Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXVIII No. 19
NVCO asks govt. and orgs to stop tax collection DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has asked the Nagaland Police Department and various organizations to stop collecting cash at check-gates and highways, as these lead to price rises, and the cash collected is ultimately paid by the common people. A press release from NVCO Press & Media Cell said that it visited, on December 20, several check-gates maintained by Nagaland Police in and around Kohima, and alleged that several organisations, “including Nagaland Police still collect cash/illegal collection at Highways/checkgates in the state”. NVCO issued an appeal to honour the rights of the consumers as we observe National Consumer Day on December 24. Saying that such collections should be stopped under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, they called attention to the order dated June 22, 2009, issued by the Chief Secretary, which prohibited collection of taxes by any organisation including government departments. It also referred to Gauhati High Court Judgement & Order June 3, 2014 that prohibited several organizations from collecting “cash” on highways. The NVCO asked District Administrations across the state to effectively implement the government and High Court orders so as to completely remove the illegal activity at check-gates and on highways.
Night curfew along border
DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Sivasagar, Assam has enforced night curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the 5 km belt along Assam side of Sivasagar district bordering Nagaland with effect from November 28, 2017, for a period of 60 days. According to DIPR, the ADM informed that the night curfew has been imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent occurrence of anti-social and unlawful activities along the Assam/Nagaland border, Sivasagar district belt. Movement of any person/group of persons or vehicular traffic has been prohibited during the period, the magistrate informed. However, security personnel- army/CRPF/ police and civil officials deployed on duty are exempted.
This is it!
“The guy who took over from me is crying that I’ve emptied the coffer. But that’s part of the game.” K Y M C
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2017 Pages 12 ` 4.00
Drastic reduction in foreign funding to NGOs: Govt to RS
Man City beat Leicester to reach League Cup semis
Myanmar bars UN probe as mass grave found in Rakhine
national, Page 7
sports, Page 11
international, Page 9
Parl. disrupted over PM’s remark
New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI): The intense face-off between the BJP and Congress over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark against his predecessor Manmohan Singh about colluding with Pakistan to influence the Gujarat polls continued for the third day Wednesday with no apparent resolution in sight. The warring rivals dug in their heels, with the Congress insisting on an apology, or at least a clarification from Modi, and the BJP rejecting the demand outright, asserting he did no wrong. Sources in the Congress said it is likely to stall Parliament proceedings tomorrow to press for an apology from the prime minister. Congress today created uproar in both Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the day’s work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, Congress members boycotted the Lok Sabha’s postlunch sitting. Attempts at ending the continuing showdown have failed despite meetings between the two sides. Rajya Sabha chairman
Congress members disrupt the proceedings in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on Wednesday. (PTI)
M Venkaiah Naidu prodded them to sit together and find a solution across the table. Congress leaders including Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to thrash out a solution but confabulations were of little help as none was ready for a climb down. Though the opposition rallied behind the Congress in the Rajya Sabha on the issue, it was isolated in the Lok Sabha with no other party joining it in boycotting the proceedings. The BJP, however, stuck to its guns with its spokesman Sambit Patra saying Modi had not uttered a single word for which he should apologise. He accused the Con-
gress of giving vent to it frustration over its defeat in the recent Assembly polls by stalling Parliament. Patra told reporters that the Congress should instead come clean on the dinner meeting Manmohan Singh had with Pakistanis as Sharma had initially denied it took place before accepting it had. Congress leaders, including its former chief Sonia Gandhi, her daughter Priyanka and many others, “humiliated” Modi many times but the opposition party never tendered an apology to him. Even Naidu told the Rajya Sabha there was no question of an apology by anyone as nothing had been stated inside the House. He said there was no precedent
Loth Hoho disagrees with CM over non-induction of Lothas in cabinet DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): Lotha Hoho (LH) has expressed disagreement with the chief minister’s (CM’s) statement that ministry formation was decided by elected members and the party organisation in response to LH’s demand for inclusion of one Lotha MLA in the cabinet. While reacting to the chief minister’s stand on non-induction of a Lotha MLA in his cabinet, Lotha Hoho chairman, Mhao Humtsoe and general secretary, Er.Mhondamo Ovung renewed their December 18 demand for induction of a Lotha MLA in the cabinet. They justified their demand on the ground that elected members represented people and the tribal hoho and asked whether a government was not the people’s government. LH said that the government is elected by the people for the people’s welfare and rights and that elected members should listen to the people and not become dictators. The two also said they would not argue if any (cabinet) member was expelled due to anti-party activities and that they were not arguing in favour of any particular MLA but on the ground that the vacancy that arose after a member of the tribe was dropped should be filled by the MLA of the
same tribe(Lotha). On the CM’s contention that when a church member is expelled etc. the tribe hoho does not get involved, LH said an MLA should not be compared with Church members as a Church member or a government servant acquires the position on merit. However, LH said an elected member represents the electorate and dropping him amounts to exclusion of those people whom the MLA represent. LH further stated that the people do not elect their MLA to be a peon or errandrunner for anyone but to stand for the rights of the electorate. They said all the MLAs, regardless of the CM or party leader, share equal status as they all represent a constituency and that any Lotha MLA is equal, in status, to the CM and must be considered as such because all MLAs are people’s representatives. LH added that the LH “will not hesitate to say that in 54 years of Nagaland statehood, it is this time that the Lotha tribe is insulted” by being excluded from the ministry. They said that they were not satisfied with the Adviser posts and demanded a cabinet berth. LH vowed that it will “not give up its demand for a Cabinet berth for a Lotha MLA”.
