Nagaland Post This issue 12 + 4 = 16 Pages @ ` 5.00
www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXVIII No. 356
DIMAPUR, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2018 Pages 16 ` 5.00
US, Canada and Mexico sign deal to replace Nafta
ISL: Bengaluru FC beat Pune 2-1
Azharuddin named Telangana Congress working president
international, Page 9
sports, Page 13
national, Page 12
Farmers take protest to India’s power centre Nagaland inks MoU to setup e-GAN Non-BJP parties join in show of strength NEW DELHI, NOV 30 (PTI): Thousands of farmers marched through the streets of the capital, chanting slogans and flashing flags, to press their demands like debt relief and remunerative prices for their produce and were joined by social activists and leaders of non-BJP parties in a show of strength near Parliament here. The farmers, who had gathered from various states and camped at the Ramlila ground overnight, started their march around 10.30 am amid heavy policy deployment, only to be stopped at the Parliament Street police station. The government came in for severe criticism for “not implementing a single major initiative for farmers in the past four and a half years”. National secretary of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) Asish Mittal said farmers from 24 states joined the protest. Banded
Fuel prices decline
NEW DELHI, NOV 30 (AGENCIES): Continuing the price cuts during the last 41 days, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) slashed fuel prices as petrol reached at an 8-month low mark (since April) across the country. Petrol is now selling below the 74-mark for the first time in the last 240 days. A litre of petrol costs Rs 72.87 per litre and a litre of diesel is available for Rs 67.72 per litre in the national capital Delhi today. Meanwhile, petrol was sold at Rs. 68.96 per litre and diesel at Rs. 63.57 in Dimapur on Friday. In the state capital, a litre of petrol and diesel was Rs. 69.77 and Rs. 64.19 respectively.
MCCI bans firecrackers
D I M A P U R , N OV 3 0 (NPN): Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has strictly prohibited transporting, stocking or selling of firecrackers of any kind by any of its members. In a press release, MCCI president, Tsukti Longkumer, and general secretary, Limalenden Longkumer, cautioned that any member caught “doing this illicit business” would be doing so at their own risk and MCCI would not own responsibility. Further, all the members of MCCI have been requested to decorate their respective places of business to add more fervour to the festive season.
This is it!
AIKSCC members and farmers march towards Parliament to press for their demands, in New Delhi on Friday. (PTI)
under the AIKSCC, which claims to be an umbrella body of 207 organisations of farmers and agricultural workers, many protesters arrived in the city on Thursday, on trains, buses and other modes of transport. A group of farmers from Tamil Nadu staged a ‘nude protest’ by lying in front of the stage after placing bones and human skulls on their bodies. About 1,300 members of the National South Indian River Interlinking Farmers Association
Gov greets on Statehood Day DIMAPUR, NOV 30 (NPN): Governor of Nagaland, PB Acharya, on the eve of the completion of 55th year of Statehood Day, has extended greetings and best wishes to the people of Nagaland on this historic occasion. Nagaland was created as the 16th State of the Indian Union on December 1, 1963. On the occasion, Acharya paid tribute to great leaders who were the architects and strived hard to create the State and achieved the aspirations and the identity of the people of the State. “We are proud of the heritage that our early pioneers have given to us,” Acharya said in his message. In the last 55 years, he said the state has made commendable achievements in its development and governance though there were areas that needed more focus. Governor said the state needed to march with the sole mission of development and progress with re-dedication and commitment to provide good quality of life to people. He also stressed on unity among the tribes and strengthening peace process. (Full text on p-6)
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mir chief minister Farooq Abdullah were among the leaders who joined the farmers at Jantar Mantar. While Gandhi said leaders of all opposition parties stand united with farmers in ensuring their good future and called for a farm loan waiver, Kejriwal alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “stabbed farmers in the back” by not fulfilling the promises made to them. Gandhi said that no one can silence the voice
DIMAPUR, NOV 30 (NPN): Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has hit out at the NDPP-led PDA coalition government in the state for maintaining silence till date against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill-- (CAB) while other north eastern states like Meghalaya and Mizoram assemblies have resolved to oppose it. NTC media cell stated that the Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to provide easy citizenship to minority communities such as Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan merely on having six years of residency in India without possessing any proper document. NTC media cell stated that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) was currently examining the Citizenship Amendment Bill and if it is passed, then it would provide blanket immunity to foreigners at the expense of bona fide citizens of the country.
