to the new laws and written assurance on the MSP procurement system. The government has ruled out a repeal of the three agri laws.

NEW DELHI, DEC 30 (PTI): Three union ministers joined farm leaders on Wednesday to share ‘langar’ food arranged by protesting farmers during their sixth round of talks to resolve the deadlock over new farm laws. The ‘langar’ (community kitchen) food arrived in a van at the meeting venue, Vigyan Bhawan, after around two hours of discussions had taken place and the two sides took a break for tea and snacks. Sources present at the venue said that Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Food and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash joined the farmer leaders to share their langar food during the break. Farmer leaders said that the talks were continuing and they were going ‘agenda wise’. During the last few meetings, farmer leaders have been arranging their own lunch, snacks and beverages while refusing to have the food organised by the government. At one such meeting, farmer leaders had even invited the ministers to langar at their protest site on Singhu border.

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UK Parl to vote on ‘historic’ Brexit trade deal with EU

LONDON, DEC 30 (PTI): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson recalled Parliament from its Christmas break on Wednesday to get the Brexit free trade agreement (FTA) struck with the European Union cleared through all parliamentary stages for the EU (Future Relationship) Bill to become law in time for January 1 next year. The 80-page bill, which follows a last-minute deal agreed with the European Union (EU) last week just days before the December 31 deadline of the end of the Brexit transition period, will be debated by members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons followed by the House of Lords. Johnson has urged MPs to back the “historic” bill, which he says is not “a rupture but a resolution” of the UK’s relationship with its European neighbours. “What we sought was not a rupture but a resolution, a resolution of the old and vexed question of Britain’s political relations with Europe, which bedevilled our post-War history,” said Johnson, as part of his opening speech in the Commons. “First we stood aloof,

Boris Johnson then we became a halfhearted, sometimes obstructive member of the EU. Now, with this bill, we shall be a friendly neighbour – the best friend and ally the EU could have – working hand-in-glove whenever our values and interests coincide while fulfilling the sovereign wish of the British people to live under their own laws, made by their own elected Parliament. That is the historic resolution delivered by this Bill,” he said. Once the bill is passed by Parliament, the UK-EU trade agreement will come into effect after 2300 GMT on Thursday. The oncerebellious Brexiteer wing of the Conservative Party has fallen behind the agreement, paving the way for a relatively smooth passage. Opposition Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer

has also instructed his MPs to vote in favour of the deal, arguing the alternative would be a no-deal Brexit. Labour are also planning to seek amendments to the bill that would require the government to provide twice-yearly economic impact assessments of the trading relationship. However, there is some disquiet with Labour ranks as senior backbenchers had called on him to rethink his position and oppose the bill. Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), who support Brexit in principle, has said it will not vote in favour of the trade deal due to concerns Northern Ireland remains tied to the EU more closely than the rest of the UK. The Scottish National Party (SNP) and Liberal Democrats have also indicated they will vote against the legislation. However, with Johnson’s comfortable majority in the Commons, the bill is expected to clear the required parliamentary threshold to become law. It marks the culmination of four and a half long years of negotiations after the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016.

international Singapore starts COVID vaccination for medics Singapore, Dec 30 (PTI): Singapore became the first Asian country to start vaccinating healthcare workers against COVID-19 with Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday. More healthcare institutions will follow in the coming weeks, with public healthcare institutions and private hospitals to progressively arrange for their staff to be vaccinated within their premises, The Straits Times reported. Elderly persons aged 70 years old and above will get the vaccine shots from February. Other Singaporeans and long-term residents who are medically eligible for vaccination will be next in line, according to the report. The Health Ministry’s expert committee had recommended that persons at high risk of being infected, including healthcare workers and front-line workers, should be given priority for vaccination. The committee’s recommendations have been accepted on the vaccination strategy. Singapore received its first shipment of vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech on December 21, with subsequent stocks expected to arrive in batches over several months.

