Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXXI No. 128
DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 Pages 12 ` 5.00
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Curfew in Jalukie area after violence India hits record high of over 1.8L Covid cases Govt vehicle torched; Sec. 144 CrPC clamped Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): Curfew under Section 144 CrPC was imposed at Jalukie town the headquarters of Jalukie subdivision including specified areas under Jalukie subdivision after mobs set fire to a government vehicle(Bolero) attached with the ADC Ja l u k i e We d n e s d ay a t around 11 a.m. on the second day of the indefinite bandh/agitation called by the United Zeliangrond Youth Front(UZYF). Following the incident, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peren, Sentiwapang Aier on Wednesday afternoon, promulgated 144 CrPC at Jalukie town and adjoining areas, Peren district HQ/ Kejanglwa-Jalukie-Peren trijunction to Mhainamtsi-Di-
A govt vehicle torched by bandh volunteers on Wednesday.
mapur-Kohima tri-junction, from Samziuram village gate towards Jalukie town. Earlier, the indefinite bandh was announced after the expiry of the ten-day ultimatum served by Civil Society Organisations of Peren district on March 31 on the state government, to nab the armed assailants responsible for the killing of three persons at Lamhainamdi village on March 22. The CSOs of Peren
district called for closure of all government offices under Peren district including movement of government vehicles and halt to all government-related activities in the district. Further, the CSOs demanded immediate termination of post commander of 9th IRB Coy. from active service , presently deployed at Lamhainamdi village,. Speaking to Nagaland Post, UZYF president R
John Zeliang, said that the 10-day ultimatum served on the government expired on April 10 after which the federation announced indefinite bandh to protest the government inability to nab those responsible for the March 22 incident. In response to the UZYF call for bandh, Zeliang said the DC Peren ordered closure of all government offices and restriction of government vehicular movement in Peren district on April 13. While monitoring the bandh on Wednesday, he said a government registered vehicle (Bolero) attached with ADC Jalukie was seen parked in the heart of Jalukie town. This infuriated the protestors and led to the vehicle being damaged and burned. It was reported that the officer (ADC) was not present during the incident but that only the driver was seen. It was also reported that the driver had parked the car and went for marketing.
NPF dismayed at pace of probe into March 22 incident Naga People’s Front (NPF) has expressed dismay at the pace of investigation into the March 22 “Lamhainamdi village incident” and strongly urged the special investigation team (SIT) to speed up the process so justice was delivered and normalcy restored at the earliest. NPF through its press bureau said it has been ascertained to a degree that the murders took place because
of the indifference and complacency of the government towards impending conflict brewing in the area prior to the commission of the crime including the reluctance and inability to act upon its own directives. NPF said that the failure of the state government to hasten the investigation has continued to disrupt the normal life of local citizens. Further, the opposition party attacked the govern-
Over 1.3 lakh administered vaccine in State
Centre cancels CBSE class X Nagaland exams, defers class XII exams records 13 new
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): State Health department Wednesday informed that a total of 1,36,577 beneficiaries had been inoculated till April 14. This include, 105369 first dose and 31209 second dose On day 4 of ‘Tika Utsav’ Wednesday, over 31.39 lakh vaccine doses were given till 8 p.m. across the country, pushing the cumulative vaccine coverage to more than 11.43 crore doses.
RIIN consultative meet venue changed
NEW DELHI, APR 14 (PTI): Center on Wednesday cancelled the CBSE’s class 10 board exams and postponed its class 12 exams following an exponential surge in COVID-19 cases. This is the first time that the Central Board of Secondary Education has completely cancelled the board exams conducted by it. Last year, the exams were partially cancelled in the wake of riots in northeast Delhi and COVID-19 cases. The decision on Wednesday was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A total of 21.5 lakh students had registered for class 10 and 12 CBSE exams. CBSE will review the situation on June 1 to decide
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): Principal secretary Home, Abhijit Sinha has informed that the venue for the consultative meeting on Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN), will now be held at the State banquet hall, chief minister’s residential complex, Kohima on April 16 at 10 a.m. DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): Following the expiry of its ultimatum to the State government for promulgation of an ordinance to implement Register of Indigenous Inhabitants of Nagaland (RIIN) on March 31, Joint Committee Against Prevention of Illegal Immigrants (JCPI) said it had called for a consultative meeting with the apex tribal bodies of the State. In a letter to presidents of apex tribal bodies sent on April 9, JCPI convener Atomi Swu and secretary “I’m telling you, we’ll form Tia Longchar said they dethe government under sired to hold a consultative any circumstances.” meeting with them and their
ment’s “lackadaisical attitude” towards handling the case, saying instead of hammering out for solution, the situation was aggravating more. Meanwhile, NPF has appealed to the United Zeliangrong Youth Federation (UZYF) to restrain themselves from taking the law into their hand, adding that the party empathized with their situation and supported their demand for justice.
