Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXXI No. 22
DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2020 Pages 8 ` 4.00
Donald Trump denounces ‘wasteful’ Covid-19 aid bill international, Page 7
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Niki-led NSCN (K) to revive CF
DIMAPUR, DEC 23 (NPN): Newly elected president of the breakaway faction of the NSCN (K), Niki Sumi Wednesday announced that the faction, in order to facilitate the peace process, has decided to revive the cease fire with the government of India which it had unitarily abrogated in 2015. Niki Sumi was recently elected as president of the new faction formed in July after differences emerged with the leadership of the original NSCN-K insurgent group in Myanmar led by its chairman Yung Aung. Niki said the faction had been striving for years to achieve an honourable and acceptable political solution to the Naga issue. He said NSCN/GPRN was also conscious of the overwhelming sentiments among Nagas for an early solution to the protracted issue. Niki said his group was aware of the sincere and genuine efforts made by the government of India in the recent past, in finding a final and lasting solution to the Naga issue with involvement of all the
Gov extends Christmas greetings DIMAPUR, DEC 23 (NPN): Nagaland governor RN Ravi has extended very warm Christmas greetings to citizens of the state. In his message to the people of the state, Nagaland Governor said that truth, non-violence, forgiveness and grace were the essence of this joyous festival and called for imbibing “these essential virtues as we celebrate Christmas.” Stating that this year’s Christmas celebration was being held amidst global pandemic, the governor appealed to each and every citizen to follow all the COVID-19 protocols at all times. “May the true spirit of Christmas be with all of us in thoughts and in action. God bless Nagaland and may you all have a very merry Christmas!” Ravi stated.
Greetings N a g a l a n d Po s t
wishes all its esteemed readers and well wishers a Blessed Christmas. Our offices will remain closed from December 24 to 26, 2020.
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(The Telegraph pics)
We expect GoI to respond positively by honouring our decision... in the larger interest of peace - Niki Sumi -
stakeholders. Therefore, NSCN/GPRN resolved to strengthen and support the peace process at the present critical juncture. Niki further said in the regard, leaders of his group have established contact with officials of the government of India. Therefore, in order to facilitate the process and also in view that the desire of the Naga people, particularly, Naga civil society organisations and NGOs, the NSCN/GRPN had decided to revive the cease fire with immediate effect which it had unilaterally revoked in 2015. In this regard, Niki expressed the hope that the government of India will respond positively by honouring his group’s decision of revoking its earlier decision to unilaterally abrogate the cease fire in 2015.
“We expect Government of India to respond positively by honouring our decision as a confidence building measure in the larger interests of peace in Nagaland and Naga people in general,” the statement read. Meanwhile, a home ministry official told The Indian Express that “this is the last group of Indian origin leaders and cadres operating from Myanmar.” “Their joining peace process will give a boost to Naga peace process as the remaining chunk of NSCN-K is Myanmar centric and is irrelevant to the government,” the official said. As reported earlier, there were speculations about Niki joining the peace process. According to Imphal Times report, a high level Indian army team had received Niki Sumi at the
Indo-Myanmar border in Phek district, and who was likely to proceed to New Delhi to hold talks with the Government of India. Highly placed sources also informed Nagaland Post that once the Government of India decides to take Niki’s group on board, the leader(s) will be taken to Delhi for the formal talks. It may be recalled that Niki was recently elected as the president of the NSCN (K), which broke away from the Myanmar based NSCN (K) group headed by Yung Aung. The post of president remained vacant after its former president Nyemlang Konyak joined the NSCN (R) on September 26, 2020. According to a report in The Print, Niki Sumi is the prime accused in the killing of 18 Indian Army soldiers by NSCN-K in Manipur’s Chandel district on June 4, 2015. The National Investigation Agency had announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of Sumi, who was then the commander of the armed wing of the outfit.
FC Goa beat Jamshedpur FC 2-1 in ISL
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SII develops first indigenous vaccine against pneumonia NEW DELHI, DEC 23 (PTI): The first indigenous vaccine against pneumonia, developed by Serum Institute of India (SII), is slated to be launched by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan and made available in the domestic market early next week, official sources said on Wednesday. According to the sources, the vaccine will be much more affordable than existing ones manufactured by two foreign companies. India’s drug regulator in July had granted market approval for the Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate vaccine, after reviewing the phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trial data submitted by the Punebased firm. This vaccine is used for active immunisation against invasive disease and pneumonia caused by “Streptococcus pneumonia” in infants, the health ministry had said earlier. Serum Institute has conducted the phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials of the vaccine in India and African nation Gambia. “This is the first indigenously developed vaccine in the field of pneumonia,” an official source said.