Blast at Yemen’s airport as new Cabinet members land Sanaa (Yemen), Dec 30 (AP): A large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Wednesday, shortly before a plane carrying the newly formed Cabinet landed there, security officials said. Initial reports said at least four people were killed and dozens were wounded. The source of the blast was not immediately clear and no group claimed responsibility for the explosion. No one on the government plane was hurt but officials at the scene said they saw bodies lying on the tarmac and elsewhere at the airport. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to the media. Yemeni Communication Minister Naguib al-Awg, who was also on the government plane, told The Associated Press that he heard two explosions, suggesting they were drone attacks. Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed and the others were quickly whisked away from the airport to the Mashiq Palace in the city. “It would have been a disaster if the plane was bombed,” he said, insisting the plane was the target of the attack as it was sup-

No one on the government plane was hurt but officials at the scene said they saw bodies lying on the tarmac and elsewhere at the airport. posed to land earlier. Mohammed al-Roubid, deputy head of Adens health office, told the AP that at least four people were killed in the explosion. He said dozens were wounded but did not elaborate. Images shared on social media from the scene showed rubble and broken glass strewn about near the airport building and at least two lifeless bodies, one of them charred, lying on the ground. In another image, a man was trying to help another man whose clothes were torn to get up from the ground. The ministers were returning to Aden after being sworn in last week as part of a reshuffle following a deal with rival south-

ern separatists. Yemens internationally recognized government has worked mostly from self-imposed exile in the Saudi capital of Riyadh during the country’s years-long civil war. Yemens embattled President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, in exile in Saudi Arabia, announced a Cabinet reshuffle earlier this month. The reshuffle was seen as a major step toward closing a dangerous rift between Hadi’s government and southern separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates. The Saudi-backed government is at war with with Iran-allied Houthi rebels, who control most of northern Yemen as well

as the country’s capital, Sanaa. Last year, the Houthis fired a missile at a military parade of newly graduated fighters of a militia loyal to the UAE at a military base in Aden, killing dozens. Ye m e n , t h e A r a b worlds poorest country, has been engulfed in civil war since 2014, when the Shiite Houthi rebels overran the north and Sanaa. The following year, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to wage war on the Houthis and restore Hadi’s government to power. The war has killed more than 112,000, including thousands of civilians. The conflict also resulted in the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Kamala Harris receives first dose of China sentences 10 seeking to Protest held outside Canadian Embassy in Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on camera flee Hong Kong to prison terms Washington over killing of Karima Baloch

UK approves Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine London, Dec 30 (PTI): The UK on Wednesday approved a cheaper and easyto-handle COVID-19 vaccine developed by scientists at Oxford University and produced by AstraZeneca for human use, the second coronavirus vaccine to be cleared for rollout in Britain after the Pfizer/BioNTech jabs. The Oxford vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, was being evaluated by the British regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) - after the final cut of data was submitted by the government last week. The approval by the MHRA means the vaccine is both “safe and effective” and the government’s Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said that the National Health Service (NHS) will prioritise giving the first of the two-dose vaccine to those in the most high-risk groups quickly. “It is truly fantastic news – and a triumph for British science – that the vaccine has been approved K Y M C

for use. We will now move to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that the rollout of the second approved vaccine will begin on January 4 and will “really accelerate into the first few weeks of next year”. “The vaccine is our way out of the pandemic,” the minister said. In a statement, the DHSC said the “government has today accepted the recommendation from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to authorise Oxford University/ AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for use.” “This follows rigorous clinical trials and a thorough analysis of the data by experts at the MHRA, which has concluded that the vaccine has met its strict standards of safety, quality and effectiveness,” it said. It means the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine is now cleared for use for people 18 years

or older in the UK. The transportation and storage requirements mean that it needs to be kept at temperatures of 2C to 8C, which is similar to a conventional fridge, for up to six months. “This is another significant milestone in the fight against this virus,” said MHRA Chief Executive Dr June Raine. “No stone is left unturned when it comes to our assessments. This approval means more people can be protected against this virus and will help save lives,” she said. The UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will issue updated advice for the priority groups to receive the new vaccine, which is similar in requiring two doses but is easier to deliver as it does not need extremely low temperatures for storage as in the case of the Pfizer/ BioNTech jabs. It is also cheap and easy to mass produce and is set to significantly enhance the UK’s vaccination programme against the deadly virus. Professor Andrew Pollard, the director of the

Oxford Vaccine Group who led the clinical trial, said: “Though this is just the beginning, we will start to get ahead of the pandemic, protect health and economies when the vulnerable are vaccinated everywhere, as many as possible as soon possible.” The vaccine, codenamed AZD1222 or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, was developed at Oxford University with support from the British-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca. Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, said: “Today is an important day for millions of people in the UK who will get access to this new vaccine. “It has been shown to be effective, well-tolerated, simple to administer and is supplied by AstraZeneca at no profit.” In a related update, people receiving the Oxford vaccine or the one from Pfizer/BioNTech, which is also being rolled out, will now receive their first dose of the vaccine followed by a second dose up to 12 weeks later rather than just four weeks.