on the class 12 exam schedule while objective criteria will be decided for class 10 results. CICSE, which is the other prominent national board for school examinations, said it is reviewing the situation and will come up with a decision soon in this regard. Several principals and educationists hailed the decision while others demanded that the criteria be decided in consultation with stakeholders. Parents also expressed concerns about the delay in schedule saying either board exams should be cancelled for class 12 or a schedule should be announced soon to ease the students’ anxiety. A notice of at least 15 days will be given before the start of examinations.
Therefore, in order not to hamper the investigation process of the law enforcing agencies, the NPF has urged the UZYF to work zealously and maintain peace and tranquillity. NPF has reiterated its earlier stand that the state government law enforcing agencies should look into the case with utmost sincerity and book the perpetrators and deliver justice to the victims within a time frame period.
Covid cases
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): Nagaland on Wednesday reported 13 Covid-19 positive cases-- 11 in Dimapur, 1 each in Kohima and Phek, taking the total caseload to 12440. Further, the active cases also dropped to 83 after 102 positive patients had recovered from the infection. In another report, 12 new cases were detected from among the participants of the ongoing 21st Inter District Football Championship 2021 (Dr. T. Ao Trophy). In this regard, the Youth Resources & Sports department decided to keep the tournament in abeyance. Though the new cases were yet to be consolidated in the State Covid data, the cases as on Wednesday stood at 25.
NEW DELHI, APR 14 (PTI): The number of new coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with 1,84,372 infections pushing the total tally of cases to 1,38,73,825, while the active cases surpassed the 13lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,72,085 with 1,027 new fatalities, the highest since October 18, 2020 the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 35th day in a row, the active cases have increased to 13,65,704, comprising 9.84 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has dropped to 88.92 per cent. The active caseload was at its lowest at 1, 35,926 on February 12 and it was at its highest at 10,17,754 on September 18, 2020. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to1,23,36,036, while the
case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.24 per cent, the data stated. India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the ICMR, 26,06,18,866 samples have been tested up to April 13 with 14,11,758 samples being tested on Tuesday. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities. “Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that statewise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.
This is it!
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of years, many unseen circumstantial challenges have been thrust upon us and we have done what is deemed best, so that we are not in the wrong side of history. We are answerable to our own tribe and our children for the choices we make today, as it will determine the status of our collective future,” the letter stated, emphasising that identification of “genuine indigenous people” with the stated cut-off year should be “our” common goal. Congratulating the incumbent presidents and office bearers, the JCPI leaders said Nagaland was slowly being flooded with illegal
Correspondent
KOHIMA, APR 14 (NPN): Having witnessed its disastrous impact last year, Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department is not keen on advocating another lockdown now in view of the second wave of COVID19 and instead plans to impose it, if necessary, only in pockets where COVID positive cases are detected and as per Government of India’s containment plan. Revealing this, an H&FW official informed Nagaland Post that the total lockdown imposed in 2020 had not been a good experience and hence the department would not vouch for it so that normal life was not disrupted in districts/ places/areas that did not have positive cases. However, irrespective of whether another lock-
down was imposed or not, the official emphasised on the need to follow COVIDappropriate behaviour to stop the virus from spreading. The official regretted that inappropriate COVID behaviours amongst citizens were leading to the second wave of COVID and stressed that the district task forces (DTFs) should effectively implement the orders issued by the government, cautioning that the State could not get complacent over the issue. Regarding the order for random testing directed to the DTFs, the official said that none of the districts had implemented it, barring Dimapur. He pointed out since DTFs were fully empowered, they should be bold enough to execute the SOPs and the directive (Cont’d on p-8)
Gov holds meeting with community leaders Seeks support of all to fight the pandemic cum-consultation meeting held with all tribal hoho leaders of the State at Raj Bhavan’s Dr Imkongliba Hall in Kohima on Wednesday in view of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country, the governor reRN Ravi addressing the community leaders, Wednesday. called the significant contributions of tribal leaders D I M A P U R , A P R 1 4 ensure people to observe and their cooperation with (NPN): Nagaland Governor COVID-19 appropriate be- the State government in RN Ravi urged community haviours. combating the first wave of leaders to encourage and In the sensitisation- COVID-19.