sports, Page 8
United Kingdom identifies new South African COVID-19 variant
Says govt should send concrete proposal instead of ‘love letters’ NEW DELHI, DEC 23 (PTI): Hardening their position, protesting farmer unions on Wednesday asked the government not to repeat the proposal of “meaningless” amendments that they have already rejected but come up with a “concrete” offer in writing for the resumption of talks. Reading out a reply to the government’s talks offer during a press conference, farmers leaders said that they are ready for dialogue with an open mind if they get a concrete proposal, but made it clear they will not accept anything less than a complete repeal of the three agriculture laws and legal guarantee for Minimum Support Price (MSP). Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav said that if
the government takes one step, farmers will take two, and asked it to stop writing “love letters”. All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Molla alleged that the government wanted to tire out the farmers out so that the protest would end. In a letter to Union Agriculture Joint Secretary Vivek Aggarwal, Sankyukt Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 unions protesting at several Delhi border points for the last 27 days, alleged that the government is treating the farmers as its “political opponents”. Yadav, who is also a member of Morcha, alleged that the government is holding parallel talks with farmer unions that have no relation with the protest and termed it as an attempt to derail the ongoing agitation against the three farm laws. “We have already told Home Minister Amit Shah that protesting farmers will
not accept amendments,” farmer leader Shiv Kumar Kakka told reporters, after a meeting of union leaders. Kakka said that the government should “abandon its stubbornness” and accept the demands of farmers, adding that the Centre should create a conducive environment for talks. During the day, farmers observed ‘Kisan Diwas’ – the birth anniversary of former prime minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, by urging people to skip one time meal to express solidarity with their agitation. Several farmers visited ‘Kisan Ghat’ here on Wednesday morning to pay tributes to Chaudhary Charan Singh, who was known for his farmer-friendly policies. To mark Kisan Diwas, protesting farmers at Ghazipur border held a ‘havan’. More farm reforms due: Tomar Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on
Wednesday said the government will continue with reforms in the farm sector as they are still due in many areas, even as he reiterated his hope that protesting farmers will soon come forward to resume their dialogue with the Centre to resolve their concerns over three new laws. The minister said any agitation can be resolved only through dialogue as has been the case always in history and urged the protesting unions to fix a date and time for the next round of talks. “I am fully hopeful that our farmer unions will discuss... If they give a date and time, the government is ready for the next round of talks...,” Tomar told reporters. Tomar said the government is hopeful that unions will soon discuss, decide and communicate their decision, after which the government can hold the next round of discussions immediately.
COVID-19 STATUS AS ON december 23, 2020 District
AsymptomModatic Mild erate
ACTIVE CASES Symptomatic Critical-ICU Se- With- With On vere out Oxy- VentiOxygen gen lator 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Dimapur Kiphire Kohima Longleng Mokokchung Mon Peren Phek Tuensang
98 4 172 0 39 13 18 3 3
11 0 4 0 4 0 0 0 0
1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0
Wokha
0
0
0
0
0
0
Zunheboto Total
0 350
0 19
0 5
0 3
0 0
0 0
Death MiRecovunder Total Death gratered InvestiCases ed gation 6144 34 3472 9 118 579 480 44 240
50 1 21 0 1 2 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
72 0 27 9 6 9 0 0 0
6379 39 3698 18 170 603 498 47 244
0
35
1
0
3
39
0 0
139 11294
0 77
0 0
3 142 129 11877
*10 deaths not due to Covid-19 *0 deaths under investigation
DIMAPUR, DEC 23 (NPN): Nagaland COVID19 tally rose to 11877 on Wednesday after 11 new positive cases were reported-- 5 in Dimapur, 4 in Kohima and 1 each in Mokokchung and Phek. Meanwhile, one more COVID-19 related death was recorded on Wednesday, taking the death toll
to 77-- 67 deaths due to COVID and 10 not COVID related. Further, the distribution across various categories include 4643 cases from the armed forces/police, 1831 returnees, 4838 traced contacts and 565 frontline workers. As on December 23, the state has 377 active cases.
Christmas decorations light up life in Dimapur
(L-R) Thahekhu village Baptist Church decked up for Christmas. Nativity scene on display at Borlengri. Clock tower Dimapur wears festive look. (NP)
Staff Reporter
K Y M C
22 on UK-India flights test positive, samples sent for advanced test
At least 22 people who came to India from the UK in the past few days have tested positive for COVID19 amid alarm over a mutant strain of the coronavirus that is believed to be more contagious and was first identified in Britain. Eleven people who came from or via the UK have tested positive in Delhi, eight in Amritsar, two in Kolkata and one in Chennai, authorities said. There have been no confirmed instances of the mutant strain anywhere in India so far, the government has said. Further, as many as 1,688 passengers arrived at the Mumbai international airport from the UK and other countries since Monday midnight and 745 of them were quarantined. Gauri Agarwal, founder of Genestrings Diagnostic Center in Delhi, said that 11 samples were duly stored in cold storage and sent to NCDC, for further research using genome sequencing.