Washington, Dec 30 (PTI): Members of the Baloch community in the US held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Canadian Embassy here to protest against the recent killing of one of their popular leaders Karima Baloch in Toronto. “Large scale public protests in Balochistan are demanding justice for their leader, Ms Karima Mehrab. We are asking for an independent inquiry into her tragic death that can provide the community a sense of safety and closure. The Baloch community at-large and her family are hoping for justice for Ms Karima Mehrab from the Canadian government,” members of the Baloch community said in a memorandum submitted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Karima Baloch was “politically assassinated in Toronto by Pakistani military and ISI operatives”, Waheed Baloch, the former speaker of Balochistan provincial Assembly, told PTI while members of his com-

FELICITATION

With immense pride and honour, the Amahator Range Student's Union (ARSU) would like to express our profound appreciation and heartfelt congratulations to; 1. Shri. David Thingchum for appointing as a Member of Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC). 2. Shri. Yangseo for electing Member of Nagaland Legislative Assembly from 60 Pungro-Kiphire AC in the recently conducted Bye-Election. The Union further wish the very best in their future endeavour. (Birise) Executive Chairman ARSU

(Selikyu T Sangtam) General Secretary ARSU

Protesters infront of the Canadian Embassy. munity held a demonstration in front of the Canadian Embassy in Washington DC on Tuesday. Karima was a voice of the oppressed people of Balochistan. She was the harshest critic of the Pakistan military and its “genocidal policies and actions” in the

province, Waheed Baloch said. Activist Nabi Bakhsh Baloch said Karima faced serious threats to her life in Pakistan and had sought political asylum in Canada in 2015, where she lived and advocated for the plight of the people of Balochistan.

OFFICE OF THE

CHIZAMI VILLAGE COUNCIL FELICITATION

The Chizami Village Council and its citizens with profound joy and gratitude to our Almighty God, heartily congratulates our most revered son of the soil, Shri Wezope Kenye, Secy. Health and Family Welfare Dept. Govt. of Nagaland for being inducted into the prestigious IAS by the President of India. The Village Council further wishes him greater success with good health and long life in fulfilling the responsibilities on him in true spirit and dedication to the people of Nagaland. WELHITE NARO KEDUWE TSUHAH Chairman Secretary Chizami Village Council Chizami Village Council

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elect Joe Biden received his. Describing the process as ‘relatively painless’, Harris urged all Americans to get vaccinated. ‘It’s about saving your life, the life of your family members, and the life of your community,’ she said. “I trust scientists. And it is the scientists who created and approved this vaccine. So I urge everyone, when it is your turn, get vaccinated.” Harris joins a growing number of elected officials and doctors who have received their coronavirus vaccines on camera to show

two underaged suspects and would not charge the them for illegally crossing the border even though they pleaded guilty. Another organizer was given two years while other participants were given seven months in prison. Relatives of the accused said they were prevented from hiring their own lawyers and that the charges are politically motivated. The defendants could have been sentenced to up to a year in prison for crossing the border and seven years for organising the trip. They were picked up after entering mainland Chinese waters for crossing the maritime border without permission. While Hong Kong is part of China, travelers must still pass through immigration when going to and from the mainland, which surrounds Hong Kong by land and sea. The sentences appear to be a warning to opposition activists against trying to evade enforcement of the national security law.

Happy 75 th Birthday Apuo (Diu Angami)!!!

