20 Feb 2023

Nagaland Post

India beat Aus, retain Border-Gavaskar trophy

Rally on rising violence against Christians

N EW DELHI, FEB 19

(PTI/AGENCIES): Members of the Christian community held a protest at Jantar Mantar Sunday against the escalation of hate and violence against Christians in several states in the country. About 100 churches and organisations and more than 15,000 people participated in the protest.

Dr Michael William, president of the United Christian Forum, said: “Today we’ve gathered here peacefully at Jantar Mantar because we want to share the anguish of our

fellow citizens who also follow the Christian faith in the states of Chhattis -

garh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and so many

Amit Shah to arrive today

other places where their basic fundamental rights are being snatched.”

“We are standing up on their behalf… We are also going to be submitting a memorandum to the President of India,” he added.

“We are being accused of forcibly converting people to Christianity. Churches are being attacked, our people are being beaten up and arrested. The community members are living in a constant state of panic,” Steven from Uttar Pradesh said.

‘Heal our land’ prayer programme held at Dimapur

Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN):

Christians from all denominations in Dimapur, participated at a Prayer Rally titled “Heal Our Land” organised by Christian Forum Dimapur (CFD), Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) including Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) at Naga Shopping Arcade here Sunday afternoon.

The programme was to hold prayer solidarity and pray for various issues of common concern such aspersecutions of Christians in India ; well being of the Nation, the State and its leaders and also for free, fair and clean election.

This is it!

Governor-designate La Ganesan arrives Kohima

on Sunday arrived Kohima, Raj Bhavan. He was received by chief minister Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues, chief secretary, DGP Nagaland and other senior officials.

Upon arrival, Ganesan was accorded the customary Guard of Honour by the Nagaland Police Mahila (IR) contingents.

CFD vice-chairman

Rev Vitoshe Swu called for prayer for the persecuted minority religious groups, particularly Christians in India. CFD treasurer Nini Sekhose led the prayer for the India and its leaders, including political leaders, heads of constitutional and judiciary, heads of defence and bureaucrats, etc.

CFD adviser Rev Dr P. Dozo prayed for State’s political leaders, clean, free and fair election, while CFD adviser Fr Chacko Karinthayil led the prayer for young generation of

Election-related violence in Noklak

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN): In yet another pollrelated violence, the convoy of NPP leaders including State president Dr Andrew Ahoto was reportedly attacked at Thoktsur junction and Pang village in Noklak district on Sunday evening.

N. Korea makes fresh threats; US bombers fly after ICBM test

Moatoshi and Vikheho appeal

Staff Reporter

for peace

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN): Union Home minister Amit Shah will be arriving Nagaland on a two-day visit to campaign for the BJP in Mon district. Besides addressing election campaign, BJP sources said Amit Shah would be halting at Mon and was also likely to meet leaders of the civil society organizations on Tuesday.

Further, union minister of state for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar will also be arriving Nagaland on a twoday visit to campaign. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will also be arriving Dimapur on Monday, sources added.

Meanwhile, hectic preparations were on to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is expected to address a joint rally of the NDPP-BJP at Agri Expo on February 24.

Meghalayagovtdenies permissionforPM’srally

Correspondent Adds: Meghalaya sports department has denied permission to the BJP to host an election rally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at PA Sangma Stadium, citing that the stadium was incomplete.

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN:

A day after the pre-poll violence was reported between supporters of two rival candidates of 2-Dimapur-II constituency on Saturday, NDPP candidate and sitting MLA Moatoshi Longkumer and LJP (RV) candidate Y Vikheho Awomi made separate appeals to their respective workers and supporters to maintain peace and uphold the spirit of for free and fair election.

Moatoshi Longkumer termed as “false and concocted” reports spread on social media platforms regarding the violence adding they only served to cause apprehension. He told media persons at his residence here Sunday, that his party, NDPP, has lodged a complaint with the authorities

Several organisations-NDPP Dimapur region, Western Sumi Hoho, Dimapur Ao Youth Organisaiton and Western Sumi Youth Front have condemned the poll-related violence at Indisen village here on Saturday (February 18) evening.

NDPP: N DPP Dimapur region has strongly condemned the incident that occurred outside the

and so left it to the law to deliver justice. He reiterated that Dimapur-II constituency used to be one of the most peaceful area during election and so appealed to all across party lines to maintain peace and not to aggravate the situation further. He also appealed to all to stand for peaceful, free and fair polls. Also, addressing the media at his residence, Vikheho Awomi expressed

residence of its candidate Moatoshi Longkumer at Indisen village on Saturday evening.

NDPP Dimapur region president Vihoshe Awomi in a statement, alleged that some unruly supporters of a certain political party attempted to create disturbance outside the gate of the private residence of Moatoshi. He said reports of

concern over the incident and appealed to all not to further vitiate the atmosphere. He urged upon all, particularly those spreading messages/videos on social media platforms, not to aggravate the situation and create social disharmony. He said an FIR had been lodged and the law enforcing agency had taken up the matter. Investigation was on and the report would bring out the fact, he added.

blank firing clearly showed the intention to cause harm to people and property, and strongly condemned such kind of direct provocation intended to create unrest in the mind of the public. He requested law enforcement authorities to book the culprits and initiate stringent action against those involved at the earliest.

“For 15 years, he hasn’t built a proper road and now he’s campaigning with helicopter.”

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN): Nagaland Governor-designate La Ganesan

According to PRO Raj Bhavna, Ganesan will be sworn-in at Raj Bhavan on February 20, 10 a.m.

In a press note, NPP claimed that miscreants took positions above the road and pelted stones at the convoy. At least five cars in the convoy were hit and several persons were injured.

Moatoshi Longkumer (NP) Y Vikheho Awomi (NP)

People from the Christian community during the protest, Sunday. (PTI)

A section of the congregation at the prayer programme on Sunday. (NP)

Rio welcoming Ganesan. (PRO)

Q.: Is the union finance minister making banks fleece customers with bank surcharges?

Bikers rally against tobacco use in Tsg

NEXT POLL

Third round of training in Chumu and Niuland

DIMAPUR: DC and District Election Officer Chumoukedima, Abhinav Shivam has informed that third round of training for all officials/staff appointed as presiding officers, 1st polling officers, 2nd polling officers and 3rd polling officers under Chumoukedima and Niuland districts will be held on February 22.

For 4-Ghaspani-I: presiding officers, 1st polling officers and 2nd polling officers, the training will be held from 10 am to 12 noon at GHSS, Chumoukedima and grade-IV will held from 12 noon at GHSS, Chumoukedima.

For 5-Ghaspani-II: the

Medical staff and members of FREE motorcycle club in Tuensang on February 18.

DIMAPUR: District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC)

FORECAST

Tuensang organized “AntiTobacco Motorcycle Rally” in collaboration with Frontier En-Bloc (FREE) motorcycle club Tuensang, under the theme “Choose Life, Not Tobacco’’ stand up against tobacco on February 18.

A press release by DMO, NHM Tuensang, Apheang informed that at the programme, SDPO Tuensang, Manish Bhartiya spoke on the importance of spreading awareness of tobacco effect amongst police

personnel and highlighted on the future collaboration with District Tobacco Control Cell.

MS district hospital Tuensang Dr. Puse Leigise stated that district hospital Tuensang has been declared as tobacco free zone and the bike rally was an important initiative to spread the effects of tobacco in the society.

Dr. Firdous Ahmad highlighted on the different types of cancer caused by tobacco.

He also appreciated the anti-tobacco bike rally

and encouraged all the bikers to spread the message of ill effects of tobacco.

President FREE motorcycle club Tuensang, Changkumba thanked the DTCC for organising the programme and assured support and collaboration in the future as well.

The programme was chaired by district consultant, DTCC Sentilong Longchar, vote of thanks by Jr. Dental Specialist, Dr. Aoyanger. Around 15 bike riders along with other officials attended the programme.

training for presiding officers, 1st polling officers and 2nd polling officers from 1 pm to 3 pm at GHSS, Chumoukedima and gradeIV from 3pm at GHSS, Chumoukedima. For all reserves, the training will be held from 1 pm to 3 pm at GHSS, Chumoukedima. In this connection all the above mentioned persons have been directed to attend the training. Further, all the heads of the departments (offices under Chumoukedima and Niuland districts) have been directed to depute all the listed officials under their respective establishment to attend the training positively.

ATA appeals for clean election

DIMAPUR: The Ao Theological Association (ATA) has affirmed to strongly stand for clean election and appealed to all Christian believers to prayerfully participate in the forthcoming Nagaland Legislative Assembly Election 2023.

In a press note, ATA also urged upon all believers not to sell their precious vote or indulge in malpractices of any kind in violation of the election Model Code of Conduct or the word of God.

“Let us participate in the election judiciously and with integrity for a better tomorrow,” ATA said. It also appealed to all believers to be careful so as not to profane God or use His name in vain and honour and glorify God the Almighty in all that we do. ATA further appealed to all believers to fervently pray to God for forgiveness and healing. “Arise children of God, put on the armour of God and pray for God’s victory over the powers and darkness of this Age,” ATA said.

Assam Rifles conduct medical camp, welfare activities

DIMAPUR: As part of its civic action programme, various battalions of Assam Rifles under the aegis of Hq IGAR (North) conducted various welfare activities for the local population across the state.

Ghaspani battalion organised a solemn wreath laying ceremony at Unit War Memorial Ghaspani, Chumoukedima district on

KCC adopts rules for campaign

DIMAPUR: Kevijau Colony Council (KCC), women and youth organisations have passed a resolution for strict compliance in view of the ensuing assembly election 2023.

In a press statement, KCC chairman, Nokchi Jamir stated that the setting up of election camp for office, mission and youth camp will not be allowed under its jurisdiction. The

colony stated that outsiders, non-resident of the colony, whose name were not enrolled or included in electoral roll will not be allowed in the polling station on the day of polling. In this regard, the council has advised individual and political parties to desist from such anti-activities and warned that strict action will be initiated against anyone found indulging in such activities.

February 15. To remember and honour its braveheart Rfn/GD Rai Singh, 7 Assam Rifles, who had made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty on February 15, while the unit was deployed in Thoubal district, Manipur. Jalukie battalion conducted interaction programme at Nzai village and old Tesen, Peren district on February 15. The aim was

to develop and strengthen relationship with Heraka people, through close interaction. A productive interaction and redressal of grievance session was also conducted and awareness lecture on important of education to children, health and hygiene and various schemes of government was also conducted. A total of 45 villagers participated in the

event. Kohima battalion organised a free medical camp at Ruzazho village, Phek district on February 12. The medical camp was organised under the supervision of Chief Medical Officer, Kohima battalion to provide medical assistance to the villagers and also to make them aware of major ailments and precautionary measures.

General Observer for 8 Western Angami, 14 Northern Angami-I and 15 Southern Angami-II Assembly Constituencies, Janak Prasad Pathak along with Flying Squad, Magistrates visited Kezo Town Polling Station on February 17. (Shahlong IA Jakhama)

An elderly woman examined at the medical camp.

APPSC fiasco: Govt agrees to demands of PAJSC

ITANAGAR, FEB 19

(PTI): The Arunachal Pradesh government has agreed to the 13-point demands of the Pan Arunachal Joint Steering Committee (PAJSC), fighting the paper leak issue of the state public service commission.

The development came after two days of unrest in the state capital since Friday, over the lack of adequate action against those involved in the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) cash-for-job scam.

The decision to agree to the demands, arrived after 8 hours long discussion between state government, representatives of PAJSC, All Nyishi Students Union (ANSU), Nari Shakti and activist Sol Dodum late on Saturday night at civil secretariat here.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Home Minister Bamang Felix, Water Resource Development Minister Mama Natung were present along with senior bureaucrats in the meeting.

According to the minutes of the meeting made available, the government responded positively to most of the 13 point demands for

which, the protestors have withdrawn the bandh call from Sunday. The government informed that the chairman, secretary and members officials of APPSC from 2014 to 2022 and any other official/private person are already under the purview of investigation. Based on the findings of the investigation, appropriate action will be taken by the investigating agency, CBI.

The state government had written to the Gauhati High Court to designate District and Sessions Court Yupia (or any other District and Sessions Court) as a

Special Fast-Track Court to take up the APPSC paper leak cases. The high court has positively responded and agreed to designate district and sessions court Yupia as a special fast-track court to take up the APPSC paper leak cases.

The government has agreed to recommend setting up of a standing grievance redressal committee and institutional mechanism to deal with the grievances of the candidates and aspirants. Further, they agreed to place a demand to the government of India within a month for a high-level

Prez Murmu to arrive in Itanagar today

ITANAGAR, FEB 19

(PTI): President Droupodi Murmu will arrive here on Monday on a two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

This will be her maiden visit to the northeastern state after becoming the President.

The president will arrive at the newly built Donyi Polo Airport at Hollongi, near here, from where she would board a chopper and land at Raj Bhavan helipad here, officials at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.

Hollongi is around 27.8 km from the state capital Itanagar.

Murmu will attend the 37th statehood day function here on Monday afternoon as the chief guest.

Arunachal Pradesh, which was earlier known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA), gained Union Territory status on

January 20, 1972. It attained the status of a state on February 20, 1987.

The president during the statehood day celebration at Indira Gandhi Park here, will inaugurate and launch several projects and programmes, sources said.

Murmu will lay the foundation stone of the common directorate for state Human Rights Commission, Lokayukta and State Food Commission here. She will also lay the foundation stone of 40 km double lane road between

Donyi Polo Airport and Naharlagun railway station via Sonajuli and Durpang, the sources said.

The president would also launch two animation films on indigenous folk stories from Arunachal Pradesh under the department of Indigenous Affairs.

A report on unsung heroes of Arunachal Pradesh, who fought against the British, is likely to be released on the occasion of the statehood day. She will address the Statehood Day function later in the day.

On February 21, Murmu will address the members of state Legislative Assembly during a special session at 10 AM, Assembly Secretary K Habung said. Elaborate security arrangements have been made in the state capital in view of the President’s visit, IGP (Law and Order) Chukhu Appa said.

enquiry committee headed by a retired SC or HC Judge for examinations wherever paper leak took place from 2014-2022. On the request of the aspirants, the state government will formally write to Enforcement Directorate to investigate all incumbents in the APPSC from 2014-2022 within this month. The government also announced that whistleblower Gyamar Padang will be recognized appropriately for his contribution.

For the last two days, the streets of the state capital wore a deserted look with business establishments,

New militant group demands separate Kamptapur state

GUWAHATI, FEB 19

(IANS) : A new militant group has emerged in Assam demanding a separate Kamptapur state comprising some parts of Assam and West Bengal.