of tendering apology in Parliament for statements made outside. The Congress, in snide remarks against Modi, said he violated the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind “conspiracy with Pakistan”, a charge he made against Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign. It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he used to “win” the Gujarat poll. Kharge said if the prime minister had information about the “secret” meeting Congress leaders, including Singh, had with the Pakistan High Commissioner and that country’s former foreign minister which was “anti-national”, why did he not act against them. Azad said if Modi had a problem about tendering an apology, he should say it was a ploy to win the Gujarat election. “We will accept it,” he said. He also said had Atal Bihari Vajpayee been the prime minister “he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister”.
APO reaffirms Feb 8, 2016 resolutions D imapur , D ec 2 0 (NPN): Even as the controversy over the contentious Nagaland Special Development Zone (NSDZ) refuses to die down, Angami Public Organisation (APO) has reaffirmed its resolutions adopted on February 8, 2016. T h i s wa s s t a t e d by APO vice president Pfukhrielie Peseyie and general secretary Keviselie Lh Lhousa in a press statement. The APO revealed that some non-indigenous inhabitants of Nagaland, who are prohibited from acquiring land by way of transfer, exchange, lease agreement or settlement by The Nagaland Land Revenue Regulation (Amendment) Act, 1978 were violating the Act through sale in the districts of Dimapur and Kohima.
it winning his seat, the tally of the Congress-led alliance stood at 80, 12 short of the simple majority in the 182member assembly. The BJP retained power for the sixth time, though with a reduced score of 99 seats against 115 in 2012. The Cong ress performed well in rural areas of Gujarat but failed to make a significant mark in the urban pockets. The venue of the conclave today and tomorrow is a resort in Mehsana district and on the third and final day, the venue will shift to Ahmedabad where Gandhi will be present, Solanki said. Gandhi, who campaigned extensively in the state for the assembly elections, will address the Congress workers on Friday. “The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee has organised the ‘chintan shivir’ with the aim of discussing the Assembly poll results
and to provide a road-map to strengthen the organisation and increase its connect with the people, keeping in mind the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,” Solanki told reporters. “For two days, we will meet here in Mehsana, and on third day, we will meet in Ahmedabad where Congress president Rahul Gandhi will visit to address party workers,” he said. Congress general secretary and election in-charge for Gujarat, Ashok Gehlot, expressed satisfaction over the party’s performance in the polls, while accusing the BJP of “misusing government machinery” and raising questions over the approach of the Election Commission. “Both in terms of seats and campaigning, the Congress performed wonderfully well. Although we could not form the government, a message has been sent across that the BJP can have
DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): In the run up to the expected assembly election due by Feb-March 2018, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee(NPCC) has sought to gain political mileage by hitting out at the BJP for maintaining silence against the recent spate of attacks on the Christian community across the country. A press release from NPCC Media Cell said that the arrest of Christmas carollers and the burning of their vehicle in Madhya Pradesh on false allegations and the ban on Christmas celebrations in Uttar Pradesh by certain religious outfits, were an “outright assault” on the secular fabric of the country. NPCC also hit out at the “silence of the BJP”, which it said, was deafening while describing the perpetrators as “religious fanatics” who were “no better than Taliban or ISIS”. NPCC said that ever since the BJP came to power, these fringe elements have been allowed to run rampant. NPCC claimed that on close scrutiny these fringe groups were foot soldiers of BJP during the elections.
a tough time fighting the Congress even in the home state of (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah,” said Gehlot, who is also attending the camp. “The way the BJP campaigned, involving cabinet ministers with the prime minister himself making emotional appeals, the way they misused government machinery for polls, and the manner the Election Commission took decisions, we believe we have done exceedingly well,” he said. Senior Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil, who lost from Mandvi in Kutch district, said the party could have formed the government had it won 16 seats on which it got defeated by narrow margins. However, he took solace in the fact that the BJP was reduced to “doubledigits” despite aggressive campaigning.
It also lamented that that the NPF-BJP government in the state had remained mute spectators and recalled how, in July 2017, the NPF claimed to have severed ties with the BJP by holding a ‘beef fest’ and the NPF president even called the chief minister “Heraka Boy”. However, they said, the two parties were back together to finish what little was left after looting the state for 15 years. NPCC expressed their solidarity with the nation’s Christian community who were living under a constant “fear psychosis” the perpetrators of which had tacit blessings of the BJP government. They demanded that the central government take immediate steps to reign in these outfits and assure protection for the lives and rights of its citizens. They further appealed to the people of Nagaland to pray for their Christian brethren across the nation who were living under perpetual fear especially during this Christmas season so that the Christmas message of love and peace prevails over the politics of hatred and divisions.