OFFICE OF THE

KHONOMA THEVOMIA UNION NAGALAND CONGRATULATION With immense joy and happiness, we the Khonoma Thevomia Union Nagaland express our sincerest greetings and congratulations to Deacon Megoriekho Thomas Punyü, S/o Mr. Kepelhuto Punyü on his priestly ordination on 30th Dec. 2020. We thank God and also his parents for giving us their son for His Glory. We wish him the best in his future endeavours. May the Lord shower His blessings upon him and his family. Akhou Sophi President, KTUN K-2132

May God richly bless you! Thank you for all that you are to us! We pray that God will grant you love, peace, happiness and many more years. May you continue to experience the goodness of the Lord every new day! Thank you Apuo, we love you!

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Washington, Dec 30 (PTI): US Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris has received the first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine live on television as part of efforts to build public trust in the inoculation and urged Americans to get vaccinated for the virus. Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were administered the vaccine at United Medical Center in Washington, DC. “Let’s do it,” Harris said before she received her shot on Tuesday. She took the vaccine one week after President-

Beijing, Dec 30 (AP): A Chinese court on Wednesday sentenced 10 pro-democracy activists who sought to flee Hong Kong by speedboat to between seven months and three years in prison, in a case with major political overtones for the territory. The Yantian District Court in the southern city of Shenzhen gave the harshest sentence to one of the two accused organisers of the ill-fated Aug 23 attempt to reach self-ruled Taiwan. Relatives said all defendants pleaded guilty, a move apparently aimed at receiving lighter sentences. The defendants are believed to have feared they would be prosecuted for their activities in support of Hong Kongs pro-democracy movement. Hong Kong media reports said at least one may have had a warrant out for his arrest under a tough new national security law imposed on the semiautonomous territory by Beijing in June. The court said it had held a private hearing for

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Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff were administered the vaccine at United Medical Center in Washington, DC.

Americans that the shots are safe. The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorisation for two coronavirus vaccines: one from Pfizer/ BioNTech and one from Moderna. Both Moderna’s and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine have shown similar efficacy levels of nearly 95 per cent, and both vaccines require two doses administered several weeks apart. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, received their first doses of the coronavirus vaccine on December 21. They received the Pfizer vaccine at ChristianaCare Hospital in Newark, Delaware. Biden and Harris staggered their vaccinations at the recommendation of medical experts, according to transition spokesperson Jen Psaki. The reason for such a recommendation could be that if Biden and Harris reported any side effects, such as a headache or fever, they would not experience them on the same day, CNN said.

Your loving wife, children, in-laws & grandchildren. K Y M C

sports

Nagaland Post, Dimapur THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2020

FC Goa come from behind to beat Hyderabad 2-1 NCA announces team for VASCO, DEC 30 (AGENCIES): FC Goa picked up three points in style as they staged a thrilling comeback to see off Hyderabad FC 2-1 at the Tilak Maidan Stadium on Wednesday. Aridane Santana (58’) put Hyderabad ahead but Goa left it late and scored through substitute Ishan Pandita (87’) and Igor Angulo (90’) to inflict a third successive defeat on the Nizams. Joel Chianese, making a return from injury, was among the three changes made by Hyderabad while Lenny Rodrigues came back in the line-up for Goa. Both teams failed to create clear-cut chances in the first-half, staying defensively organised. As a result, no shots on target were registered. But it was Goa, who appeared more threatening. They missed the chance to grab the lead in the 10th minute through the first cor ner of the game. Brandon Fernandes whipped in a teasing cross for James Donachie but the defender failed to get his header on target. Goa fashioned another great chance right before the end of the break. Receiving the