In a video shared by the newly formed group named as Greater Behar Liberation Organisation (GBLO), it has echoed the same tone of another banned outfit Kamptapur Liberation Army (KLO).

The statement issued by GBLO reiterated that their ‘struggle’ would continue until the government agrees to form a separate state curbing out of some portions from Assam and West Bengal. The organisation said that a separate state is much needed for the tribal population of that area.

markets, banks, educational institutions, government and private offices remained closed and vehicles kept off the road.

Thousands of protestors blocked the NH-415 by burning tyres. The state capital on Friday also witnessed clashes between protesters and police, causing injuries on both sides. As many as ten persons were injured.

Faced with large scale demonstrations by aggrieved aspirants and their family members on Friday, the government had temporarily suspended internet services in the capital region from 6 pm of Friday to 5 pm of Sunday in the “interest of public safety”.

Protestors also damaged a few motorcycles and vehicles. The situation prompted Chief Minister Pema Khandu to call off the oath taking of Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) chairman and members on Friday. The state government had also postponed the state board exams for class 5, 7 and 11, scheduled on Saturday. An official order stated that the board exams in all schools of the capital region have been postponed and would be held later.

Assam losing Rs 2,000 cr revenue per month due to illegal coal mining: AJP

DIGBOI (ASSAM), FEB

19 (PTI): Opposition party Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) on Sunday alleged that the northeastern state is losing nearly Rs 2,000 crore in revenue every month due to rampant illegal rathole coal mining in several places, particularly in Tinsukia district.

The party sent a memorandum to the President, Prime Minister, Supreme Court Chief Justice, Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, NHRC Chairman and National Green Tribunal Chairman highlighting the issue.

“We have been highlighting rampant illegal coal mining, particularly rat-hole mining, in various parts of Assam. It has a direct impact on the environment, public health and the state exchequer,” AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi told PTI here. He claimed that the government is aware that illegal coal mining, which has continued unabated for decades in Assam, has caused large-scale destruction to Dehing Patkai National Park -- the largest rainforest in the Northeast.

The AJP, in its memo-

Lurinjyoti Gogoi

randum, pointed out that the NGT had in 2014 banned rat-hole coal mining, while alleging that it is still going on and the Assam government is aware of the illegal activities in the Digboi Forest Division.

“Inquiries in this regard have been ordered frequently at different levels.

Commissions have been appointed to probe the illegal activity. These commissions have also submitted voluminous reports only to be shelved with no visible action,” the memorandum alleged.

Highlighting various directives of the Gauhati High Court, it alleged that even PSU firm Coal India carried out illegal mining inside the forest for 16 years from 2003 to 2019, which was admitted by the company in 2020.

“Seizure of trucks laden with coal dug out from the forests around Ledo-Margherita region has become a regular phenomenon despite there being a ban on rat-hole mining, without the kingpins ever being nabbed.

“It has created an impression that the government often displays a total inability, even reluctance, to check the illegal mining of coal in the eastern tip of Assam bordering Arunachal Pradesh,” the memorandum alleged.

The party claimed that there is no effective mechanism to keep a tab on the forested region and only the forest department and the police sometimes conduct drives to check illegal coal mining, but without any result.

“Tikak and Tirap are the two main coal producing collieries in Ledo-Margherita. They lie in close proximity to some villages, which facilitate the illegal miners/traders to hire local residents for digging coal. Locals, including women and children, use sharp tools to extract coal through the rat-hole method,” AJP alleged.

Music motivates young voters in Meghalaya

Correspondent

SHILLONG, FEB 19: Music is synonymous with Meghalaya and continues to be effectively deployed by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Meghalaya to promote awareness and education regarding election amongst its 21, 75 000 strong electorate spread across 3482 polling stations in all its 12 districts, election official said on Sunday. With just eight days to go for poll day on February 27, the office of the CEO is actively leveraging music to urge voters to come to their nearest polling stations on voting day and to choose, cast and celebrate their franchise and to ‘love your state, love your voice and love your vote’, because your right is your might and your voice is your choice,” the official said.

B20 conference of the G20 dialogue forum concludes in Imphal

Correspondent

IMPHAL, FEB 19: The first of the four B20 conferences of the G20 dialogue forum for the global business community concluded in Imphal (Manipur) on Sunday.

Over 100 delegates from 23 countries participated in the three-day Imphal event.

The three-day meeting discussed opportunities for multilateral business partnership in ICT, tourism, healthcare and handlooms.

Representatives of G20 and other countries also addressed the plenary session on the day one of the three-day event.

Delegates from Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Chad, Canada, China , France, Greece, Ghana, Iceland, Japan, Nepal, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore,

South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, Togo, Uganda, United States participated in the event.

Delegates from Overseas Trade Delegation - Bhutan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Asia Supporting Organization, APO, Japan, India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Bilateral Organisation

Meghalaya govt denies permission for PM’s rally

(From p-1) PM was scheduled to hold a rally at the stadium, located at chief minister Conrad K Sangma’s home constituency of South Tura. The BJP on Sunday slammed the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government for not allowing PM to hold the election rally. “We have received this letter stating that the PM’s rally at PA Sangma stadium cannot be allowed since the project is

yet to be completed,” BJP national secretary and coconvenor for North East, Rituraj Sinha told reporters.

“My question is that if the PA Sangma stadium is yet to be completed for PM’s rally this month, so on December 16, why did the chief minister inaugurate the stadium,” he asked.

Modi is scheduled to visit Meghalaya on February 24 to address an election rally at Tura and then hold a roadshow in Shillong the same day.

- Indian Association of Japan, Indo Icelandic Business Association were among the participants. Besides, diplomats – Ambassadors from the Embassy of The Republic of Tunisia, High Commissioner - Bangladesh High Commission, High Commissioner- High Commission of the Republic of Seychelles, New Delhi,

Deputy Head of MissionEmbassy of Iceland, Chargé d’Affaires /Head of Mission - High Commission of Togo in India were part of the B20 event.

On day two of the event, the delegates were on an excursion to some historically significant and famous tourist spots of the state including the INA Memorial complex and Loktak Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in South Asia. On Sunday, before concluding the three-day meeting, the delegates visited Ima Keithel, the iconic all-women-run market in the heart of the capital city of the state and the historic Kangla Fort.

The Business 20 or B20 is a group that represents the private sector within the Group of 20 (G20) Forum. This organization was cre-

ated to provide a platform for the business community to engage with the G20 and to offer recommendations on policies that can support global economic growth and development.

The Imphal event was the first B-20 conferences part of India’s G20 presidency and the second one will be held in Aizawl in Mizoram from March 1 to 3, the next one will be in Sikkim’s capital Gangtok from March 15 to 17, while the fourth conference will be in Kohima in Nagaland from April 4 to 6.

In addition to the B20 events being organized in Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim, other events such as Youth 20, Science 20, and Space 20 are being organized in the remaining states of the northeast.

CPI-M activist killed in Tripura

AGARTALA, FEB 19

(IANS): A CPI-M supporter has been allegedly killed by a BJP activist in the northeastern state’s Khowai district. The police, however, said the incident was “purely nonpolitical”. Over 15 post poll incidents of violence were reported after the February 16 Assembly elections in Tripura in which more than 20 people were arrested.

Police said on Sunday that following a personal enmity and quarrel with Panchayat Pradhan of Dwarikapur Gram Panchayat, Krishna Kamal Das

attacked Dilip Sukla Das (50) late Saturday night.

Sukla Das sustained critical injuries in the attack and he was shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during medical treatment. The police later told the media that the incident was not “political in nature”. A police officer said that the main accused, Kamal Das, was arrested. Meanwhile, CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said Kamal Das had called

‘The ‘Light After Dark’, which is Meghalaya’s first all visually impaired music band and the State’s ‘disability icon’, champions the cause of electoral participation amongst persons with disabilities (PWDs) to ensure that no voter is left behind,” he said.

State ‘Election Icons’ - leading band Summersalt

and assorted leading artists from both Khasi Jaintia and Garo Hills regions are musically enthusing and urging all voters to

“Vote for Sure” on February 27 through the foot tapping music video anchored by the office of the CEO, Meghalaya.

“All efforts are being taken to ensure that home voting by 80 plus senior

citizens and PWDs is facilitated by polling teams who are trekking across arduous terrain to arrange for smooth voting by the above categories transcending queues,” the election department said.

“Through ‘Mission 300’ campaign, five polling stations across 60 assembly constituencies have been identified in a bid to improve voting turnout this time so that it touches 90 percent over and above the 86.9 percent voting turnout recorded in the 2018 Assembly Elections, which, compared to other states in the country is fairly robust,” the election official said. Earlier on Valentine’s Day, the election department had organized for musical events in bid to motivate millennial voters to exercise their franchise during the coming assembly elections.

NEDF releases manifesto

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN): Northeast Democratic Front launched its party manifesto on February 18 spearheaded by party president Lima Longkumer along with official executive members. The delegates in attendance for the launch were Meghalaya and Assam unit. The party manifesto is

Sukla Das out of his home late Saturday night and attacked him. “The police did not allow us to pay the last respect to the victim. Taliban rule is going on in Tripura. The police violated human rights by not giving the body of Sukla Das to his family,” he told the media. According to the Left leader, after the February 16 assembly elections, a large number of incidents took place in Khowai, West Tripura, South Tripura, Gomati and Sepahiujala districts and in all cases, the BJP and their goons were involved.

based on the party motto, “Power to the People” emphasising on justice, unity, progress and development.

The objectives of the party are; to sustain the private sector-led eco nomic growth sectors; provide, reactive, rehabilitate and maintain infrastructure; employ measures to uplift the economy and

generate employment; encourage the establishment of small-scale, micro and cottage industries in rural areas; strengthen women societies to make them more effective in the process of ensuring the empowerment of the women; and sustainable agriculture especially in the rural areas.

Declaration

I, Shri. Yangertoshi Ao, hereby declare my resignation from the post of President of the Dimapur District of the NPP (National People’s Party). Concurrently, I also withdraw my membership from the NPP with immediate effect. I shall herewith be supporting Mr. Moatoshi Longkumer, sitting MLA and NDPP Candidate of Dimapur II AC in the forthcoming Assembly Elections, 27th February, 2023.

Sincerely, Sd/Yangertoshi Ao Duncan

Basti, Dimapur, Nagaland

Violence was reported during protest over APPSC paper leak. PTI Photo

A person with disabilities arrives at a polling station, featured in ECI’s music video. (Image: ECI/video grab)

Delegates of B20 of G20 at the Ima Keithel allwomen-run market in Imphal on Sunday.

Members of the newly launched North East Democratic Front.

Droupodi Murmu

SNIPPETS

2 killed, 3 injured in car and truck collision

DHOLPUR, FEB 19

(PTI): Two people were killed and three others were injured in a collision between a car and a truck on the Agra-Mumbai National Highway here on Sunday, police said. According to police, the accident took place due to steering failure of the truck. As a result, it crossed the divider and came in front of the car.

3 medical students drown in Ganga

BUDAUN,FEB 19 (PTI):

Bodies of three students from Government Medical College, Budaun, who had gone missing after they ventured into deep water while bathing in Ganga, were fished out on Sunday, officials said.

During the rescue operation, which lasted nearly eight hours, NDRF fished out bodies of Jai Maurya, 26, Pavan Yadav, 24, and Naveen Sengar, 22, from a spot 500 metres from the ghat.

2 killed, 20 injured as bus rams into truck

LUDHIANA (PB), FEB 19 (PTI): Two people, including a woman, were killed and 20 injured when their bus collided with a stationary truck near Khanna on the Ludhiana-Delhi highway, around 35 kilometres from Ludhiana, on Sunday. Police said the bus driver failed to notice the truck parked on the roadside due to fog and poor visibility. The bus rammed into the truck, which was loaded with iron rods, from behind, they said, adding that the rods pierced through two people -- Mehma (24 ) and Sandeep (21).

NGT directs demolition of hotel in Sundarbans

NEW DELHI, FEB

19 (PTI): The National Green Tribunal has directed authorities in West Bengal to demolish a hotel constructed in Sundarbans in violation of environmental norms. The tribunal was hearing a matter pertaining to the permissibility of a hotel construction in Sundarbans, for which the West Bengal State Coastal Zone Management Authority (WBCZMA) had raised objections. A bench of Chairperson Justice A K Goel said Sundarbans was a critically vulnerable coastal area (CVCA) under the coastal regulation zone notifications and no construction was permissible in a CVCA.

UP man held for raping teen

SAHARANPUR (UP),

FEB 19 (PTI): A man was arrested for allegedly raping and impregnating a teenage girl and throwing their newborn baby in a forest area here, police said. The 17-year-old survivor lodged a complaint at Deoband police station in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, alleging that she was raped several times by one Salman, who had promised to marry her. The newborn was recovered by a farmer and is now being treated at a hospital, Rai said.

Opium brought from Manipur seized in MP

AGAR MALWA (MP),

FEB 19 (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested a truck driver in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh after 2.5 kilograms of opium that was being brought from Manipur, was seized from his vehicle, an official said.

The truck was intercepted on Agar Malwa-Kanad Road following a tip-off, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Kumar Sagar said.

Bhiwani murder: Cong MLA blames Haryana govt

JAIPUR, FEB 19 (PTI):

Congress MLA Aftab Ahmed on Sunday blamed the Haryana government and the state’s police for the alleged abduction and murder of two men whose charred bodies were found in the state’s Loharu area. Ahmed visited Ghatmeeka village in Rajasthan’s Bharatpur district to meet the family members of Nasir and Junaid alias Juna, who were allegedly abducted by cow vigilantes on Wednesday. Their bodies were found inside a burnt car in Loharu in Haryana’s Bhiwani on Thursday morning.

Blaming the Haryana government, Ahmed said it should have taken action when the incident came to light. Lives could have been saved if action was taken, he said. “The Haryana government and the police are completely responsible for

the incident. We will raise the issue in the Assembly.

“I appeal to the (Ashok) Gehlot government (in Rajasthan) to give strict punishment to those who let down humanity and hang them to give justice to the victims’ families,” Ahmed told reporters in Bharatpur.

Rinku Saini, who has been arrested by Rajasthan Police in connection with the alleged abduction and murder, has told investigators that the duo was taken to Haryana Police by cow vigilantes, an officer said on Saturday.

The police will verify the claim, the officer added.

J&K’s eviction drive put on hold amid row, says official

The claim corroborates the statement of Mohammad Jabir, a relative of the victim, that the two were first taken to the Firozpur Jhirka police station in Haryana but police refused take their custody as their condition was serious.

Junaid had a criminal record of cattle smuggling and five cases were registered against him at different police stations, a Rajasthan Police officer said.