Protesting farmer unions harden position Nagaland COVID tally 11877; death toll 77
This is it!
“Virus will come and go but don’t let them stop you from greeting Merry Christmas.”
to immediately quarantine. Analysis of the new mutation and its trajectory in the UK is meanwhile being analyzed by scientific experts at Porton Down, the country’s specialist laboratory in southwest England. As a result, even more parts of the UK are set to be put under the strictest level of lockdown after ministers held talks earlier on Wednesday. Millions more in the east and south-east England will be placed into the Tier 4 highest alert level from December 26, celebrated as Boxing Day the day after Christmas. The minister also revealed that the Oxford University vaccine being produced by AstraZeneca has submitted its full data package for regulatory approval, even as the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine rollout continues. The briefing comes as the new variant identified in the UK last week, named VUI-202012/01 and with much higher transmissibility, led to several countries including India cutting off transport links with the UK in an effort to try and contain its spread outside Britain.
LONDON, DEC 23 (PTI): Two cases of another new strain of COVID-19 linked to South Africa have been identified in the UK, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed here on Wednesday. Like the UK variant identified earlier, the new variant of the novel coronavirus is also driving a massive resurgence of the disease in South Africa, with experts warning the country is probably facing a much larger second wave. “Both (cases of the new variant) are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks,” Hancock said, addressing a briefing from 10 Downing Street. “This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK,” he said. The minister confirmed immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the government’s urgent message being for anyone who has been in South Africa or been in contact with someone linked with the country in the last fortnight
DIMAPUR, DEC 23 (NPN): It’s the time of the year when all worries take a back seat as world eagerly look forward to celebrate the Christmas- birthday of Messiah Lord Jesus Christ. The festive mood has dampened the festive spirit due
to coronavirus which has claimed the lives of over 17 lakh people worldwide. While residents of Dimapur city too suffered greatly due to the virus that has spread across India and other countries, with many lives lost including near and dear ones, the arrival of Christmas has uplifted
their spirits. As in the previous years, Dimapur City the state’s commercial hub has been decked up with Christmas trees and sparkling lights along with other parts of the State. Beautiful Christmas decorations and lights visible at various streets, major traffic intersections, colo-
nies, churches, shops, business establishments, buildings, private residences, etc, were captivating. Melodious Christmas songs echoed across homes, shops and market places through the chilly December air made it hard not to get soaked up in the festive spirit.
Many residents decorated their houses while some youth were seen decorating their colonies and lighting them up. All these sparked hope and peace for both residents and passersby. An elderly couple of Thahekhu, who lost their child to COVID-19 admit-
ted that they had been depressed for some time. They admitted to this reporter that the onset of the festive season has inspired them with a sense of hope, peace, joy and the courage to move ahead. They said the beautiful decorations in the locality set up by youth of area buoyed their spirits. A group of young ladies who were near the couple, said decorations at different parts of Dimapur filled their hearts and minds with hope, love and joy. “Though many people decorate their houses beautifully , they didn’t realise that the decorations radiated positive energy, spreading across society. The pandemic may have inflicted an emotional blow to people who lost jobs but it has not dampened the Christmas spirit.
India’s tally rises to 1,00,99,066: India’s COVID-19 caseload rose to 1,00,99,066 with 23,950 new infections being reported in a day, while the number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 96.63 lakh, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday. The death toll increased to 1,46,444 with 333 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 96,63,382 pushing the national recovery rate to 95.69 per cent, while the COVID19 case fatality rate stands at 1.45 per cent. The COVID-19 active caseload remained below 3 lakh for the second consecutive day. There are 2,89,240 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 2.86 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
‘COVID immunity lasts at least eight months’ MELBOURNE, DEC 23 (PTI): People who have recovered from COVID-19 have immune memory to protect against reinfection for at least eight months, according to a new study which provides strong evidence for the likelihood that vaccines will work for long periods. While earlier studies have shown that antibodies against COVID wane after the first few months of infection, raising concerns that people may lose immunity quickly, the new research, published in the journal Science Immunology, puts these concerns to rest. According to the scientists, specific cells within the immune system called memory B cells, “remembers” infection by the virus, and if re-exposed to the virus, triggers a protective immune response through rapid production of protective antibodies. K Y M C