chances and missed a great opportunity to draw parity in the 69th minute. Brandon drilled a cross across the face of goal for Jorge Ortiz Mendoza, who made a run into the box but failed to connect. Two minutes later, Aridane had the ball in the back of the net, after receiving a ball from Yasir, but was flagged offside. Goa kept knocking on the door but lacked the cutting edge in the final third, failing to register a single shot on target. But Juan Ferrando’s men, like they did in the previous game against Jamshedpur, displayed fighting spirit. The equaliser came Players of FC Goa and Hyderabad FC in action during the ISL match on Wednesday. through a set-piece as Panball on the left, Brandon dane, who headed home fifth goal of the season. dita flicked in Edu Bedia’s cut inside and flicked the from close range to bag his The Gaurs too had their free-kick at the far post with ball for Angulo in the box. his first touch of the game. ISL Standings Minutes later, Angulo netThe latter tipped his header Club M Won Drawn Lost Points ted his ninth goal of the over the bar. 2 1 17 season. Substitute Alberto Hyderabad began the 1 ATK Mohun Bagan 8 5 7 5 1 1 16 Noguera threaded a ball second half aggressively, 2 Mumbai City FC 9 4 2 3 14 through for the striker who taking the game to Goa. 3 FC Goa produced an excellent fin9 3 4 2 13 Their intent soon paid off 4 Jamshedpur FC ish to seal the three points as they opened the scoring 5 Bengaluru FC 8 3 3 2 12 for Goa. just before the hour mark. 6 NorthEast United FC 8 2 5 1 11 Goa, who have been 7 Chennaiyin FC Saturday’s Match 8 2 4 2 10 guilty of conceding from 8 Hyderabad FC 8 2 3 3 9 Mumbai City set-pieces, were exposed 9 Kerala Blasters FC 7 1 3 3 6 Vs again. Hyderabad won a Kerala Blasters 10 SC East Bengal 7 0 3 4 3 throw-in and Asish Rai 7 0 2 5 2 Time: 7:30pm crossed the ball for Ari- 11 Odisha FC

Man Utd go second as late Rashford goal sinks Wolves MANCHESTER, Dec 30 (Reuters): Manchester United climbed two places up to second in the Premier League after Marcus Rashford scored deep into stoppage time to give them a fortuitous 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday. The result left United on 30 points from 15 games, two behind champions and leaders Liverpool who visit Newcastle United on Wednesday, while Wolves stayed 12th on 21 points. Rashford gave United the win when it seemed the game was heading for a goalless stalemate, with his left-footed shot taking a deflection off Romain Saiss and beating goalkeeper Rui Patricio at the near post. Rashford acknowledged United ground out the win after a laboured performance although manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deployed an adven-

turous formation with three forwards behind striker Edinson Cavani. “Today was tough but we expected a tough game and managed to get over the line,” Rashford told the BBC. “It’s the deciding goal. Probably not the most beautiful but we will take what we can get and move on. “We can’t look too far ahead. We are a team that is still doing a lot of work on ourselves. We have to take it one game at a time but if we can keep finding ways to win like this we will see where we are at the end of the season.” The visitors missed several chances in the first half as they stifled United with crisp one-touch passing but the best opportunity fell to the home side when Patricio kept out a Fernandes sitter in the 34th minute. At the other end,

United keeper David De Gea parried shots by Ruben Neves and Pedro Neto while Saiss headed a Joao Moutinho free kick onto the top of the crossbar. Patricio also clawed out a vicious long-range effort by Paul Pogba in the 75th minute and Wolves seemed to have done enough to earn a point after soaking up United pressure in the closing stages. But they were undone from a seemingly innocuous move as Rashford picked up a long Fernandes pass on the right, cut inside and with little support in the penalty area, he hit a hopeful shot which wrongfooted Patricio. Wo l v e s m a n a g e r Nuno Espirito Santo rued his team’s lapse of concentration in the dying minutes but added they needed to put the disappointment behind them quickly amid a busy festive schedule.

Messi watches as Barca held by Eibar L o n d o n, D e c 3 0 (Agencies): Barcelona felt the absence of the injured Lionel Messi as they were held to a draw at home by struggling Eibar in La Liga on Tuesday. Martin Braithwaite missed a penalty in the first half before Eibar stunned their hosts by taking a 57thminute lead through striker Kike Garcia. Ousmane Dembele equalised 10 minutes later, steering in a first-time shot. Braithwaite had a chance to win it for the hosts but bundled wide from close range. Messi, who is recovering from an ankle problem, watched the game from the stands, having arrived back from Argentina earlier on Tuesday. The point leaves Barcelona sixth in La Liga while Eibar are 14th, two points clear of the relegation zone.