The last rites of the victims were conducted on Friday after authorities announced a financial aid of Rs 20.50 lakh to each of their families. A Rajasthan court on Saturday sent Saini to police remand for five days in connection with the case while Haryana authorities moved to cancel the arms licence of Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar, who is among the four evading arrest.

JamiatUlema-e-Hindtermsthecrime‘barbaric’

January, 28 2023.”

India’s rising population a ticking time bomb: Togadia

RAIPUR, FEB 19 (PTI):

Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulemae-Hind has termed as “inhuman” and “barbaric” the alleged abduction and murder of two men by cow vigilantes in Rajasthan, and sought a judicial inquiry into the matter.

Jamiat president Maulana Mahmood Madani on Saturday said, “This is not an isolated case, before this, another young man named Waris, a resident of Hussainpur village in Haryana’s Mewat district, was also killed on the same lines on

“All these incidents of hatred and crimes against the Muslim minority community are a pointer towards polarising and creating a vitiating atmosphere in the country,” he said. A Rajasthan court on Saturday sent one accused to police remand for five days in the case even as authorities in Haryana moved to cancel the arms licence of Bajrang Dal member Monu Manesar who is among the four evading an arrest in the case. In a letter addressed to the central government, Madani urged it to take immediate and appropriate steps to ensure that the accused are apprehended at the earliest and are tried under the due process of the law, a statement released by Jamiat said.

Kiren Rijiju pitches for institutional arbitration; says AI can help arbitrators

NEW DELHI, FEB 19

(PTI): Law Minister Kiren

Rijiju on Sunday batted for institutional arbitration in the country and pointed at loopholes in “ad hoc” arbitr ation, saying such proceedings are susceptible to court interventions which delay the final outcome.

SRINAGAR, FEB 19 (AGENCIES): The Jammu and Kashmir administration has halted the antiencroachment drive that snowballed into a major controversy. The drive has already evicted thousands of people who had been cultivating and residing on government land, reports Ndtv news.

Bulldozers were used to remove encroachments of 20 Lakh kanals (2.5 lakh acres) of land across 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Besides retrieving land, many structures have been demolished.

Sources say the government is coming up with a policy to protect small landholders and till that time officials have been asked to stop the anti-encroachment drive.

“Yes, the antiencroachment drive has been put on hold. This has been done to factor in and consolidate what has been achieved so far in the drive,” said a senior Revenue official.

Officials say large tracks of state land that was occupied by people for decades have already been retrieved. Now the Revenue officials have been directed to furnish the status report of the land retrieved so far.

The officer said it was never the government’s intention to take away the land of small landholders or of those who have built a home.

He added the aim of the drive was to retrieve large tracks of land encroached by rich and powerful people.

He also said artificial intelligence (AI) can help arbitrators in tasks such as document review and analysis, legal research, and drafting of awards.

Addressing a Delhi Arbitration Weekend event at the Delhi High Court, he said majority of the people go for “ad hoc” arbitrations where the proceedings are not governed by pre-determined rules.

As a result, these proceedings are susceptible to court intervention at various stages which leads to delay in final decision for the parties involved. On the other hand, Rijiju pointed out, institutional arbitrations are regulated by the rules of an institution that provide for a more structured and secure process.

In addition, parties can benefit from the expertise of the arbitral institution having good quality infrastructure, he said.

He said the government’s Vision 2030 is to see arbitration space remain dynamic, amendable to adopting best practices, as also conscious of the needs of time-bound and final adjudication of contractual disputes.

With the emphasis on institutional arbitration, it is essential that new arbitration centres are set up in non-metro cities, he felt.

The whole system of institutional arbitration is crucial in creating and enhancing the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ (EoDB) environment, he stressed.

He was of the view that EoDB is linked to ‘Ease of living’.

Ease of living will

Opposition unity ‘not possible’ without Cong: Jairam

NEW DELHI, FEB 19

(AGENCIES): A day after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said he was waiting for a signal from the Congress to work towards bringing all the Opposition parties together, the Congress on Sunday said the party knows its “role” very well and argued that Opposition unity would be neither possible nor successful without it, reports Indian Express.

The Congress also took a dig at some of the Opposition parties, saying it was not like some of the parties that attend opposition meetings but act in the interest of the BJP later. Arguing that it was the only party to have never compromised with the BJP, the Congress said it did not require a certificate from

Jairam Ramesh

anyone to take the lead.

The Congress welcomed Kumar’s statement and said it would decide on issues such as Opposition unity at the forthcoming All India Congress Committee (AICC) plenary session in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Around 15,000 delegates, including 1,800 AICC delegates, from across the country are expected to attend the session. “We know our role very well. The Congress is the only political party that has not compromised with

the BJP. Many Opposition parties sit in meetings called by (Mallikarjun) Kharge but their actions later are in favour of the ruling party. We are not two-faced. We have only one face…,” Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said at a press conference alongside top leaders K C Venugopal, Kumari Selja, Tariq Anwar, and Pawan Kumar Bansal.

Venugopal said the Congress had already taken an initiative to bring together like-minded Opposition parties. “During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we invited likeminded political parties to join and have a common fight against the BJP government. Most of the like-minded political parties joined … In Parliament, the

entire Opposition joined together on the Adani issue… There is a clearcut initiative from the Congress,” he said.

Recalling that Kharge had convened a series of meetings of Opposition parties in Parliament, he said, “We welcome the statement of Nitish Kumar… certainly Congress will do the party’s role in a bigger manner. The plenary will be a platform for all of this, the direction will come (from the plenary).”

On Kumar’s remarks that the BJP would not be able to cross 100 seats in the parliamentary elections next year if the Opposition unites, Venugopal said, “Our job is to do that only. Our main job is to lessen the numbers of BJP.”

Oppn joined hands to disrupt dev in WB: Abhishek

KOLKATA, FEB 19

(PTI): TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday slammed the opposition, claiming that the Congress, CPI(M) and BJP have joined hands to derail the development process initiated by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal.

Banerjee, while addressing a rally at Sagardighi in Murshidabad, where by-election is scheduled on February 27, said leaders of the Congress never speak against the “discrimination” towards the state by the central government. The by-poll has been necessitated due to the death of sitting TMC

MLA Subrata Saha.

“The Congress and CPI(M) are handin-glove with the BJP. Have you ever seen Adhir Chowdhury (WBPCC president and Baharampur MP) talk about the immediate release of central funds to Bengal, which have been held up for months? He will not,” he said. The Trinamool Congress leader also questioned Chowdhury’s “silence” over the repeated assertions in the past by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other BJP leaders regarding the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act in Bengal. Drawing a parallel with the

be witnessed when there is prosperity in the society, and a robust system promoting ‘Ease of Doing Business’ atmosphere, he told the gathering.

Citing a World Bank EoDB Report, he said India takes as much as 1,445 days to resolve a dispute and 31 per cent of the claim value for dispute resolution is spent during the process. He said the support of the judiciary is must to realise the objectives of ease of doing business and ease of living. The judiciary, the minister noted, has also been receptive of the various measures which have been taken to strengthen the dispute resolution measures in the country.

OFFICE

In

Former VHP leader Pravin Togadia on Sunday described India’s rising population as a “ticking time bomb” and stressed the need to formulate a law to prevent its explosion and the resulting adverse effects.

He also expressed hope that PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce a law for population control and the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections.

Togadia, president of Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad, was talking to reporters in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur ahead of addressing a public meeting in Basna area of state’s Mahasamund district. When asked about the demand to bring a population control law, Togadia said, “The rising population and population imbalance

Pravin Togadia

are a time bomb and when it explodes it will lead to civil wars in cities and villages. Therefore, in order to prevent such a situation there is a need to formulate a population control law.”

“I believe that Narendrabhai Modi and Amitbhai will go to the 2024 election after formulating laws regarding population control, UCC and construction of temples in Kashi and Mathura. These moves will not only protect Hindus, but also their BJP votes,” he added.

Virtual court hearings have increased efficiency: SC

NEW DELHI, FEB 19 (PTI): Virtual court hearings have increased efficiency and it is necessary to utilise this system for which a vast infrastructure has been created and even large amount of money sanctioned by the government, Supreme Court Judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said on Sunday.

Speaking at the concluding session of the fourday long ‘Delhi Arbitration Weekend’, Justice Kaul said when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, the international arbitration community shifted to the virtual system and gradually virtual or hybrid hearings will become a norm and physical hearings will become an exception.

“To keep the wheels of justice moving as much as possible, we introduced virtual hearing in courts and India being a developing country, faced infrastructural and connectivity issues but it did not take long for the stakeholders to find a way of operating efficiently,” he said.

Justice Kaul was speaking on the topic ‘Arbitration Vision 2030: What the Future Beholds?’ “I would say the virtual system has actually increased the efficiency

level and hence even today, I operate on a hybrid level where I permit lawyers to appear through video conferencing,” he said. He added that virtual system has reduced cost of travelling and allows lawyers to prepare their matters in a short time.

“This is something the Chief Justice of India also on recent occasions emphasised that having created this vast infrastructure it is necessary to utilise it to the best possible way considering that the government has also sanctioned a large amount for further use of technology to strengthen the judicial system,” Justice Kaul said. He said the virtual system has done away with the need of unnecessarily spending money on travelling to different parts of the world for conferences or hearings and it has also become easier for arbitrators and practitioners to find a suitable date of hearing. Some arbitration institutions have explicitly come out with virtual arbitration rules, he said, adding arbitrators and practitioners will be required to know the basics of technology with an attention to cyber security and other issues.

GOVERNMENT OF NAGALAND

mythological character of Ravana, Banerjee said the opposition parties were like the different heads of the demon king, “conspiring against truth and representing evil forces”.

He said Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari keeps “threatening” TMC leaders about raids by central agencies, and wondered why “some leaders of the BJP, Congress and CPI(M) don’t come under the scanner of probe agencies”.

“There was an I-T raid at the premises of our Jangipur MLA Jakir Hossain, who is an entrepreneur and employs hundreds of labourers. You (BJP) cannot scare us by such cheap politics. We will fight your evil design,” he asserted.

Kiren Rijiju addresses the closing session of Delhi Arbitration Weekend, at Delhi High Court, Sunday. (PTI)

Representational Image

M.M Asad Madani

Aftab Ahmed

Abhishek Banerjee

Need to move from word to work

After a decade, the message for Clean Election appears to have finally gotten through if various appeals and resolutions by colony wards and village councils including some organisations, serve as any indication. Since the 90s this newspaper has been commenting on how unethical and often criminal means were being used to fight election and how , as a consequence, the election system has been totally hijacked by money power, muscle power and proxy voting. The NBCC had tried to replicate the Mizoram experiment in 2012 but without proper preparation. Why clean election is important is because that could be the first major step towards bringing about transparency and accountability at all levels of society be it government or private or whatever. Electoral malpractices have robbed the people of capable leaders who would have served society with commitment. The use of money and muscle power are clear and damning signs that society has been criminalised and the only way is to begin the process with election of those who would become the constitutional functionaries to run the government system. Elections in Nagaland have by and large become criminalised because of the over and excessive use of ill gotten money –siphoning public money through corrupt means or money that has been taken on loans through mortgage of properties. Also money power is used to recruit anti-social elements and mafia goons to capture booths, kidnap campaign and block level leaders of the opponent and send a clear message to officials not to mess around with them. All in all, elections are a fraud so long as money, muscle power and community or village diktats are allowed to become the main feature in Nagaland. What Clean Election is and should be can be understood from the Mizoram experiment. Elections in Mizoram have become the byword for establishing good governance. This has been achieved through the involvement of the Mizoram People’s Forum(MPF), a voluntary body formed in 2006. Prior to formation of MPF , Mizos were concerned with use of money and muscle power in elections and attempted to check them during the assembly elections in 1998 and 2003. After formation of MPF things began to fall in place. MPF takes over electioneering by first weeding out undesirable candidates with dubious backgrounds, to banning feasts, use of liquor or any form of enticement. MPF also conducts common platform for candidates and disallows other forms of personal canvassing. There is restriction even with the number of election materials such as flags or posters. MPF comprises of church members and advisers handpicked from the civil society and borrowed volunteers from the YMA besides two other civil society organisations – Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) and Zoram Upa Pawl (ZUP). MPF requisitions volunteers as per its requirement to monitor the polling process and help people cast their votes at the booths in a smooth manner. The MPF has earned respect of the people and its image and reputation is unchallenged. That is how the church must be seen to be – a body that shines light to darkness and adds taste to society.

DailyDevotion Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery

Arise, shine… —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Quotes

Run up to polls, SJM frees Govt of job worries Gandhian way

Acute unemployment the biggest political challenge for the country is sought to be resolved the Gandhian way by the RSS outfit Swadeshi Jagarn Manch (SJM) through the farms at over 700 districts.

The SJM has launched Swavalambi Bharat Yojana (SBY) at a three-day conclave harnessing the strength of about a score of sister organisations including Bharatiya Kisan Sangh to fight the demoniac poverty through a non-governmental effort. It may be interpreted as freeing the government responsibility of providing jobs, a view the government has been promoting. The SBY to open job centres in districts, encourage use of local products,support selfemployment, new smallscale enterprises, start-ups, and cooperation-based industries. The RSS general secretary Krishna Gopal and SJM co-cordinator Satish Kumar set the tone.

Without blaming any government, Kumar told the massive all-India gathering the issues of rising prices, ecological devastation, corruption and joblessness could not be resolved during the past 75 years despite annual growth of over 6 percent. Nine lakh youth

join the four crore listed job-seekers every month. Among the G-20 countries, India has the largest number of unemployed, he says. So says the OECD. And there are 23 crore in utter poverty with an income of Rs 375 a day.

The CMIE figures released on February 17 testify the India unemployment rate in urban areas increased to 10.09 percent in December from 8.96 percent the previous month while it decreased in rural areas to 7.44 percent from 7.55 percent. CMIE managing director Mahesh Vyas also notes that labour participation has also increased to 40.48 percent in December, the highest level in a year.

Kumar says that the governments emulating the western modes not only ignored the youth but even considered them part of the problem. “An improper narrative equated jobs with government or large corporate employment. The job creation is beyond their capability. The SBY would change that by creation of jobs through replicating policy-making NITI Aayog type bodies at the district level. Jobs through entrepreneurship at farms and local businesses would be the new model. The 37

crore youth are being told to be job givers instead of seekers through Rojgar Srijan Kendra.

In a way it may mean that jobs are no more the concern of the government. The narration can usher in a change in the political narrative in targeting the government, something that recently Congress leader Rahul Gandhi did during his Bharat Jodo Yatra. It is being changed to a societal responsibility of seeking solutions to an enigmatic problem.