CMO lodges FIR over fake resignation letter Kohima, Dec 20 (IANS): Nagaland Chief Minister (CM) T.R. Zeliang’s office on Wednesday filed an FIR over a fake letter with forged signature against unknown persons for spreading false information on social media that he has resigned. The fake resignation letter was addressed to Nagaland Governor and stated: “In pursuance to the resolutions adopted in the Assembly and owing to strong public demand to resign for paving to bring early settlement of the Naga political settlement, I hereby along with my whole team of cabinet ministers tender resignation with immediate effect.” The letter head of the CM had been forged and a fake letter number was been given. The CM’s signature had been forged, apparently using super-imposition, the FIR said. “This is ver y serious and amounts to cyber crime as also spreading rumours with an objective to create confusion and create unrest in the society. “This...has been done with criminal intent,” OSD to chief minister Ruokuovizo Chupno stated.
PMEGP beneficiaries resume lock-down of banks Correspondent
MOKOKCHUNG, DEC 20 (NPN): With no response or assurances from the concerned financial or state authorities, Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) beneficiaries went ahead with the 2nd phase of their bank lock down agitation, locking down ICICI, HDFC & Axis banks, indefinitely, with the support of the Watsu Mungdang, Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem and Ao Senden. Earlier, the civil societies along with the representatives of the beneficiaries had held a joint meeting with the Deputy Commissioner at his official chamber, who sympathised with the beneficiaries and promised to approach the higher (Cont’d on p-7) authorities, to address their
Congress to analyse Gujarat results Ahmedabad, Dec 20 (PTI): Two days after the Gujarat assembly poll results, the Congress today began an exercise to analyse the electoral outcome at a three-day conclave that will be attended by party president Rahul Gandhi on Friday. During the ‘chintan shivir’ (introspection camp), the Congress leaders and workers will analyse the election results district-wise and discuss the road-map ahead in view of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, state party president Bharatsinh Solanki said here. In the elections, the results for which were declared on Monday, the Congress could not wrest power from the BJP even though its tally increased to 77 seats from 61 last time. The Cong ress ally Bharatiya Tribal Party won two seats, and along with an independent backed by
NPCC flay BJP silence over attack on Christians
Lotha frontal orgs call off bandh DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): All Commercial Vehicle Association (ACVA) Wokha, withdrew the resolution made on December 18 after the NSCN (I-M) officials handed the keys back within the stipulated deadline of 48 hours. A press release from ACVA president, Y. Bankathung Lotha and general secretary, C. Renbi Ngullie including ACAUT Wokha Co-Convenor, James M. Tungoe said that ACVA, Wokha with the support of all Lotha frontal organization had imposed a total indefinite bandh within Wokha jurisdiction from December 18 onwards, over seizure of some taxi keys by “erring NSCN (I-M) cadres” on December 13. They added that after an emergency meeting on December 18, based on the request made by the Lotha Hoho and on
PMEGP beneficiaries initiating the locking down of one of the banks.
concerns, at the earliest. Speaking to this correspondent, Temjen, one of the PMEGP beneficiaries stated that the 1st phase of ‘Lock down’ on December 14 was relaxed due to a request made by the Ao Senden. They had also held
discussions with authorities where December 20 was set as a deadline to address their grievances. However, the indefinite resumption of the agitation was forced upon the beneficiaries due to zero response from the higher authorities so far.
Helicopter services temporarily suspended DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): State helicopter services will be unavailable from December 24 to 26 and from December 31, 2017 to January 2, 2018. A press release from the Nagaland State Transport addl. general manager, Shikaho P. Yeptho said that this was due to “regular schedule/sortie as well as for chartering in view of Christmas and New Year and for technical maintenance of the Helicopter”. It added that the inconvenience is regretted.
LVC asks to return elephant
DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): Lhothavi Village Council (LVC) has requested the return of an elephant that they alleged, some NSCN (I-M) cadres, on the directive of certain officials, had taken away at gun-point without informing the custodian of the animal. A letter addressed to the “Ato Kilonser”, NSCN GPRN from LVC chairman, Khazhezu Yepthomi and secretary, Ahoi Chophi, expressed strong resentment against “such highhandedness of the officials” and asked that the elephant be returned to the custodian and appropriate action be taken against the erring officials.
NCSU notifies
DIMAPUR, DEC 20 (NPN): Nagaland Contractors’ & Suppliers’ Union (NCSU) Head Office, Kohima will remain closed w.e.f December 21, 2017, till January 15, 2018. A notification from NCSU vice-president, K. L. Setuo and general secretary, John Kath further wished all its members (Cont’d on p-7) a merry Christmas and a blessed new year 2018. K Y M C