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy

Team members and officials of NCA’s Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2020-21. DI M A P U R , DEC 3 0 (NPN): Nagaland Cricket Association has declared the team list of senior men’s cricket team for Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy for the season 2020-21. The team will be led by Jonathan Rongsen as captain and Toikak Awomi as team manager and Kawaljeet Singh as team coach. Nagaland will play the opening match against Chandigarh on January 11, 2021. Team list: Jonathan Rongsen (captain), Hokaito Zhimomi

look at some major sporting events that are scheduled for the year 2021. Thailand Open - Badminton Thailand Open, beginning from January 12 to January 17 in Bangkok, will officially mark the opening for a calendar year in Badminton. The tournament, however, will not be a part of the Olympic qualification. Australian Open Tennis For Tennis, the Australian Open will open the calendar as the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments will be held in Melbourne from February 8 to February 21. ISSF World Cup 2021 - Shooting

India will hold its first major sporting event in its capital city of New Delhi. The 2021 International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup will take place between March 18 to March 19. World Athletics Indoor Championships Ahead of the Olympics, athletes will have a chance to showcase and boost their skills at the World Athletics Indoor Championships slated to take place from March 19 to March 21. India Open Super 500 - Badminton The second major Badminton tournament will be hosted by India in May. The India Open Super 500 will be the last

chance for Indian shuttles trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. 2021 World Snooker Championship England will host the 2021 World Snooker Championship from April 17 to May 3 at the Crucible Theatre. Wo r l d O l y m p i c Qualifying Tournament - Boxing Boxers will look to seal the Tokyo Olympics berth at the World Olympic Qualifying Boxing Tournament in June 2021. However, the exact dates will be finalised after monitoring the situation in the Covid-19 era. French Open The second of the Grand Slams tournament

coach), Arzoo Raj (fielding coach), Purnendu Jena (team S & C coach) and Krishna Prabhu (team physio)

MATCH FIXTURES Nagaland Vs Chandigarh: January 11, 2021 Nagaland Vs Arunachal Pradesh: January 13, 2021 Nagaland Vs Sikkim: January 15, 2021 Nagaland Vs Mizoram: January 17, 2021 Nagaland Vs Manipur: January 19, 2021 All the matches will be played at Chennai.

Bucks break record in victory over Heat

Lo n d o n, D e c 3 0 (Agencies): The Milwaukee Bucks set an NBA record of 29 three-pointers in a game in a 144-97 win over the Miami Heat. According to BBC, the Bucks dominated - leading by as many as 51 points at one stage - and broke the Houston Rockets’ record of 27 three-pointers in a single game. Orlando Magic beat Oklahoma City Thunder 118-107 and have now won the first four games of a season for the first time in their 32-year history. Only Orlando and Atlanta Hawks remain unbeaten in the new NBA season. Magic top the Eastern Conference from Atlanta, while the Los Angeles Clippers sit top of the Western Conference after a 124-101 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Phoenix Suns sit second in the Western Conference after a comfortable 111-86 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, in which Jae Crowder scored a sea-

Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo (13) and Milwaukee Bucks’ Brook Lopez (11) battle for the opening tip-off at the American Airlines Arena on December 29.(Reuters) son-high 21 points. Julius Randle hit 28 points as the New York Knicks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 95-86, while the Washington Wizards’ 115107 loss to the Chicago Bulls means they have lost their first four games of a season for the first time since 201213. Jayson Tatum scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter as the

Euros, Olympics and other big events to follow in 2021 L o n d o n, D e c 3 0 (Agencies): 2020 was rather a depressing year not only for sportsmen but also for the fans due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several sporting events, including the Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics, were either cancelled or postponed as the pandemic wreaked havoc globally, according to The Free Press journal. However, taking ample precautions, the sporting world resumed at the fag end of the year. Many events barring the ones that were postponed to 2021 took place. That said, let us take a look at some major sporting events that are scheduled for the year 2021. 2020 was rather a depressing year not only for sportsmen but also for the fans due to the coronavirus pandemic. Several sporting events, including the Euro 2020 and the Tokyo Olympics, were either cancelled or postponed as the pandemic wreaked havoc globally. However, taking ample precautions, the sporting world resumed at the fag end of the year. Many events barring the ones that were postponed to 2021 took place. That said, let us take a