RSS general secretary Krishna Gopal also suggests that the country has to look beyond the governmental effort in creation of jobs or amelioration of economic conditions. The pattern of Indian economy was different. It began at the farmers’ fields and engulfed the society. Castigating the industrial model of growth, he says it is not sustainable. The dependence of the people in Europe or the US on agriculture is 2 to 4 percent. While about 60 percent are dependent on agriculture in India and the country has been ignoring agriculturebased economy.

India robbed the empire of gold by selling items of fancy. Gopal says that India dominated the market 3000 years ago with exports of finest swords, fabric, spices, jewellery, perfume and commanded 24 percent of the world economy. It draped 30 percent of the world with cotton and silk fabric. The British robbed the country of its glory that even during the Mughul rule continued to be the leader in world economy.

Shivaji Sarkar

come from the districts. India has to decentralize job creation.

The SBY is stressing on One-District-One-Product solution. This would make districts having expertise in one particular area and take steps to integrate with the worldwide phenomenon. Opportunities are there in floriculture, sericulture, horticulture, flora and fauna and tech.

Narrating the woes of the Roman Empire, he quoted Pliny ruing that

During British rule wave of famines reduced food production and post independence India lived ship to mouth imports of poor quality wheat. Its ghee production had fallen to 1.5 crore ton a year. It has now risen to record 3.5 crore ton. Today India sends free food dole to the needy of the world and is largest milk producer. The country has the most fertile land with tremendous variety. Indian doctors, engineers and techies rule the biggest corporate firms. Still the country could not have as many food processing units as it should have. It has 18 to 23 crore unemployed. And the number is increasing. This needs change in perspective. That has to

More was clarified by an expert from Hyderabad, Sridhar Vengu, who narrated how research and development is becoming money spinner. Replication of the ancient farming that included a whole eco-system of production from pottery, ironsmith, weaving, astrology and the temple priest is not an easy. The rural craftsman to migrant labour all are at a loss today. Industry and farms are at loggerheads. Corrections may be possible but not easy. But one-district-one-product at Tenkasi experiment has yielded satisfactory results.

In some tech driven issues it can even draw Rs 200 billion investments that multiply jobs in diverse ways.

The Sangh about seven years back had also experimented with clustergroup of small industry

approach. In a limited way, it has done a bit in some areas of Uttarakhand. In the course of its work, it was experienced that not all local groups can function with equal élan. Since each unit is independent, ego and coordination is not easy. Involving government organisations with their high-brow approach discourages entrepreneurs. If the SBY could move forward, it would help the cause. But continuity remains an issue. The organizers are hopeful that they would delink jobs from the government and provide as per a SJM paper self employment jobs like rehdi, kiosk, barber, laundry, driver, taxi, auto etc. Gopal says worldwide 20 lakh each nursing and drivers would be in demand. There is also an issue of finances. If some projects are established, it helps but if not it can prove to be dampener. Even inter-organisational coordination has its pros and cons.

The SBY is working on the path. It is the beginning of a thought process of making districts the pivot of the economy. Would it relieve the government of job concerns in run up to the polls in a world besotted with war and recession fears?

Christian leaders call on citizens to vote with good conscience

Christian leaders from different parts of Assam and North East region met in Guwahati on Friday the 14th February 2023 with a commitment to solidarity with one another and those who are discriminated against.

The meeting took note of incidents against Christians in our country which include hatespeeches, humiliation and violence targeting individuals and groups, destruction and desecration of property and places of worship.

Brutality and crime like the murder of Graham Staines in Odisha more than 20 years ago, barbaric abuses of human rights against Christian communities in Kandhamal in 2008 and many

innumerable more in different parts of the country especially in States where the ruling dispensation remain consensually silent against the perpetrators of these acts. Since the last few years atrocities against Christians and Churches have increased in numbers and intensity with many more cases going unreported, and the recent incidents in this region with the “authorised census” targeting Christian individuals, families and groups in Assam.

In the guise of clearing encroachments on the forests, worship places are destroyed, eviction and displacement of Boro families and communities who are indigenous settlers have taken place and the majority of the

members are Christians. Meanwhile, what cannot go unnoticed is that hundreds of acres of tribal land and resources are being handed over to persons and groups alien to the region which is an effort towards the economic exploitation of our region, especially the land and assets of the weaker communities by the dominating groups who are trying to gain control and power in targeted locations. A fear is being expressed about the sinister threat of removing the ST status from Tribal Christians and others which will effectively take away the constitutional rights and status of the indigenous citizen of the land.

While government authorities have denied any intention to interfere

in the citizens’ choice of their religion, faith and practice, yet churches, institutions and Christian centres are being harassed with undue enquiries and uncalled-for requirements and warnings.

Tribal people of the North-east have always respected personal choices, cultural and religious differences and have never been influenced by communal prejudices in any other part of the country.

Things like encounter killings or harsh treatment of dissenters have never been in our tradition. The bulldozer culture that has recently been introduced is only a tool of humiliation and cowardice.

In the wake of State Elections this month in Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, the meeting

calls on citizens in the region to remain alert on threats to the freedoms guaranteed by our constitution and safeguards ensured therein to our people.

It also urges our fellow Christians never to compromise on the principles taught to us by our Faith – to stand by truth, justice and fairness. One should not succumb to false promises and short-term allurements. As individual voters, one must judiciously exercise our electoral privilege in the casting of our votes. One should be guided by informed and a clear conscience and elect able leaders who are just and fair, who shun corrupt practices, and those who are trustworthy and committed to the unity and

good of our community and the nation. The leaders who attended this meeting represent the National Boro Christian Council (NBCC), Assam Baptist Convention (ABC), Boro Baptist Church Association (BBCA), Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention (KABC), All Manipur Christian Organisation (AMCO), Catholic Church, UCF Karbi Anglong, Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF), North Bank Baptist Christian Association (NBBCA), Khasi Jaintia Christian Leaders Forum (KJCLF), Christ Church Guwahati (CNI), Assam Christian Forum (ACF), CCFNEI, Boro Baptist Convention (BBC) Issued by- Nagaland Joint Christian Forum

NDPP Youth organization reacts to Dr. Jamir’s statements

NDPP Youth Organisation is left baffled by series of outrageous statements made by former Chief Minister and former Governor Dr. S.C Jamir, who has been nonchalantly critical of the affairs of the State Government, questioning the progressive policies and decisions of the Government, his recent interviews expose his mindset and his reluctance to cope with changing times. His deliberate attempts to divide the Nagas into different blocs while playing one section against the others must be condemned by every rightthinking citizen. It is to our utter dismay that a leader such as the former Governor and Chief Minister Dr. S. C. Jamir’s persistence in irrationally critiquing every government’s noble initiative, which is quite unbecoming; also stooping to the extent of publicly mocking democratically elected Legislators, is unexpected of a respected veteran of his stature. His agenda-driven opinion on mired issues is now a regular affair and Naga people are well aware of his attempts to distort Naga history.

It’s sad to observe that a person of his age and stature is attending functions or programmes of little school children and inaugurating shops and in the process, speaking divisive politics and spreading agenda propaganda. He is perhaps very determined to assert his own narratives and create unrest in the State that he’s not sparing even innocent school students with distorted Naga history. Therefore, it is advised that the veteran should focus on exhortations that benefit children, who need to be inspired and motivated to achieve great things rather than confusing them and bringing his stature so low down.

1. The creation of new districts in the state was initiated by heeding the voice and the desire of the common people for equitable progress and development. The government has made a conscious decision in order to fulfill the aspirations of all sections of society, which will generate more opportunities and avenues for the citizens. It is a fact that the Indian Government has also bifurcated many new states and Districts following the same prin-

ciple for efficient and effective governance, paving the way for development at an incredible pace. Similarly, the Government of India is considering increasing the State Assembly seats and parliament seats for Nagaland is much welcomed news, respectable representation of the Naga people in the Parliament will be more impactful and beneficial. More State Assembly constituencies will usher in equal representation and equitable development for all sections and efficiency in governance and administration.

2. Dr. S. C. Jamir was Chief Minister of Nagaland 20 years back and it was during his regime many evils that plaques our Naga society today were introduced, It was during his regime that civil society and the Naga tribal family were divided into different blocs. He was also responsible for always taking sides instead of uniting the Naga people. It was also during his time that elections malpractices and suppression of democratic principles were introduced in Naga society. Was he not the one who introduced toppling games, instability, polarizations, breaking up

of tribal bodies, using gun and money power in elections and so many more evils in our society? The Naga people have been struggling to weed out such practices since then to uproot all obsolete and evil practices sown in society when the former Chief Minister Dr. S.C Jamir was at the helm; therefore he has absolutely no moral authority to lecture the Naga society today.

3. In the present context, the Naga People are witnessing a conglomerate of Civil Society Organizations (CSO), National workers, Political Parties all cohesively and tirelessly working for an acceptable and final solution to the protracted Naga Issue. Dr. S. C. Jamir must not confuse the masses with his self-aggrandizing narrative to further divide and disintegrate the Nagas, which will have irreparable consequences. He should recollect how, back in 1998 when the collective Naga civil society made a clarion call for “No Solution No Election”, it was Dr. S. C. Jamir, the then Chief Minister and the congress party who did not listen to the people’s demand and went on to file nominations, and went on to form

an unpopular government that will always remain a dark era etched in the history of Nagas. Dr. S. C. Jamir authored and published the infamous “Bedrock of the Naga Society”, attempting to distort the history of the Naga struggle and also greatly dishonoring the sacrifices of the pioneers and martyrs who have laid down their lives for the Naga cause. He must accept the truth that his failure to perform his duties as the head of the state saw his party being ousted from power and the Congress Party rooted out completely from the state, Dr. S. C. Jamir should seriously reflect on how he has failed the Nagas time and again.

Unlike the old regime, the NDPP coalition Government led by Hon’ble Chief Minister Mr. Neiphiu Rio enjoys the mandate and the trust of the Nagas, the Government after coming to power, have endeavored to provide an all-inclusive, clean and efficient system of governance with a clear vision to usher in all round development in the state and also restore lasting peace, paving the way for ample opportunities in all aspects for the Naga People towards progress and a better future for the coming generations.

Dated: 16/02/2023

Issued by: Media cell, NDPP Central Youth Organisation

Reader’s Post

You will be forgotten after the poll!

Sir, It is disheartening and even ridiculous to notice how political party workers have resorted to violence ahead the forthcoming polls in Nagaland on February 27. These reckless party workers need to understand that they are just being used by candidates to serve their political ambitions. Once the polls are over, these trouble makers may be forgotten by the very candidates they literally fought for. This is absolute madness. I pray that common sense and peace prevails in the build-up to the election.

Vikato Sumi, Dimapur.

“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.”

Confucius

SNIPPETS

Maha Man kills 17-year-old fiancée

JALNA, FEB 19 (PTI):

A man allegedly killed his 17-year-old fiancée in Jalna in Maharashtra and efforts were on to nab him, a police official said on Sunday. The 24-yearold accused is from Warud in Buldhana district, while the victim is from Belora here, the official said. “They were supposed to get married on March 17 and their parents had gone to Lonar to buy wedding dresses.

However, the accused on Saturday reached Belora, raped the teen girl and slit her throat,” he said.

3.0 magnitude tremor hits western MP

BHOPAL, FEB 19 (PTI):

A tremor of 3.0 magnitude hit some western districts of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday afternoon, but there was no report of any casualty and damage to property due to it, officials said. The National Centre for Seismology said in a tweet that an earthquake of magnitude

3.0 occurred at 12.54 pm with its epicentre 151 kilometres west south-west of Indore. There was no report of loss of life or property damage so far.

Two labourers killed in roof collapse

GHAZIABAD, FEB 19 (PTI): Two labourers were killed, eight injured and some others feared trapped after the roof of an under-construction building collapsed here on Sunday, police said. The incident took place in the Roop Nagar industrial area in Loni, neighbouring Delhi. Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravi Kumar said 10 labourers were pulled out from the debris. Two of them were declared dead and eight are injured.

Man stabs girl for refusing to work

RAIPUR, FEB 19 (PTI):

A 16-year-old girl was allegedly attacked with a sharp weapon by a man, who also pulled her by hair on a busy road as he was angry after she stopped working at his shop in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur, police said on Sunday. The 47-year-old accused was arrested following the incident that occurred on Saturday night, while the girl is undergoing treatment.

Rs 2,000 cr deal to buy Sena name &

symbol: Raut Won’t get involved in row of Sena name & symbol: Pawar

Fadnavis mocks Uddhav over Sena splitafteralliancewithNCP,Cong Shindecamp,BJP

MUMBAI, FEB 19 (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed a “deal of Rs 2000 crore” has taken place so far to “purchase” the Shiv Sena party name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol, two days after the Election Commission allotted them to the group led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Legislator Sada Sarvankar from the camp led by Shinde dismissed the claim and asked, “Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?”

Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also hit back at Raut saying such baseless comments were an attempt to malign independent institutions like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India.

Raut in a tweet claimed the Rs 2,000 crore was a preliminary figure, and that this was 100 per cent true.

He also told reporters that a builder close to the ruling dispensation shared this information with him.

The Rajya Sabha member said his claim was backed by proof which he would disclose soon.

The Election Commission on Friday recognised the Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real Shiv Sena and ordered allocation of the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it.

In a 78-page order on the protracted battle for control of the organisation, the EC allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to keep the “flaming torch” poll symbol allocated to it till the completion of the Assembly bypolls in the state.

Raut on Sunday said Rs 2,000 crore is not a small amount to “purchase” the name Shiv Sena.

“The EC’s decision is a deal,” he alleged.

“I have reliable information that there has been a deal of Rs 2000 crore to get the Shiv Sena name and its symbol. This is a preliminary figure and is 100 per cent true. Many things will be revealed shortly. Never before this has happened in the country’s history,” Raut tweeted.

However, BJP leader Mungantiwar said such comments were an attempt to malign independent institutions like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission of India.

People will teach a lesson to those who make such comments which disrespect democracy, he said.

‘’Hope better sense prevails,” he added.

Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar claimed people making such comments have “either lost senses or gone mad.”

Corroded wires, welded suspenders behind Morbi bridge tragedy: SIT

Uddhav Thackeray claimed the Shiv Sena had rotted during its 25-year alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party, while it has been decimated in its twoand-half-year alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Congress, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis quipped on Sunday.

