Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXVIII No. 73
MONDAY, February 19, 2018 Pages 12 ` 5.00
Florida shooting survivors call for tougher gun laws
Bayern win; Hamburg lose in Bundesliga
Rahul Gandhi question PM’s silence on massive bank fraud
international, Page 9
sports, Page 11
national, Page 5
NPF likely to pull out of Mnp govt IMPHAL, FEB 18 (IANS): BJP-led Manipur government appeared shaky as the Naga People’s Front announced on Sunday that it is likely to withdraw support to it after the Nagaland elections slated for February 27. “We have decided to withdraw support from the coalition soon. The decision may be announced shortly after the Nagaland elections,” said NPF’s state president, Marung Makunga. The NPF MLAs has four lawmakers in the 60-member Assembly, where the BJP has only 21 and dependent on other allies for its majority. An NPF lawmaker is a cabinet minister.
This is it!
“Actually, inflation these days has also multiplied the price of one vote.”
“During a public meeting, Chief Minister N. Biren Singh told the NPF members of the Autonomous District Council of Chandel district to join the BJP. Was it a mere joke or mocking our party or showing disrespect to our party?” Makunga asked during a press conference here. Political observers feel that the parting of ways may be the last straw for the coalition government. Indications are that the High Court is likely to take firm decision on March 13 when the petitions against the appointment of 12 Parliamentary secretaries will be heard. State Congress president T.N. Haokip said that the eight
Congress MLAs who had joined the BJP may have to return or face disqualification proceedings and the party has submitted petitions to Governor Najma Heptulla and Speaker Y. Khemchand in this regard. Other NPF leaders said that the Chief Minister had announced allotment of crores of rupees for the hill districts as part of his slogan “go to the hills” but nothing has been done after such announcements. The NPF’s announcement comes in wake of the developments in Nagaland where the BJP has dumped the NPF, an ally for over a decade and tied up with a newly-floated party for the state assembly polls.
NCP candidate shot dead in Meghalaya TURA, FEB 18 (AGENCIES): Jonathone Sangma, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidate for Meghalaya Assembly elections, was reportedly shot dead by unidentified assailants at Samanda, East Garo Hills, on Sunday. Sangma was contesting the polls from Williamnagar seat. According to local media reports, the incident took place when the NCP leader was returning home in Williamnagar, after attending campaigns in Sobokgre and Nabokgre. Sangma recently joined the party to contest the forthcoming polls.
Over 78% voter turnout in Tripura polls AGARTALA, FEB 18 (AGENCIES): Over 78 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 9 p.m. in the single-phase Tripura Assembly polls on Sunday, according to Election Commission. The turnout is likely to increase as a large number of people were still standing in queues even after the voting hours were over. The polling was delayed in the morning following complaints of EVM malfunctioning. The voter turnout stood at
91.82 per cent in the last Assembly election. As per the polling watchdog, there were several complaints of malfunctioning of EVMs but many were found to be false. The EC said a total of 12 ballot units were replaced, adding that no incidents of violence were reported from anywhere in the state. Two crude bombs were recovered which were disposed off, the EC said. The voting is being held in 59 of the total 60
seats as polling could not be held in the Charilam constituency due to the death of CPI(M) candidate Ramendra Narayan Deb Barma last week. The constituency will go to polls on March 12. The counting of votes would be taken up on March 3. There are 25,73,413 registered voters — 13,05,375 male and 12,68,027 female — in the state. The number of voters under the third gender category in the state is 11 and that of the new voters 47,803.
NBCC responds to Kiren Rijiju’s remark Emilo K. Konyak
KOHIMA, FEB 18 (NPN): Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) has responded to the union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju who asked the Church not to “mix religion with politics” during a BJP rally in Mon Friday. NBCC general secretary Rev. Dr. Zelhou Keyho told Nagaland Post in an interview Sunday, that the church had cautioned all Christians in Nagaland against the threat posed to their faith by the ‘Hindutva’ ideology riding on the shoulders of BJP/RSS in a similar way the church called for ‘Clean Election’ against election evils that pose a threat on Naga society. He said it was the bounden duty of the church to speak out on issues concerning their faith such
NJCF appeals DIMAPUR, FEB 18 (NPN): Nagaland Joint Christian Forum (NJCF) said it was pained to note that the Christian majority society has been badly divided on political party line. In a press note, NJCF vice president, Rev. Dr. N. Paphino lamented that people have become very “unchristian in our words and attacks. Truth is suppressed and propaganda abound trying to overpower each other with canon of unreserved attacks.” At the end, he said people fail to realize that we are all responsible for the kind of society we have created for ourselves and for the generations to come. (Full text on p-6)
as electoral evils that posed grave harm on society and ‘Hindutva’ ideology that is against other minority religions in India. He denied outright the charge made by Rijiju that the church was mixing religion with politics and instead reminded Rijiju that it was his party (BJP) which had always exploited religion for political gains throughout the country. Rev. Keyho buttressed his point with the BJP’s agenda for construction of the Ram mandir in Ayodhya. He said this proved that BJP/RSS exploited communalism and division. Rev Keyho also said it was unfortunate that Kiren Rijiju, a tribal from Arunachal Pradesh chose to attack the concerns of NBCC. “Instead, I would have expected a leader of his stature from the North East region to be
sensitive of our concerns.”Rev. Keyho said the NBCC had only cautioned people about the threats posed on their faith by those pursuing the ‘Hindutva’ ideology who seek to lure and come to power with promises of ‘development’. He said the Christian faith in Nagaland is under the radar of the outside forces whose very core ideology is against freedom of religious minorities such as Christians. Rev. Keyho said the church was against the forces that are polarizing India and weakening the fabric of unity in diversity. He said NBCC was quite concerned with intolerance from communal forces and believed that a secular India was always preferred over a communal India. (2018 Assembly polls: Demand for cash up, see p-5)
Poll violence: 3 women assaulted BJP, others condemn DIMAPUR, FEB 18 (NPN): In a case of poll related violence, three women reportedly belonging to Merangkong village were physically assaulted on Saturday night. In a complaint lodged at Tuli police station, 21-Tuli NDPP general secretary, N. Mangyang Jamir alleged that supporters of a rival candidate came to the houses of the three housewives and took them to an isolated place on Saturday night. Thereafter, Mangyang said the women were physically tortured and verbally abused. NDPP Tuli has appealed to the law enforcing agency to arrest all the culprits involved and demanded stringent action. Meanwhile, NDPP has appealed to the Nagaland State Women Commission to take up the issue and initiate strong action as per the law.
DIMAPUR, FEB 18 (NPN): State BJP, including other organizations have condemned the life attempt on BJP candidate from 40Bhandari A/C, Mmhonlumo Kikon on Saturday evening. BJP: State BJP unit has condemned the assassination bid on its MLA, Mmhonlumo Kikon, who is contesting from 40 Bhandari A/C, near Yimpang village, Wokha district while returning from an election campaign on Saturday evening. (Cont’d on p-5)
DC-396
K Y M C
K Y M C