(vice-captain), Sedezhalie Rupreo, Hem Bahadur Chetri, Joshua Ben Ozukum, Akavi Yeptho, Wahid Ali, Imliwati Lemtur, Tahmeed Rahman, Nagaho Chishi, Hopongkyu Sangtam, Khrievitso Kense, Merenka Jamir, Stand-by: Nzanthung Y Mozhui, Moakumzuk Tzudir, Jalal Uddin Lashkar, Mughavi Wotsa. Professional guest players: Stuart Binny, Shrikant Mundhe and Chetan Bisht. Support staff: Toika K Awomi (team manager), Kawaljeet Singh (team

will begin on May 23 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France with the quarter-finals and final games set for June 1 and June 5, 6 respectively. Euro 2020 The Euro 2020, one of the most entertaining events in football, was postponed to 2021, courtesy the novel coronavirus pandemic. Champions Portugal will look to defend their title in the upcoming tournament which will now be held from June 11 to July 11. The 47th Copa America will also be held between the same period. Wimbledon After being cancelled in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Wimbledon will be back in 2021. The oldest tennis tournament and the third of the grand slam tournaments will stage its 134th edition from June 28 to July 11. The coronavirus situation in UK, however, continues to worsen with a new strain of the virus found in many patients. The hospitals are treating a record number of patients, more than the number of patients that were treated during the peak of the vi-

rus spread in UK. Tokyo Olympics Originally scheduled for the year 2020, the Summer Olympics, a.k.a Tokyo Olympics was postponed to 2021. The highly anticipated world event will begin on July 23 and run till August 8. ICC T20 World Cup - Cricket The Inter national Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed that the next T20 World Cup will be held in India as per original plans. The 16-team tournament is scheduled for October-November next year. Apart from Test playing nations Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies, the tournament will also feature its newest qualified member Papua New Guinea besides Namibia, Netherlands, Oman and Scotland. India had hosted the previous T20 World Cup, back in 2016 which was won by West Indies. The sport’s governing body has said that it will take necessary precautions for Covid-19 if the crisis does not abate.

Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Indiana Pacers 116-111. And Andrew Wiggins put on a late show - scoring 13 of his 27 points in the final eight minutes - as the Golden State Warriors overcame the Detroit Pistons 116-106. Warriors’ Stephen Curry led all scorers with 31 points as the Pistons lost for the second time in as many nights to leave them

with four defeats from four matches. De’Aaron Fox got 24 points and nine assists as the Sacramento Kings beat the Denver Nuggets 125-115 while Joel Embiid shone for the Philadelphia 76ers with 29 points in their 100-93 win over the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors have lost their first three games of a season for the first time since 2005-06.

NZ stave off resilient Pakistan to win first Test Mount Maunganui, Dec 30 (IANS): New Zealand beat a resilient Pakistan by 101 runs in the last few minutes of the fifth day’s play to go 1-0 up in the two-Test series and reclaim the second spot in the ICC World Test Championship points table. Pakistan entered the final day in quite a hopeless situation at 71 for three, needing 302 to win with seven wickets in hand. The Kiwis’ strong bowling lineup looked favourites to topple Pakistan in the 90 overs they had at their disposal on the last day. New Zealand got rid of overnight batsman Azhar Ali in just the second over of the day with pace bowler Trent Boult removing him for 38. It then seemed that the game would be over in the first session itself. However, Fawad Alam scored a century (102 off 269 balls) and added 165 for the fifth wicket with Mohammed Rizwan, who made his second half-century in the first Test, to parry the New Zealand attack. Rizwan, standing in as captain for regular skipper Babar Azam, made 60 off 191 balls following up on the 71 he made in the first innings. The duo consumed

62.3 overs of the 90-over day during a flawless display of defensive batting and when they entered the final session it seemed that the game would end in a draw. However, pace bowler Kyle Jamieson dismissed Rizwan leg before the wicket after a review by New Zealand and soon after Fawad Alam was caught down the leg-side off Neil Wagner while attempting to pull a short delivery, something he had let go during most of the final day’s play. The floodgates opened and the last four wickets fell for 20 runs in 15 overs. The last pair of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi held out for 7.5 overs before Naseem was caught and bowled by Mitchell Santner with just 4.3 overs remaining in the match. All the five New Zealand bowlers picked two wickets each. Skipper Kane Williamson got the man-ofthe-match award for his 129 in first innings. BRIEF SCORES: New Zealand 431 and 180/5 declared beat Pakistan 239 and 271 (F Alam 102, M Rizwan 60, A Ali 38, T Southee 2/33, K Jamieson 2/35, M Santner 2/52, N Wagner 2/55, T Boult 2/72)

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