NTC reminded that it objected to the CAB in the context of pluralism and secularism because the Act is “subjective and communal” and only in the larger interest of a particular religious group. The council cautioned, that if the Bill is passed by Parliament, then it would have immense ramification and victimise small states like Nagaland because the existing protective laws would not be able to resist the new law, if enacted. It said sensing the impending danger on the indigenous people, the assemblies of Meghalaya and Mizoram passed resolutions not to accept the CAB. Also NTC said the CAB is also in total contravention to the Assam Accord of 1985 and that was why even the Assam government was vehemently opposing it. That is why, Joint Parliamentary Committee was contemplating to exempt Assam from the purview of the bill if passed.
Protestors burn ‘Illegal immigrant’ effigies at the NSF public rally in Kohima on Friday. (NP)
KOHIMA, NOV 30 (NPN): Joining the rest of the North Eastern States, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) organised a public rally against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 under the banner of NESO at Old MLA hostel junction here on Friday. The public rally participants also burnt effigies depicting illegal immigrants. Chairing the rally, NSF general secretary, Imtiyapang Imsong termed the Bill
PB Acharya with dignitaries and resource persons at the e-Governance Summit. (NP)
Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOV 30 (NPN): Nagaland government Friday signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with e-Governance Academy of Estonia to provide advisory and technical knowledge for setting up of e-Governance Academy of Nagaland. The objective of MoU is to work together to exchange knowledge and experience and to strengthen bilateral technical cooperation particularly in the fields of Information and Technology and e-Governance. The agreement was signed during the ongoing edition of the e-Naga Summit, by department of IT&C commissioner and secretary KD Vizo and Arvo
NTC demands PDA record objection against CAB As a constitutional exercise, NTC said JPC made study visits to states which protested against the bill in order to hear the voices of the people. The JPC will soon be concluding its study visits and shortly submit the recommendations to Parliament. With winter session of parliament in December, NTC said there was high possibility of the Bill being passed. NTC slammed PDA saying it cannot remain “evasive on this crucial issue” that poses immense threat on the existence of people adding the state government should never have soft paddled the issue or maintaining a “watch and see” since passage of the bill would have devastating impact on Nagaland. NTC has therefore, demanded that the state government immediately register its protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill before the JPC finalises its recommendations.
NSF holds rally against Citizenship Bill
Correspondent
“A shooter does not hold the gun like you do. Only a gunman holds like that.”
reached the national capital in the early hours of Thursday and were carrying seven skulls and bones, said their leader P Ayyakannu. He said the skulls and bones were of the farmers who committed suicide. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party leader Dharmendra Yadav, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader S Sudhakar Reddy, AAP MP Sanjay Singh and former Jammu and Kash-
of farmers and youth while asserting that if the government insults them, then they will ensure its removal. He added that the farmers were not seeking a “free gift” from the government by asking for a farm loan waiver but were only asking for what is due to them. Kejriwal claimed that the Centre had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying it would not implement the M S Swaminathan Commission report. Various leaders also addressed the gathering. AIKSCC claimed the two-day rally is one of the largest congregations of farmers in Delhi. Five gurdwaras in Delhi region have extended their help to the farmers. Also students from various universities turned out in large numbers to lend support to the farmers. The protest also saw participation of a number of women farmers who travelled from various parts of the country. Volunteers, including doctors, lawyers, professors and artists, came out to help the farmers. Around 600-700 volunteers of a solidarity group ‘Nation For Farmers’ marched with the protesters from the four assembly points.
as violation of human rights and said the federation will strongly oppose the bill. He said the Bill was against the secularism of largest democratic country in the world. Though the federation is not against any particular religion or people, Imtiyapang said that NSF will not back down. In his address, NSF president Christopher Ltu termed the Bill as a direct threat to “our social structure, history and culture”. He said the student bodies
and people would strongly resist the “creation of another Tripura in the region.” Ltu asserted that entire region was “infested with foreigners from the erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh)”, adding that NSF fully supported the signing of Assam Accord by the All Assam Students Union in March 1971, the cut off year for detection and deportation of foreigners from Assam. NSF president claimed that the proposed Bill was an apparent political conspiracy
by the government of India to impose the burden of the post 1971 Bangladeshis in the Northeast region and encourage the infiltration of Hindus from Bangladesh into the North east states. He lamented that the state government has not taken any action or sent communication to the federation related to memorandum submitted on immediate exigency measure relating to coverage of Dimapur district within the purview of ILP. Others who spoke at the rally included Pochury Students Union (PSU) president Joyson Yitsuthu and Lotha Students Union (LSU) general secretary Ashanthung Humtsoe. On August 24, 2018, NSF had submitted a memorandum to the chief minister to check influx of illegal immigrants and ILP defaulters. It also demanded that Dimapur district be included within the purview of ILP.