Speaking at a ‘Vijay Sankalp’ rally in Kolhapur in the presence of Union Home Minister and senior colleague Amit Shah, he said the “traitors” had been taught a lesson and shown their place six months ago, apparently a reference to the split in the Shiv Sena, which brought down the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Taking a swipe at Thackeray, the deputy CM said, “Those who said they rotted in the 25-year alliance with the BJP have now seen their party finished in two-and-half years after

joining hands with the NCP, Congress (to form the Maha Vikas Aghdi post the 2019 Assembly poll results). They have been brought to the streets.”

In an apparent attack on Thackeray’s repeated utterances that the party was founded by his father late Bal Thackeray, who groomed its leaders, Fadnavis said “the Shiv Sena cannot be a property”. “It is a school of thought. There can be a heir to a property or to some assets but not for thoughts. You have to put them in action and live up to these thoughts,” Fadnavis said.

PUNE, FEB 19 (PTI): Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said he has clarified his stand on the Election Commission’s decision to recognise Eknath Shinde-led faction as the real ‘Shiv Sena’ and allocation of the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it, and will not get involved in the controversy over it.

In its decision on Friday, the EC allowed the Uddhav Thackeray faction to retain the name Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the ‘flaming torch’ poll symbol, given to it in an interim order in October last year, till the conclusion of upcoming Assembly bypolls in the state.

Uddhav Thackeray had said the EC’s order was “dangerous for democracy” and he would challenge it in the Supreme Court.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had described the EC’s decision as the victory of truth and people.

Pawar on Friday said

said the loss of `bow and arrow’ will not make any difference to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction as people will accept its new poll symbol.

To a query from reporters over the issue on Sunday, the NCP chief, who was in Pune’s Baramati town, said, “I do not want to get involved in the controversy regarding the name and symbol given to Eknath Shinde. I have already clarified my stand on the same two days back.”

Asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Pune, Pawar said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was here for the Sahkar Maha Conclave.

Haryana employees demand restoration of OPS

MORBI, FEB 19 (PTI): The Gujarat governmentappointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) has found in its preliminary probe that corrosion on nearly half of the wires on a cable and welding of old suspenders with new ones were some of the major faults that led to the collapse of the suspension bridge in Morbi last year in which 135 people were killed.

These findings are part of the ‘Preliminary Report on Morbi Bridge Incident’ submitted by the five-member SIT in December 2022. The report was recently shared with the Morbi Municipality by the state Urban Development Department.

Ajanta Manufacturing Limited (Oreva Group) was responsible for the op-

India’s last rescue team returns from quake-hit Turkey

eration and maintenance of the British-era suspension bridge on the Machchu river that collapsed on October 30 last year. The SIT had found several lapses in repairs, maintenance and operation of the bridge.

IAS officer Rajkumar

Beniwal, IPS officer Subhash Trivedi, a secretary and a chief engineer from the state Roads and Building Department and a professor of structural engineering were members of the SIT.

The SIT noted that of the two main cables of the bridge, built by the erstwhile rulers in 1887 over river Machchhu, one cable was having issues of corrosion and nearly half of its wires “may be already broken” even before the cable snapped on October

30 evening. According to the SIT, the main cable on the upstream side of the river snapped, leading to the tragedy. Each cable was formed by seven strands, each comprising seven steel wires. Total 49 wires were clubbed together in seven strands to form this cable, the SIT report said. The SIT also found that during the renovation work, “old suspenders (steel rods which connect the cable with the platform deck) were welded with the new suspenders. Hence the behaviour of suspenders changed. In these types of bridges, single rod suspenders should be used to bear the load”. The probe report also pointed out that replacing individual wooden planks with an aluminium deck also played a role in the collapse.

CHANDIGARH, FEB 19

(PTI): The Haryana Police on Sunday used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse a large group of state government employees holding a demonstration in Panchkula for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Police took action when the demonstrators, who had gathered on the Panchkula-Chandigarh border, tried to cross over into the Union Territory and

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march towards the Haryana chief minister’s residence and ‘gherao’ it to press for their demand.

There was heavy police deployment at the site on the border, police said. The demonstrators had gathered under the banner of the ‘Old Pension Scheme (OPS)

Restoration Struggle Committee’ and a representative of the panel, while speaking to reporters in Panchkula, claimed that a few employees had suffered injuries during the police action.

“Restoration of OPS is a legitimate demand.

Governments of Rajasthan, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have restored it. The Haryana government

has given an excuse that the government will go bankrupt if OPS is restored, which is not correct,” the committee’s representative said. He said that an employee gives 25 to 30 years of service to a department.

“Politicians have in the past also been getting pensions for multiple terms, so what are we demanding...,” he said.

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NEW DELHI, FEB 19

(AGENCIES): The final National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team under Operation Dost returns home from Turkey after Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) announced the end of rescue operations, reports ANI.

Under Operation Dost 3 teams of 151 NDRFHQ personnel and dog squads extended assistance to earthquake-affected Turkey.

NDRF Teams executed search, rescue and relief operations including life detection in 35 worksites of Nurdagi and Antakya.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) on Saturday said that search and rescue operations have ended in most provinces nearly two weeks after this month’s devastating earthquakes in Tur -

key and Syria, reported Al Jazeera.

“The death count due to the earthquakes rose to 40,642, and the work of searching and rescue for people stuck under the debris has ended in most of the provinces,” Yunis Sezar, head of AFAD, said in a presser.

“We believe we will end the search and rescue operations by tomorrow night,” he added.

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Turkey’s southeast and neighbouring Syria on February 6, killing more than 45,000 people and leaving more than a million people homeless along with an economical cost expected to run into billions of dollars, reported Al Jazeera.

India was among the first responder to search and rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria.

Sanjay Raut

Devendra Fadnavis

Sharad Pawar

Rescue personnel conduct search operations after the Morbi bridge tragedy on October 31, 2022. (PTI)

GST Council clears setting up tribunals

NEW DELHI, FEB 19 (PTI): Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the GST Council adopted the report of the Group of Ministers on GST Appellate Tribunal with certain modifications, and the final draft amendments will be circulated to state finance ministers for their comments.

The GoM on Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunals (GSTATs) was set up in July last year under the chairmanship of Haryana deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala. The panel has suggested that the tribunals should consist of two judicial members, and one technical member each from the Centre and states, besides a retired Supreme Court judge as president.

The GoM report on the establishment of the GST Appellate Tribunal has been accepted with slight modifications in the language that will be shared with States on Sunday and following

Nirmala Sitharaman

which a final draft of the Tribunal’s setting up will be worked out, Sitharaman told reporters after chairing the 49th meeting of the GST Council. She also informed that the Council has authorised the chairperson to take the final view and incorporate it in the Finance Bill, since there is not much time for the Council to meet again.

Commenting on the proposal, Abhishek Jain, Tax Partner, KPMG said a major development is an agreement on the GoM report on setting up of GST tribunal at the centre and state level. “This is a positive development and the

industry players would hope that their long wait for GST Tribunal will soon be over,” he said.

Shilpa Dhobale, Head, Product and Strategy IRISGST, at regtech company IRIS said as the government ramps up audits and analytics on tax returns, discrepancies in tax liabilities are being identified and continuously tracked, resulting in taxpayers receiving notices. “The muchawaited GSTAT is expected to help resolve these matters faster. The establishment of GSTAT is expected to bring relief to businesses that have long awaited a quick and efficient process for resolving GST disputes,” she said.

Mahesh Jaising, Partner, Leader, Indirect Tax, Deloitte India said while the setting up of tribunals has seen significant delays, the formula for the number of members seems interesting and with equal representation by Centre and State, “we seem to be moving in the right direction and these

NPA takes exception to Feb 18 issue

should become a reality soon”. AMRG & Associates Senior Partner Rajat Mohan said that finally, after a lag of more than 2,000 days, the Council has given inprincipal approval to the appellate tribunals with certain modifications. It is expected that new provisions could be pushed through Budget 2023 itself.

In the long run, this decision will fast-track cases struck in the pipeline and lower the judiciary’s burden, Mohan said. Charanya Lakshmikumaran, Partner, Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Attorney said the GoM recommendations for the constitution of the Appellate Tribunal have moved in a positive direction.

“We hope and look forward to the draft bill getting finalized in the coming weeks,” Lakshmikumaran said. The GST Council also took on board a GoM report to plug the leakages and improve the revenue collection from the commodities like pan masala, gutkha,

Organizations condemn Feb 18 incident

(From p-1)

WSH: Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) said it was aghast and disturbed by the violence that occurred between supporters of NDPP and LJP (RV) under 2 Dimapur II Assembly constituency at Indisen village. WSH general secretary Kisheto Chishi reminded that it was the democratic and constitutional right of any intending candidate and supporters to canvas for public support anywhere within the jurisdiction of a particular constituency. He however asserted that resorting to violence as a means to achieve an end has no place in Naga society. He maintained that election will come and go and hence it was not worth causing enmity in the society because of election.

Chishi also strongly condemned the unfortunate incident and appealed to all political parties and intending candidates to rein in their respective supporters and not to resort to provocation and violence during the electioneering but adhere to the principle of democratic electoral process.

WSYF: In a separate state -

ment, Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF) strongly condemned the incident where some persons sustained injuries, vehicles damaged and shots were fired.

WSYF in a statement, declared that “such barbaric act” has no room in civilised society and therefore, appealed to law enforcing agencies to nab the culprits at the earliest and deliver justice as per the law of the land. WSYF emphasised that election was a time to elect the right candidate to lead constituency and Nagas in general, and not create violence. WSYF said Dimapur-II constituency being dominated by “advanced tribe” should be the agent of change and mouthpiece for clean election as propagated by NBCC and appealed to supporters of all political parties in Dimapur, Niuland and Chümoukedima to restrain from such unlawful activities.

It further appealed the public of the three districts to pray for free and fair election so as to bring change in the State and help peace and love prevail.

DAYO: In another statement, Dimapur Ao Youth Organisation

(DAYO) termed the incident as an act of complete disregard to the entire State of Nagaland even as people were gearing up for clean, free and fair election.

DAYO lamented that the image of Indisen village, which was known for peace and harmony, was tarnished by some rowdy political party workers.

DAYO reminded that when the rule of the law was clear and precise about the election code of conduct, some youths had allegedly intruded into the village where the Dimapur 2 candidate resided.

DAYO said that when the Indisen Youth Organisation, which has been officially delegated to maintain peace by Indisen Village Council, approached them (supporters of rival candidate) to ascertain their intention, it said they instead provided vague answers devoid of rationality.

DAYO reaffirmed that it backed the statement of Indisen LanurTelongjem and condemned such acts by any group or individual, adding that such would be dealt with in befitting manner as per Ao custom and rule of law.

chewing tobacco. Commenting on the development Shailendra Kumar, Chairman, TIOL Knowledge Foundation, opined that as the levy on Pan masala and gutkha goes, the proven tool of MRP-based cess has been brought back.

With a track and trace mechanism it may yield some extra revenue, he said.

On rationalisation of late fee on delayed filing of annual returns, Vivek Jalan, Partner, Tax Connect Advisory, said filing GST annual returns in Form GSTR 9 on time has been a task for small taxpayers due to various reconciliations required.

“This year the time barring period for taking ITC was shifted to November 30 and hence filing the Annual return by December 31 was difficult. The GST Council has now relaxed and capped the late fees for filing GSTR 9 to 0.04 per cent of turnover for those taxpayers with a turnover of up to Rs 20 Crore. This is a relief to such taxpayers,” he said.

Election-related violence in Noklak

Windshield of a vehicle damaged during the stone-pelting. (NPP)

(From p-1) The injured also included officer in-charge of local police station whose official car too was damaged in the attack. The incident has been reported to authorities and an investigation has been launched to bring the culprits to justice.

DIMAPUR, FEB 19 (NPN): The Nagaland Press Association (NPA) said it has taken strong exception “to not only providing false information but using abusive words against the media persons on February 18 by the BJP.”

In a press note, NPA president H Chishi said the association never expected such “offensive attitude

‘Heal our land’ prayer programme held at Dimapur

(From p-1) the nation and state.

The closing remarks was delivered by CFD adviser Rev L Kari Longchar in which he asked all Christians to come together to uphold the principle of justice and equality and to support one another as they live in an environment often hostile to their beliefs.

The programme was chaired by CFD chairman Rev.Moses Murry while praise and worship was led by Golden Crown Theological College, followed by an invocation by Adviser CFD Rev.N.Tzudir, introduction by Rev.Dr.N.Paphino/ Later vote of thanks was offered by CFD secretary Fr.Dr.P.C.Anto. The programme ended with a closing song “Onward Christian Soldiers” and a closing prayer proposed by DPWU president Khontele Seb.

towards the media from the responsible political party like the BJP”.

NPA also reminded BJP that it would continue to defend the fourth estate and will not allow anyone to demean the sanctity of the fourth estate.

It may be mentioned that the Kohima Press Club had sought clarification from the State BJP leader-

ship over the usage of “uncouth language and display of total disregard for journalists” by the party’s media cell convenor in “BJP4 Nagaland” WhatsApp group over the recent visit of union minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal to address election rallies in Mon town and Wozuro in Wokha district.

Rally on rising violence against...

(From p-1)

He claimed that the country saw “525 cases of atrocities against the members of the community in 2021 and 600 cases in 2022”. “In Uttar Pradesh, the number of such cases increased from 70 in 2020 to 183 in 2022,” he claimed. Shivpal from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh alleged that the state police has been arresting people over allegations of forced conversions. “We are not even allowed to pray in our houses. A few women were arrested for offering prayers during a birthday celebration,” he said. One of the FIRs filed against the members of the community names an 11-year-old and a person who died in 2010, Steven alleged. “Churches are being attacked and our community members harassed in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and many other states. Cases are being filed against them on the basis of false charges. We have come here to express solidarity with our brothers and sisters,” Poonam, who came from Delhi’s Punjabi Bagh, said.

Shining outlook for gold in 2023

CHENNAI, FEB 19 (IANS):

As in 2022, gold is expected to log double digit gains this year as per indications, said experts. “The yellow metal has already posted over three per cent gains in the month of January, 2023. The current setup seems to indicate a re-run of 2022. Gold seems to be poised to open a new chapter in term of its price trajectory,” Emkay Global

Financial Services said in a report. According to Quantum Mutual Fund report, gold started the new year on a cheery note, up about six per cent in January in dollar terms and about four per cent in rupee terms.

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Severe thunderstorms

wreak havoc on Sydney

SYDNEY, FEB 19

(IANS): Severe thunderstorms rolled into Australia’s most populated city Sydney, bringing about damaging lightning and gusts that disrupted the daily life of local residents.