He observed that this pandemic could not be successfully fought by the government alone and that cooperation of tribal leaders was crucial. Ravi also appreciated the valuable practical suggestions given by the tribal leaders based on their experiences and observations and assured that their suggestions would be conveyed to the State government for necessary action. He would meet GBs, church leaders and leaders of other faith-based organisations in the State in coming days, this stated in a statement by the PRO.
Sealing, containment zones Dimapur police to strictly mapped in Kohima, Dimapur enforce COVID-19 SOPs
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): In view of the detection of COVID-19 positive cases at the Multi Purpose Hall B and Main Stadium within the IG Stadium Complex and DUDA Guest House, Kohima, deputy commissioner and chairman DTF, Kohima has declared these areas as ‘containment zone’. Entry or exit within the containment zone has been restricted in order to map the local transmission of the disease and stop the contagion from spreading. Residents within the containment zone will be
regularly monitored by medical team over phone or otherwise, till they recover and tests negative for Covid. The public and all concerned are advised to follow all safety precautions. Dimapur: Following the detection of positive cases of COVID-19, the deputy commissioner and chairman District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Dimapur, Rajesh Soundararajan, has ordered sealing of H/No-10, Jain Temple Road, Marwaripatti, Dimapur with immediate effect till further order.
JCPI reiterates stand on RIIN, to hold consultative meet general secretaries at the earliest and suggested either third or fourth Friday, i.e., April 16 or 23, as the dates. They mentioned that once the convenient date was decided, the venue could either be in Dimapur or Kohima. Clarifying that JCPI was above partisan politics and individual self-interests, Swu and Longchar said the committee’s service rendered towards Naga society was purely voluntary as the issues of Inner Line Permit (ILP), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and RIIN for once united all indigenous Nagas of Nagaland. “In this crucial couple
Lockdown in pockets, if necessary, says H&FW
immigrants and, sensing the danger, a wakeup call was needed. And in the last quarter of 2018, tribal apex bodies and civil society organisations (CSOs) came to a consensus to urge the State government to strengthen ILP and extend it to Dimapur. The letter stated that in order to pursue this objective, 28 tribal bodies and CSOs formed JCPI, which submitted a representation to chief secretary on August 18, 2018. The fruitful consultative meeting led to the formation of Abhishek Singh Committee on ILP, as there was a genuine fear and
apprehension of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants’ influx due to National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam. As at almost the same time, Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) became a national issue having direct implications for the Northeastern States, JCPI representing Nagaland became a part of North East Forum for Indigenous People (NEFIP) to collectively strengthen the movement. The June 7, 2019 meeting then authorised JCPI not only to fulfil ILP implementation but also to pursue CAB issue. (Cont’d on p-8)
Mask being offered to a passerby in Dimapur. (DIPR)
DIMAPUR, APR 14 (NPN): In view of the prevailing pandemic and in compliance to the Home department’s November 12, 2020 order, Commissioner of Police Dimapur R. Tetseo in an order made it mandatory to wear face mask in public places (including offices, banks, markets and business establishments restaurants, hotels, public transport, social and religious gathering or meeting educational institutions) within Dimapur district. Non-compliance of the order will invite a penalty of Rs.100, every time the offence is committed, which will be enforced by police officer of ASI rank and above. Further, DCPs, ACPs, OCs have been directed to ensure strict compliance in the respective area of responsibility (AOR). Further, CP said that inter-state entry into the district by road, train, flight
without wearing of mask shall be strictly restricted. For this OCs of West PS, East PS, GRPS, DPR PS, IC Dellai, New Field, Khatkhati check gates shall ensure compliance, which will also be monitored by DCPs and ACPs concerned. The matter was also reported in the Nagaland Post after some officials pointed out that there were no checks at the railway station including the interstate check gates/entry-exit points of Dimapur. Meanwhile, to ensure that the public followed the COVID-19 guidelines, the Dimapur district administration Wednesday conducted surprise checking along the stretch from Holy Cross junction to Marwari Patti. According to a DIPR report, the team led by SDO (C) Hotolu Sema accompanied by Dobashis and police conducted (Cont’d on p-8) K Y M C