Ott director e-Governance Academy of Estonia. Inaugurating the eNaga Summit, Nagaland Governor, P.B. Acharya said that the world today relied on IT for easier access to information and services. He remarked that e-Naga Summit could be the right platform for bringing together IT experts from different countries, industries and central and state government officials. Through them, he said the state could build a knowledge-based society that would ultimately help in providing good governance. He also maintained that young people could not only be innovators and creators but also future leaders, if they acquired right kind of skills and equip themselves to take up opportunities for job and wealth creation. To-
Subsidised LPG price cut by Rs 6.5 NEW DELHI, NOV 30 (PTI): Domestic cooking gas (LPG) price Friday was cut by Rs 6.52 per cylinder. A 14.2-kg subsidised LPG cylinder will cost Rs 500.90 in the national capital from midnight tonight, IOC said in a statement. IOC said non-subsidised or market priced LPG rates have been cut by a steep Rs 133 per cylinder to reflect fall in international oil rates and strengthening of the rupee. It will now cost Rs 809.50 per 14.2-kg bottle in Delhi. The government, however, subsidises 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each per households in a year by providing the subsidy amount directly in bank accounts of users. Subsidy amount varies from month to month depending on the changes in the average international benchmark LPG rate and foreign exchange rate.
wards this end, he said, with the right policies in place and through extensive investments in human capital, the youth could be empowered to drive socio-economic development and increase the capability for wealth creation in the society and State. Acharya insisted that investments must be made in skill development of youth in order to realise their full potential, besides making an effort to bring them back to make their State economically strong. He said a new society was emerging in the 21st century where knowledge was the primary resource, instead of capital and labour, adding that Nagaland would have to balance the peculiar situation to catch up with rest of the world. (Cont’d on p-7)
IAF air display on Statehood Day DIMAPUR, NOV 30 (NPN): Indian Air Force (IAF) would be carrying out air display on the occasion of 55th Statehood Day celebration at Secretariat Complex on December 1. In the morning session, Dare Devil IAF para jumpers will be dropped from 10000 ft by IAF chopper and land at Civil Secretariat ground. Citizens of Kohima will be able to witness this at 9 am. There would also be para motoring display at the venue, by IAF adventure cell. In the afternoon show at the Naga Heritage village Kisama, MI 17 helicopters will be carrying out petal drop at 3:40 pm. Three Sukhoi 30 fighter formation would be carrying out low fly past over the venue and fly over Kohima town at 3:50 pm. The air display is the first air show the state will witness in the capital. According to IPR DI, this was made possible because of the joint effort and coordination of state government, office of Rajya Sainik Board Kohima, office of Project Director (IAF) Nagaland and Hq Eastern Air Command Shillong.
Open sale of Hornbill bird despite ban Correspondent
KO H I M A , N OV 3 0 (NPN): As Nagaland gears up to celebrate the much acclaimed annual Hornbill Festival starting December 1, a dead hornbill bird was spotted in the market, being sold near Old MLA Junction for Rs 700 in Kohima on Friday evening in spite the ban on hunting in the state. It may be noted that the “Festival of Festivals” (Hornbill Festival) was named after the endangered majestic Hornbill admired and revered by all Nagas. The vendor who was selling the bird at Rs. 700 said that the dead hornbill was bought from Jalukie area while other items like jungle fowls were also being sold at the cost of Rs 650. While not denying that hunting of such endangered species were banned,
The Hornbill bird on open sale in Kohima on Friday. (NP)
the vendor said that the hunters were doing so to earn a livelihood as there were no other means to make their ends meet. The vendor disclosed that these items were brought to Kohima through public transport. After the items are sold, the vendor gets compensated with a commission. Interestingly, the vendor also revealed that three
other wild animals were sold for Rs. 1200 and a hornbill was sold for Rs.600 after much negotiation. Meanwhile, according to the website http:// www.nagaforest.nic.in/ hornbill.html, Mount Kist forest under Jalukie Forest Division is well known for migration of different types of hornbills, especially the great pied hornbill and Rufous necked hornbill. K Y M C