From 11:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) began updating severe thunderstorm warnings roughly every 20 minutes, alerting people to the fastmoving storm cells that could cause damaging winds, large hail and heavy rainfall, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Over 10,000 Syrian refugees return after quake

ANKARA, FEB 19 (IANS): Turkey said on Sunday that at least 10,633 Syrian refugees in the country have returned to their homeland voluntarily after the devastating earthquakes that hit southern Turkey earlier this month.

“Our Syrian brothers, who lost their families and places of stay in the earthquake, returned to their lands voluntarily,” Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said during his visit to the military border outposts in the quake-hit southern province of Hatay, Xinhua News Agency reported quoting Anadolu Agency.

Debris from Russian MS-21 spacecraft plunges into Pacific

MOSCOW, FEB 19

(IANS): Debris from Russia’s Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft has plunged into the nonnavigable part of the Pacific Ocean, the Russian State Corporation Roscosmos said on Sunday.

After undocking from the International Space Station (ISS), the spacecraft entered the atmosphere on Sunday. Its unburned elements fell into the non-navigable part of the Pacific Ocean, Roscosmos said.

On February 11, the spacecraft experienced a coolant leakage but posed no threat to the safety of astronauts working on the ISS, Xinhua News Agency reported. Six killed in ambush

in Philippines

MANILA, FEB 19

(IANS): Six people, including a local official, were killed when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a van in Nueva Vizcaya province in the Philippines on Sunday morning, police said.

The police said the attack occurred around 8.45 a.m. local time along a highway in Bagabag town while the van was traveling north to Aparri, a town in the northern Philippine Cagayan province, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The attackers fled after the ambush.

Avalanches, flash flood destroy houses in Afghanistan

KABUL, FEB 19

(IANS): Heavy rainfall that triggered avalanches and flash flood has inflicted property damages and rendered scores of people homeless in northern Afghanistan, a provincial official said Sunday.

The avalanches and flooding caused by the downpour that swept across Chantio village of Kofab district Saturday afternoon completely destroyed 20 houses, 25 shops and 600 acres of farmland, rendering scores of people homeless, the official said.

N. Korea makes fresh threats; US bombers fly after ICBM test

SEOUL, FEB 19 (AP): North Korea said Sunday its latest intercontinental ballistic missile test was meant to further bolster its “fatal” nuclear attack capacity and threatened additional powerful steps over upcoming military drills between the United States and South Korea.

The United States responded by flying longrange supersonic bombers in a show of force later Sunday for separate joint exercises with South Korean and Japanese warplanes.

Saturday’s ICBM test, the North’s first missile test since Jan. 1, signals its leader Kim Jong Un is using his rivals’ drills as a chance to expand his country’s nuclear arsenal to get the upper hand in future dealings with the United States.

An expert says North Korea may seek to hold regular operational exercises involving its ICBMs.

North Korea’s official

U.S.

formation with U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets during a joint air drill.

Korean Central News Agency said its launch of the Hwasong-15 ICBM was organised “suddenly” without prior notice at Kim’s direct order.

KCNA said the launch was designed to verify the weapon’s reliability and the combat readiness of the country’s nuclear force.

It said the missile was fired at a high angle and reached a maximum altitude of about 5,770 kilo-

Don’t forget Napoleon: Russia tells Macron over regime change remark

MACRON, FEB 19

meters (3,585 miles), flying a distance of about 990 kilometers (615 miles) for 67 minutes before accurately hitting a pre-set area in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

The steep-angle launch was apparently to avoid neighboring countries. The flight details reported by North Korea, which roughly matched the launch information previously assessed by its neighbours, show the weapon is

Pak ministers slam Prez Alvi for pressuring Election Commission to announce poll dates

ISLAMABAD, FEB 19

(PTI): Pakistan President Arif Alvi has come under scathing attack from ministers of the ruling coalition for allegedly acting on former premier Imran Khan’s advice to put pressure on the country’s electoral watchdog to announce poll dates for provincial assemblies in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

President Alvi, who is from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, on Saturday invited Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja for an urgent meeting on February 20 to discuss poll dates for the two assemblies.

The letter was written after the president did not receive a response from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on his previous letter written on February 8. In the second letter, the president expressed his

displeasure over the “apathy and inaction” on the part of the electoral watchdog.

In separate statements, the interior, defence and law ministers criticised the president and reminded him of his constitutional position.

“Arif Alvi should act as [the] president of Pakistan. You should not act as Imran Khan’s spokesperson,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune newspaper.

“The president has nothing to do with announc-

U.S. warns China against providing lethal support to Russia

ing the election date,” he said. Sanaullah accused the president of interfering in the constitutional authority of the ECP, claiming that Khan was trying to exert pressure on the commission through the office of the president, the report said.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also criticised the president for “interfering” in the electoral watchdog’s affairs.

“Mr Arif Alvi, stay within your constitutional limits,” Asif tweeted.

“Don’t do politics. If not (for) your own, think about the honour of your position,” he added.

Asif alleged that Alvi “occupied” the position of the president as a result of the “selection” held in the 2018 general elections - a tacit reference to the PMLN’s claim that those polls were rigged by the ‘powerful circles’, the report said.

theoretically capable of reaching the mainland U.S. if fired at a standard trajectory.

The Hwasong-15 launch demonstrated the North’s “powerful physical nuclear deterrent” and its efforts to “turn its capacity of fatal nuclear counterattack on the hostile forces” into an extremely strong one that cannot be countered, KCNA said.

Whether North Korea has a functioning nuclear-tipped ICBM is still a source of outside debate, as some experts say the North hasn’t mastered a way to protect warheads from the severe conditions of atmospheric reentry. The North says it has acquired such a technology.

The Hwasong-15 is one of North Korea’s three existing ICBMs, all of which use liquid propellants that require prelaunch injections and cannot remain fuelled for extended periods.

(AGENCIES): Russia on Sunday scolded Emmanuel Macron over remarks about wanting to see Russia defeated, saying Moscow still remembered the fate of Napoleon Bonaparte and accusing the French president of duplicitous diplomacy with the Kremlin, reports Reuters.

Macron told paper Le Journal du Dimanche France wanted Russia to be defeated in Ukraine but had never wanted to “crush” it.

“About ‘Never’: France did not begin with Macron, and the remains of Napoleon, revered at the state level, rest in the centre of Paris. France - and Russia - should understand,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

“In general, Macron is priceless,” she said, adding that his remarks showed the West had engaged in discussions about regime change in Russia while Macron had repeatedly sought meetings with the Russian leadership.

Macron has drawn criticism from some NATO allies for delivering mixed messages regarding his policy on the war between Ukraine and Russia, with some considering Paris a weak link in the Western alliance.

On Friday, Macron urged allies to step up military support for Ukraine, but also said he did not believe in regime change and that there would have to be negotiations at some point.

“Let’s be clear, I don’t believe for one second in regime change, and when I hear a lot of people calling

for regime change I ask them, ‘For which change? Who’s next? Who is your leader?’”

Clarifying those comments, he said in the paper that he did not believe a democratic solution from within civil society would emerge in Russia after years of a hardening of Moscow’s position and conflict. He added that he saw no alternative to Putin, who had to be brought back to the negotiating table.

“All the options other than Vladimir Putin in the current system seem worse to me,” Macron said.

Blinken pledges USD 100M to quake hit Turkiye

ISTANBUL, FEB 19

(AP): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took a helicopter tour Sunday of one of the provinces worstaffected by the Feb 6 earthquake in southern Turkiye and northern Syria and pledged a further USD 100 million in aid to help the region.

“This is going to be a long-term effort,” Blinken said at Incirlik Air Base, a joint US-Turkish facility that has coordinated the distribution of disaster aid. “The search and rescue, unfortunately, is coming to an end. The recovery is on, and then there will be a massive rebuilding operation.”

President Joe Biden announced USD 85 million for Turkiye and Syria days after the earthquake that has killed more than 44,000 people in the two countries. The US has also sent a search and rescue team, medical supplies and equipment.

OFFICE OF THE LAKE VIEW COLONY YOUTH ORGANISATION

DIMAPUR : NAGALAND

Ref. No : LVCYO/GS/2020-23/03 Date : 18/02/2023

INFORMATION

This is to inform all the general public of Lake View Colony that, the LVCYO during its general meeting held on 17th Feb’ 2023at 4:00 pm at LVC Community Hall had resolved the following points:

1. LVCYO stands for Clean and Peaceful Election

2. That no youth camp shall be set up within the Colony jurisdiction.

3. That no declaration in support of any particular candidate by any group/union or organisation shall be made.

4. That no individual or group shall use the name of Lake View Colony Youth Organisation and approach any candidate.

WASHINGTON, FEB 19

(PTI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has warned China that providing “lethal support” for Russia’s war against Ukraine will have “serious consequences” on bilateral ties between the two countries and condemned Beijing’s balloon incursion, saying it “must never happen again.”

Blinken and Wang Yi, the Chinese Communist Party’s senior-most foreign policy official, held hourlong talks in Munich on Saturday, where they were attending an international security conference, according to the US State Department. The two high-profile diplomats met in their first high-level contact since the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon a fortnight ago. “I made very clear to him that China sending a surveillance balloon over the US, in violation of our sovereignty, in violation of international law, was unacceptable, and must never happen again,”

Blinken told CBS News in an interview. His spokesman, Ned Price, said Blinken also told the Chinese diplomat that his nation’s “high-altitude surveillance balloon programme -- which has intruded into the airspace of more than 40 countries across five continents -- was exposed to the world.”

The balloon incident prompted Blinken to postpone a planned visit to Beijing. The February 5-6 trip would have been the first by a US secretary of state to China in five years and was seen by both countries as an opportunity to stabilise their strained ties. During Saturday’s meeting, Blinken also raised the Russia-Ukraine war with Wang.

“There were concerns that China was considering providing lethal support to Russia in its war against Ukraine. I was able to share with him, as President Biden had shared with President Xi, the serious consequences that would have for our relationship,” Blinken said.

Besides the above mentioned resolution, appropriate action shall be taken against any person found indulging in illegal activities including smuggling of alcohol and drugs.

Sd/- Sd/Sentimenba Elithung President Gen. Secy.

OFFICE OF THE NIHOKHU TOWN CITIZEN FORUM Hq. Nihokhu, Dimapur DECLARATION

We the Nihokhu Town Citizen Forum has declared that in the upcoming 14th Nagaland Legislative Assembly Election, any Individual or group who meet the candidates in the name of Nihokhu Town shall be doing in their own risk and personal benefit as we have not mandated anyone to do so.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken helps US military personnel carry aid, at Incirlik Air Base (AP)

The additional aid includes USD 50 million in emergency refugee and migration funds and USD 50 million in humanitarian assistance, Blinken said.

The secretary of state is making his first trip to NATO ally Turkiye since he took office two years ago. Blinken arrived at Incirlik Air Base, near Adana, on Sunday after attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany. He toured Turkiye’s toured Hatay province from the air with Turkish

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He was expected to meet with U.S. and Turkish service personnel, as well as Turkish military families affected by the earthquake.

“When you see the extent of the damage, the number of buildings, the number of apartments, the number of homes that have been destroyed, it’s going to take a massive effort to rebuild,” the top U.S. diplomat said after the helicopter tour.

“The most important

thing right now is to get assistance to people who need it, to get them through the winter and to get them back on their feet,” Blinken said as troops nearby unloaded boxes of aid... We’ll stick with it until we get the job done.”

Incirlik, home to the US Air Force’s 39th Air Base Wing, has been a crucial logistics center for aid distribution. Supplies from around the world have been flown into the base and sent by truck and helicopter to those in need, including in difficult to reach villages.

Blinken is set to fly to Ankara, Turkiye’s capital, later Sunday for discussions with Turkish officials on Monday, including an anticipated meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As well as the effects of the earthquake, Blinken is expected to discuss Sweden and Finland’s efforts to join NATO, which Turkiye has delayed.

OFFICE OF THE INDISEN VILLAGE COUNCIL

Village Recog. No. GAB-13/17/83 (Vol-II) Dt. Kma. the 10th June ‘91 Dimapur-797112 : Nagaland

CONDEMNATION & PUBLIC NOTICE

The Indisen Village Council strongly condemns the act of provocation and perpetration committed by the supporters of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) on the night of 18th Feb. 2023, within the vicinity of Indisen Village. The Village Council also further notifies that within the Indisen Village, no outsiders will be allowed to exercise any election campaign activities without the due consent of the Village Council. The MITKAR (Village Protection Force) shall be monitoring the entire activities within the Indisen Village jurisdiction and the Indisen Village Council will not be held responsible for any outcome meted out to any individuals acting against the above stated notification.

Chairman, General Secretary Indisen Village Council Indisen Village Council Indisen Village, Dimapur, Nagaland

Office of the MONYAKSHU CITIZENS’ UNION

P.O. Tobu, Dist: Mon, Nagaland- 798603

Motto: “Mienlong Shoang-Ah, Shoangshah-Pa”

Ref.No. MCU-Press-2023

Date 18th Feb. 2023

REJOINDER

The claim made by LJP 55 A/C Tobu dated 16th Feb.2023 and 18th Feb 2023 in local daily papers regarding the surrender of Monyakshu people from NDPP to LJP is baseless, and is manipulated by some few handed selfish people with a motive to cover up the weakness on the part of their partys’ strength. Whereas, the signatures of those Monyakshu people were forged, and therefore, the claim is “Null and Void”

It is to clarify that the Monyakshu Citizens have unanimously resolved and decided to adhere to the resolutions made by the Monyakshu Citizens’ Union on 27th December 2022 to stand as one for social and political unity of the Monyakshu people

(S. WENNYEI) N. Shiakpong President MCU General Secretary

Emmanuel Macron

Arif Alvi

Air Force B-1B bomber, top, flies in

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (FILE PHOTO)

DGA Awards: ‘The Daniels’ take home top prize

The top prize at the recently concluded Directors Guild of America awards - that of the Best Theatrical Feature was bagged by ‘The Daniels’ - Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the duo behind the sci-fi comedy ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.

‘The Daniels’ became the third directing duo ever to win, reports ‘Variety’.

‘The Daniels’ beat out Steven Spielberg, who holds the record for the most nominations and wins, at 13 and three, respectively.

Spielberg was gunning for his fourth trophy, for the semi-autobiographical ‘The Fabelmans’.

“This has been an incredible year for our little film that somehow keeps going,” Kwan said, quoted by ‘Variety’.

This was the first DGA Award nomination for the filmmakers. The DGA boasts a voting body of around 19,000 members.

Over its 75-year history, the DGA Awards has been the most reliable barometer for the Oscars’ best director

prize.

Only eight DGA winners have failed to walk away with the Academy Award, most recently Sam Mendes (1917), who lost to Bong Joon Ho (Parasite) in 2020.

‘Euphoria’ executive producer and director Sam Levinson won the award for dramatic series.

“I couldn’t be more grateful for the ability to do this job,” Levinson said.

AGerman remake of anti-war classic

“All Quiet on the Western Front” leads the contenders at the British Academy Film Awards on Sunday, the country’s highest accolade for the industry.

Based on the 1928 novel by German author Erich Maria Remarque about the horrors of World War One from the perspective of a young German soldier, the Netflix drama overtook other award season favourites to gather 14 nominations.

It will compete for the night’s top prize - best film - alongside dark comedy “The Banshees of Inisherin”, the biopic “Elvis”, dimension-hopping “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and music drama “Tár”.

Loaded With Lycopene

The cheery red color comes from lycopene, an antioxidant. Studies show it may help curb your risk of cancer and diabetes as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Watermelon has more of this nutrient than any other fruit or veggie -- even tomatoes. To load up on lycopene, choose a melon with bright red flesh rather than yellow or orange. And the riper, the better. Also, seedless melon tends to have more lycopene than those with seeds.

Sun Benefit?

Some pigments help protect plants from the sun. Oddly enough, just eating them may shield your skin, too -- at least a little. The lycopene in watermelon may make it less likely that you get sunburned. But that’s not for sure, so keep using your broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher every day.

Healthier Heart

Watermelon is rich in an amino acid called citrulline that may help move blood through your body and can lower your blood pressure. Your heart also enjoys the perks of all the lycopene watermelon contains. Studies show that it may lower your risk of heart attacks. Of course, your whole lifestyle affects your heart health. So make sure you also work out, don’t smoke, limit saturated fat, and keep up with your doctor’s advice.

Protects Your Joints

Watermelon has a natural pigment called

Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

This was Levinson’s first DGA Award nomination and first win. Bill Hader won the comedy award for directing the ‘Barry’ episode ‘710N’. This is his third DGA award, having also won the category in 2019 and 2020. In the limited series/ TV movie category, Helen Shaver won for ‘Station Eleven’. Having started her career as an actor, Shaver

recounted her journey to becoming a director.

‘Variety’ further states that in the first-time theatrical feature film category, which was renamed this year in honour of legendary filmmaker Michael Apted, ‘Aftersun’ director Charlotte Wells won the award.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Outstanding Directorial Achievement in

Theatrical Feature Film : Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert for ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’.

Best Drama Series: ‘Euphoria’

Best Comedy Series: ‘710N’

Best Commercial: Somesuch, Inc.

Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a First-Time Theatrical

Feature Film Director: Charlotte Wells for ‘Aftersun’

Best Movie for Television and Limited Series: ‘Station Eleven’

Best Reality Program: Running Wild with Bear Grylls, “Florence Pugh in the Volcanic Rainforests of Costa Rica”

Best Children’s Program: Best Foot Forward, “Halloween” (Apple TV+)

Best Documentary: ‘Fire of Love’

Variety/Talk/News/ Sports - Specials: ‘The 75th Annual Tony Awards’.

Variety/Talk/News/ Sports- Regularly Scheduled Programming: Saturday Night Live, “Host and Musical Guest Jack Harlow”. (IANS)

WhatsApp adds new stickers for avatar pack on iOS, Android

“Banshees”, about two feuding friends on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, and “Everything Everywhere” each have received 10 nominations.

The latter’s Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert were named the best film directors of 2022 at the Directors Guild of America awards on Saturday.

Competition is tight in the leading actor category, which includes “Banshees”’s Colin Farrell, Brendan Fraser for “The

Whale”, in which he plays a sick obese man trying to reconnect with his daughter, as well as Austin Butler for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in “Elvis”.

Bill Nighy (“Living”), Paul Mescal (Aftersun”) and Daryl McCormack

(“Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”) complete the leading actor nominees list.

Celebrities and Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales will attend the awards ceremony at London’s Royal Festival Hall overlooking the River Thames.

One person who will stay away is Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who features in nominated documentary “Navalny” about jailed Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. (Reuters)

Meta-owned WhatsApp has added some new stickers to its avatar sticker pack for Android and iOS, following its announcement of the ability to create personalised avatars.

In spite of the same number of stickers in the avatar pack, the changes made have given it more personality and depth by redesigning and replacing some stickers in order to improve their visual appeal and reflect the diverse range of feelings and expressions users wish to convey, reports WABetaInfo. New stickers within the avatar pack are now available for all users on WhatsApp for iOS and Android, said the report. With the new avatar sticker pack, users can

The Health Benefits of Watermelon

Won’t Spike Your Blood Sugar

Trying to keep your blood glucose levels steady? You’re in luck. Watermelon has a glycemic index (GI) value of 80, about the same as a bowl of cornflakes. But it’s got few carbs. That means its glycemic load (how quickly it enters your bloodstream and how much glucose it can produce) is a mere 5. Enjoy a slice without guilt!

customise the avatar right within the app settings by choosing the shape, colour, clothes, and several accessories that best express them.

Once they have created their avatar, they can use it as their profile photo.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out picture-in-picture mode for video calls, for all iOS users.

With this feature in the new update, users can now multitask during a WhatsApp call without their video being paused.

Other than the picturein-picture mode, the new update also includes -- the ability to attach a caption to the documents, and longer group subjects and descriptions to make it easier to describe the groups. (IANS)

Your Melon Wash the outside of your melon before you slice into it. You don’t want your knife to transfer any germs to the inside. While melon tastes best right after it’s cut, you can store it in your fridge for up to 5 days. Freezing is an option, too. While the watermelon won’t stay crisp, you can thaw it to use in smoothies.

Don’t Stop With a Slice

“Gangster”,

Popular Tamil comedian R. Mayilsamy passes away at 57

Popular comedian of Tamil movies, R. Mayilsamy passed away in Chennai on Sunday early morning. He was 57.

The Tamil comedian complained of uneasiness while dubbing for a movie when his family members and colleagues took him to Porur Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Chennai but he passed away on Sunday morning.

Mayilsamy acted in more than 200 movies in a carrier spinning 39 years.

The Tamil comedian had recorded for his latest film, ‘Glassmate’ before his death. Actors M.S. Bhaskar and Parthipan visited his residence to pay their last respects.

The veteran actor made his debut in the 1984 Bhagyaraj movie, ‘Dhavani Kanavugal’. He had played some stellar roles in Ghilli, Dhool, Uthama Puthiran, Kanchana and many others. He won the Tamil

Nadu state government award for the best comedian for the movie ‘Kangalal Kaidhu Sei’ in 2004.

Mayilsamy was remembered for the screen space he had shared with the late comedian of the Tamil industry, Vivek. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, Opposition leader, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, and several senior political leaders condoled the passing away of Mayilsamy.

Veteran actor Kamal Haasan expressed his condolences too. (IANS)

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beta-cryptoxanthin that may protect your joints from inflammation. Some studies show that over time, it could make you less likely to get rheumatoid arthritis.

Easy on Your Eyes

Just one medium slice of watermelon gives you contains 9-11% of the vitamin A you need each day. This nutrient is one of the keys to keeping your eyes healthy. Foods are the best ways to get all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.

Naturally Sweet Hydration

Juicy watermelon is 92% water, so it’s a simple way to help stay hydrated.

Every cell in your body needs water. Even a small shortage can make you feel sluggish. If you get really dehydrated, it can become serious enough that you need to get fluids by IV.

Soothes Your Skin Vitamins A, B6, and C in watermelon help your skin stay soft, smooth, and supple. Because it’s loaded with water, melon also makes a great face mask.

Mix 1 tablespoon of water-

melon juice with the same amount of Greek yogurt. Spread over your face and leave on for 10 minutes to slough off any dry, dull skin. Rinse and pat dry.

Satisfies Your Sweet Tooth

A cup of ice cream will set you back around 300 calories. You can enjoy the same amount of watermelon for just 45.6 calories. And unlike many other desserts, it’s fat-free, cholesterol free, and has no sodium. Plus, the water in it will help you stay fuller longer. To make an easy sorbet, puree some watermelon in your blender, add a squeeze of lime, and pop in the freezer until it hardens.

Boosts Your Workout

Watermelon’s high water content, antioxidants, and amino acids may make for a better workout. It’s also high in potassium, a mineral that could cut down on cramps at the gym. You can sip watermelon juice after you sweat, too. Doing so could help prevent muscle soreness, as long as you don’t push yourself too hard.

Easy to Digest

If you have a digestive condition like Crohn’s or colitis, the list of what not to eat during a flare can be long. You can put watermelon on your “yes” list. Its soft, fleshy fruit is easy for even an inflamed gut to digest. (Just don’t eat the rind or the seeds if you need to limit fiber.)

What If I Eat a Seed by Accident?

You may have been told as a kid that if you swallow watermelon seeds, they’ll grow in your belly. Not true! After all, your stomach has no sunlight or soil, and a lot of gastric acid. Many melons are seedless these days, but don’t worry if you do swallow a seed. They’re actually full of nutrients! Choose a Good One Pick a melon that’s free of dents, nicks, and bruises. Look for a yellow, not white, spot on the bottom. This signals that it’s ripe. A juicy, ready-toeat watermelon will feel heavy for its size. When you thump it, it should sound hollow. Safely Cut and Store

A slice of fresh watermelon tastes great, but you can do more with it. Top a salad with cubed melon and crumbled feta cheese. Make a watermelon pizza by topping wedges with yogurt, mint, slivered almonds, and berries. And save the seeds! Tossed with olive oil and sea salt, they can be roasted for a tasty (and healthy) snack.

Reviewed by Kathleen

M. Zelman, RD, LD, MPH

Film

by Pooja film production was released Sunday, at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur by Anita Anthony. The film was produced and directed by Ajay Kumar, 71 artistes took part in the production of the film. The shooting was carried out from entire Nagaland. It will be available in English and Nagamese. (NP)

Not so quiet on the BAFTA front as anti-war remake tops the billing

Women’s T20 WC: Aus beat SA; reach SFs

GQEBERHA (SOUTH AFRICA), FEB 19 (IANS):

All-rounder Tahlia McGrath’s blistering 57 completed a perfect run through the group stages of the ICC Womens T20 World Cup 2023 for Australia as they beat hosts, South Africa by six wickets to qualify for the semi-finals of the tournament, here.

Coming to the crease with the defending champions under a little bit of pressure chasing South Africa’s 124 for six, McGrath showed no nerves as she and Ashleigh Gardner added 81 runs to take them to the brink. While McGrath did fall at the death, the job was done by that point, and Australia finished off the comfortable win on Saturday night. With this, Australia won four from four to finish top of Group 1, and will await the final games in Group 2 to find out their semi-final opponent. South Africa, meanwhile, started both innings strongly in this one, only to fall away, and now face a must-win clash with Bangladesh, while hoping New Zealand beat Sri Lanka and that they finish top of the three-way tie on net runrate. After being put in to bat, South Africa made a flying start as Tazmin Brits and Laura Wolvaardt combined to put on 54 runs at a run-a-

Women’s T20 WC Australia teammates react. ball for the opening wicket.

Eventually Ellyse Perry had Wolvaardt caught behind for 19 by Beth Mooney, keeping in place of the injured Alyssa Healy. Marizanne Kapp followed for a duck before Georgia Wareham got the big one when she clean bowled Brits for 45, adding Chloe Tryon in the same over as South Africa suddenly found themselves 77 for four.

A rebuild was required, with Delmi Tucker removed for seven by Megan Schutt as the boundaries dried up.

After more than eight

B’luru Open: India’s Sasikumar, Prajnesh win

BENGALURU, FEB 19

(IANS): Indian tennis players Mukund Sasikumar and Prajnesh Gunneswaran made their way into the final qualifying round of the Bengaluru Open 2023 after registering contrasting victories on Sunday.

India play out goalless draw against Nepal in second women’s football friendly

overs without finding the ropes, Nadine de Klerk finally did the honours, smashing Schutt for a maximum over long-on before Sune Luus added a four in the final over.

The skipper was bowled by Gardner for 20, De Klerk finishing on 14 not out as they had to settle for 124 for six after such a promising start. That did not feel like enough against this Australia team, although Kapp had Perry caught at slip by Tryon for 11 before Meg Lanning was bowled around her legs for one by

Argentina Open: Alcaraz breezes into his first final of the season, to face Norrie

BUENOS AIRES, FEB

19 (IANS): World No. 2

Carlos Alcaraz secured his place in the final of the first tournament he has played in the last four months, cruising past compatriot Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-2, 6-2 in 77 minutes in the Argentina Open semifinal, here.

The Spaniard will look to secure his first title of 2023 in his first tournament since last year’s Paris Masters, where he sustained a torn abdominal muscle in his right leg. The last final that the Spaniard played was the US Open, in September last year, when he won his first Grand Slam title. Alcaraz had lost his rhythm as a result of an injury that sidelined him for more than 100 days from the field. That rhythm has already been recovered and he is at a very high level in La Catedral.

“It’s a really special moment for me. I was a little bit down after the injury, so I had to recover in those four months the confidence and rhythm. Coming back for my first tournament of 2023 and making the final is so special for me,” Alcaraz was quoted as saying by the ATP tour after Saturday’s semifinal.

The 19-year-old will face a tough challenger in the championship clash against Britain’s Cameron

Norrie. Alcaraz lead their ATP Head-to-Head series

3-1, but Norrie claimed their most recent meeting last year in Cincinnati.

“He (Norrie) is a great fighter. All points are a battle. I want to play this match. To beat him I have to play at my best level. I have to be aggressive, play my game. And I have to enjoy.

It’s not every day that a final is played,” he said

“I am a very competitive player and I think that th e finals are not played, they are won. I must not let my nerves shrink me or let me enjoy myself. Controlled nerves are good for staying focused,” he added. On the other hand, Norrie is also finding his clay-court footing in Buenos Aires. The second seed advanced to the final with a 7-6(5), 6-4 victory against Peruvian Juan Pablo Varillas.

Phek Government College observes 40th annual sports meet

DIMAPUR,

FEB 19

(NPN): The 40th annual sports meet of Phek Government College was held from February 16 – 18 under the theme, “Invigorating Unity”. The three-day events included football, volleyball, wrestling, chess, table

tennis and many other track and field events. The students were divided into four teams – Phoenix, Panther, Falcon and Firefox wherein Falcon team emerged as the overall champion.

The inaugural guest was president, Phek Area Sports Association, Ra -

Nonkululeko Mlaba in the sixth over. When Kapp took out Mooney, plumb in front, for 20, Australia were 40 for three and starting to wobble. However, batting depth is the hallmark of this Australian team, and McGrath and Gardner proceeded to settle in before successive boundaries from the former in the tenth over showed their intent to pick up the pace. From then on, the fours kept coming and the target became easier and easier, with McGrath moving to her half-century from just 29 balls.

The 26-year-old Sasikumar, who is ranked 402 in the world, dominated the World No. 170 Andrew Paulson during his confident 6-1, 6-4 win. India No. 1 Gunneswaran, on the other hand, faced some tough challenge from Zimbabwean Benjamin Lock in the first set, which went into a tie-breaker but managed to keep things under control to secure a 7-5, 6-4 victory eventually, the organisers informed in a release on Sunday.

The prestigious ATP Challenger event is being organised by the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) at the KSLTA Stadium in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for Ramkumar Ramanathan, who put up a solid show against the former World No. 78 Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan before going down fighting 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 in a thrilling three-setter that lasted for more than two hours.

AT

CHENNAI, FEB 19 (PTI):

The Indian women’s football team played out a goalless draw against Nepal in an international friendly at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. This was the second of the two international friendlies between the two teams in a span of four days. The first match on February 15 ended in a 2-2 draw. An injury-hit India were denied by a flurry of saves by Nepal goalkeeper Anjila Subba in the second half, as the Blue Tigresses now turn their attention

to preparing for the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifiers first round. The Indians had more say in the early exchanges than in the last game, and did not allow Nepal any time and space.

Manisha Kalyan wrong-footed her marker and punched the ball with the outside of her boot, but it went straight into Nepal keeper Anjila Subba’s hands. Minutes later, Soumya Guguloth, who had scored in the previous game, had a sniff at the goal from a Manisha cross, but she sent the shot wide.

Captain Indumathi Kathiresan had a brilliant opportunity in the 21st minute after a cleared corner was played back to her behind the defence, but her first-time shot was saved.

Karthika had arguably the best opportunity in the 30th minute when she produced a sublime curling effort but an airborne Anjila pulled off an equally brilliant save to deny her. Dalima Chhibber had a crack at the Nepal goal minutes before half time from 30 yards out, but it lacked power and was gathered by the keeper.

IT’S BUILT OVER MANY YEARS OF CONSISTENT & INCOMPARABLE WORK

VOTING & EDUCATION BOTH NEED A WISE DECISION OPTIONS CAN BE MANY CHOICE CAN BE ONLY ONE OPTIONS MAY BE ALL KINDS CHOICE MUST BE ONLY EXCELLENCE THE CHOICE YOU MAKE NOW WILL MAKE YOU

zoukhruyi Dozo. The inaugural session was chaired by Ranjan Sha and welcome note was delivered by asst. professor and convenor of Sports Committee, Vinituono Krose, while the keynote address was given by the principal, Dr. T. Tiakaba Jamir.

CASTE YOUR VOTE

CELEBRATE THE FESTIVAL OF DEMOCRACY

THE BEST GETS BIGGER

ANNOUNCING 5TH MILE CENTRE (NEAR GREEN PARK JUNCTION) OPENING ON 8TH MARCH (INTERNATIONALWOMEN’S DAY) (ADMISSIONS FOR 5TH MILE CENTRE OPEN AT NAGARJAN POINT CENTRE: FREE REGISTRATION)

A SIMPLE MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTION

WHICH INSTITUTE WILL YOU LOGICALLY JOIN FOR NPSC 2023 OUT OF THE 30+, EVERY DAY GROWING CROWD OF AMATEUR COACHING CENTRES?

A) NICSE, WITH HIGHEST SELECTIONS EVER BY ANY COACHING INSTITUTE (HUNDREDS OF SELECTIONS IN NPSC IN 10 YEARS), WITH 50+ SELECTIONS IN MAINS 2022,19 GENUINE SELECTIONS IN NPSC MERIT LIST 2022.

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COURSES START AT 47500, 20000 OFF TILL 2ND MARCH

Carlos Alcaraz

Match in action between Indian women and Nepal.

Students compete in the Naga style wrestling during the sports meet.

India beat Aus, retain Border-Gavaskar trophy

NEW DELHI, FEB 19

(IANS): Riding on left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s best bowling figures in an innings in Test cricket (7/42) along with Ravichandran Ashwin’s spin masterclass, India defeated Australia by six wickets in the second Test within three days to take 2-0 lead in the four-match series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, here on Sunday.

In a session, where action happened at a frenetic pace, left-arm spinner Jadeja took seven wickets (7/42) while off-spinner

Ashwin picked three wickets (3/59) to send Australia crashing to 113 all out in their second innings, 30 minutes before lunch happened.

Ashwin set up the collapse to pick 3/59, before Jadeja ran through the Australian batting line-up and finished with figures of 7/42 as Australia crashed to 113 all out in their second innings, giving India a target of 115, which they completed in 28.4 overs.

The win also means India retained the BorderGavaskar Trophy too, with two matches still left.

Post lunch, resuming

from 14/1, India began with an attacking intent. Cheteshwar Pujara danced down the pitch to whip Matthew Kuhnemann through mid-wicket for four. Rohit Sharma came out in the next over to loft over wide mid-wicket for six off Nathan Lyon, followed by paddling off him for four more.

Rohit then danced down the pitch against Kuhnemann, slamming a

six over the bowler’s head. But he was run-out in a horrible mix-up and sacrificed himself to keep Pujara at the crease. Pujara and Virat Kohli were positive in their footwork, defence and got the boundaries too.

While Pujara danced down the pitch to loft Lyon over mid-on, Kohli got close to the ball and used his supple wrists to chip a drive past the off-spinner. He followed it up with a

Swiatek overcomes Pegula to clinch second straight Qatar Open title

Pegula immediately broke back each time, forcing the Pole into errors by using her speed to extend rallies. But the top seed again attacked the Pegula delivery with more thunderous returns to break for a 5-3 lead.

This time, Swiatek would not be pulled back level, as she powered to a love hold to take the oneset lead, according to WTA report.

DOHA, FEB 19 (IANS): World No.1 Poland’s Iga Swiatek successfully defended her title at the Qatar Open, with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 win over fourth-ranked American Jessica Pegula in the summit clash, here. Swiatek had already lost to Pegula this year at United Cup, but the No.1 seed avenged that defeat in the 1-hour and 9-minute final on Saturday night to capture her first WTA

Tour title of the year, and the 12th title of her career overall. She dropped only five games all week en route to the title.

“I’m really happy that I could kind of find more balance, compared to how I felt at the beginning of the season,” Swiatek was quoted as saying by WTA.

Swiatek used heavy replies off of the Pegula service to go up a break at both 2-0 and 4-2, but

After a close opening set, Swiatek had things almost entirely her own way in the second. She won 73 percent of points returning Pegula’s second service in the match, leading to six service breaks on the day.

Swiatek’s incredible 37-match winning streak last year, which culminated in her clinching her second Grand Slam singles title at Roland-Garros, began back in Doha. She will be hoping this provides similar momentum as she dives into the clay-court season ahead of the French Open.

gentle tickle through fine leg and placing a flick between two fielders in the square leg region.

Kohli fell for 20 when he was beaten through the air and on the outside edge by Todd Murphy and was stumped from behind by Alex Carey. Pujara and Shreyas Iyer continued to get boundaries on a fast clip -- while the former was pristine in punching off Murphy, the latter

was splendid in cutting off Lyon and dancing down the pitch against Murphy to get four and six respectively.

In a bid to attack against Lyon, Iyer danced down the pitch again for an expansive slog, but holed out to deep mid-wicket.

KS Bharat was gorgeous in driving twice through the extra cover against Lyon and Kuhnemann.

He would go on to drive through cover again off Kuhnemann for boundary and brought the crowd on its feet with a slog-sweep over deep mid-wicket for six off part-timer Travis Head. Pujara, playing in his 100th Test, finished off the chase by dancing down the pitch and flicking over mid-wicket to give India another victory in the series.

Brief scores: Australia 263 and 113 in 31.3 overs (Travis Head 43, Marnus Labuschagne 35; Ravindra Jadeja 7/42, Ravichandran Ashwin 3/59) lost to India 262 in 83.3 overs and 118/4 in 28.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 31, Cheteshwar Pujara 31 not out; Nathan Lyon 2/49, Todd Murphy 1/22) by six wickets.

Crouser breaks shot put world record in Idaho

IDAHO (USA), FEB 19 (IANS): Reigning two-time Olympic champion USA’s Ryan Crouser hurled the iron ball to 23.38m during an indoor meet here to better his own world shot put record, according to World Athletics.

A week after opening his season with 22.58m at the Millrose Games in New York, the reigning world champion added a centimetre to his own outright world record on Saturday at the Holt Arena.

Crouser’s previous best was the 23.37m he recorded outdoors at the US Olympic Trials in Eugene in June 2021, while his previous best indoors was the 22.82m he threw in Fayetteville in January of the same year.

The 30-year-old has now surpassed 23 metres in a total of seven competitions during his career so far. It is a barrier that only three other athletes in history have ever bettered.

SaurashtrabeatBengal;clinch2ndRanjititle

remains to be seen whether he continue to play in the upcoming season. Earlier, the overnight duo of Tiwary and Shahbaz Ahmed committed hara-kiri while going for a third run. Ahmed had to sacrifice his wicket to give Saurahshtra their first breakthrough of the day. It also unsettled Tiwary as he followed suit and got out for 68 after chasing a wide delivery from Unadkat. In no time, Bengal were reduced to 205/9, still trailing by 25 runs.

KOLKATA, FEB 19 (PTI):

Left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat returned a match haul of nine wickets, including 6/85 in the second innings, as Saurashtra thrashed Bengal by nine wickets in the summit clash to clinch their second Ranji Trophy title here on Sunday.

Having given away a big first innings lead of 230 runs, Bengal, who were overnight 169/4 in their second essay, folded for 241, handing the visitors a mere 12 runs target to win the final.

Saurashtra lost their opening batter Jay Gohil (0) off the bowling of Akash Deep but eventually went past the target, reaching 14 for 1 in 2.4 overs, to wrap up the match with one day and two full sessions to spare.

Saurashtra’s earlier tri-

Indian junior women’s hockey team registers 8-0 win over South Africa

umph was in 2019-20 season when they defeated Bengal on the basis of first innings lead. In the last 10 seasons, they have made the final on five occasions, underlining their consistency. A Ranji Trophy title eluded Bengal yet again. They last won it in 1998-90 when they defeated a starstudded Delhi at the same Eden Gardens. Their first title had come in 1938-39 in the pre-independence era.

Earlier in the morning session, Unadkat showed the way after a freak run-out of Bengal batter Shahbaz Ahmed (27). The veteran Saurashtra skipper added four wickets to his overnight tally of two. The old Bengal warhorse duo of skipper Manoj Tiwary (68) and Anustup Majumdar (61)

slammed valiant half-centuries but the home side were let down by their top-order batters, including the promising Abhimanyu Easwaran who scored 0 and 16 in the two innings.

In-form No. 3 batter Sudip Gharami, who is fresh from a 112 and 41 in the semifinal against Madhya Pradesh and has 800-plus runs this season, also came a cropper and scored 0 and 14 in the two innings.

The decision to hand debut to Sumanta Gupta in a Ranji final also will rankle Bengal as he did not show any technique of a toporder batter and perished to an outgoing delivery. State sports minister-cum-cricketer Tiwary had delayed his retirement to win a Ranji title from his fourth final, and it

A view of women’s hockey match between India and South Africa.

SOUTH AFRICA, FEB 19 (IANS): The Indian junior women’s hockey team registered a big 8-0 win against hosts South Africa in their second match of the tour.

Earlier, in the week, the Indian team had begun their campaign with a convincing 8-1 win.

The South Africa Tour is part of the team’s preparations for the all-important Asia Cup U21, which is a qualification tournament for the forthcoming FIH Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup.

The visitors got off to a good start in the first quarter with fine skill and disciplined structure in their attack. The team’s first goal came in the very 1st minute of the match through Annu followed by a 9th minute goal by vice skipper Rujata Dadaso Pisal on Saturday night.

The team extended their lead to 3-0 in the 26th minute when Jyoti Chhatri scored a field goal. She struck another one in the following minute to take the team’s lead to a formidable 4-0.

Before the second quarter ended, the Indian Junior women’s side scored two more goals in the 29th and 30th minute via Deepika Soreng and Jyothi Chhatri. With a comfortable 6-0 lead on board, the visitors ended the fourth quarter with two more goals in the 54th and 59th minute scored by Annu and Deepika Sr. The team will next play on February 20 followed by two matches against South Africa “A’ team on February 24th and 25th.

ISSF World Cup: Varun wins bronze in 10m Air Pistol

CAIRO, FEB 19 (IANS): Junior

World championships gold medallist Varun Tomar on Sunday bagged the bronze medal in the 10m Air Pistol event at the ISSF World Cup, beating the compatriot Sarabjot Singh in a bronze medal shoot-off.

In a bronze medal shoot-off, Sarabjot shot 10.1 while Varun hit 10.3, which proved to be enough for the latter to wrap up the bronze.

Varun and Sarabjot were placed third and fourth respectively in the 8-men ranking round with a tied score of 250.6 after five series

of shooting. Italy’s Paolo Monna (254.2) and Juraj Tuzinsky (252.8) topped the ranking match to qualify for the gold medal match.

In a medal match, Tuzinsky routed Monna 17-15 in the thrilling contest to clinch the gold while Monna had to settle for silver despite leading till the last series of shots.

Earlier, Tuzinsky topped the qualification round with 585 followed by Varun in second with 583. Monna and Sarbjot were placed third and fourth place respectively with an identical score of 581.

But, Bengal’s last pair of Mukesh Kumar and Ishan Porel avoided the ignominy of an innings defeat, scoring 36 runs in 37 balls to delay the inevitable. Unadkat, who was released from the Indian Test side to play in the Ranji final, had bagged 3/44 in the Bengal first innings. He was ably supported by fellow leftarm pacer Chetan Sakariya (3/33) after they opted to bowl on a lively pitch.

Having prepared a green-top, Bengal were caught in their own web as their top-order batters showed complete lack of application on the opening day.

Brief Scores: Bengal 174 and 241 in 70.4 overs (Manoj Tiwary 68, Anustup Majumdar 61; Jaydev Unadkat 6/85, Chetan Sakariya 3/76).

Saurashtra 404 and 14/1 in 2.4 overs.

Saurashtra’s players pose with the trophy for photographs after winning the Ranji Trophy 2022-23, at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Sunday. (PTI)

Indian bowler Ravindra Jadeja celebrates with teammates after the wicket of Australian Matthew Kuhnemann during the third day of the 2nd test match. (PTI)

Varun Tomar

Iga Swiatek