Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXIX No. 85
DIMAPUR, SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 Pages 12 ` 5.0
Apone Naroh: Charcoal and graphite art genius
First ODI: Ind beat Aus by 6 wickets
Air strike has nothing to do with domestic politics: Jaitley
Sunday Post Supplement
sports, Page 12
national, Page 5
Firing along Indo-Pak border 6 civilians, 2 Pakistani troops killed
S R I NAG A R , M A R 2 (AGENCIES): Indian and Pakistani soldiers have again targeted each other’s posts and villages along their volatile frontier in disputed Kashmir, killing at least six civilians and two Pakistani troops, officials said Saturday. But in a sign that tensions between the nucleararmed rivals could soon ease, a Pakistani Cabinet minister said a key train service between Pakistan and neighboring India would resume on Monday. Fighting resumed overnight Friday. Pakistan’s military said two of its soldiers were killed in an exchange of fire with Indian forces near the Line of Control that separates Kashmir between the rivals. It marked the first fatalities for Pakistani troops since Wednesday, when tensions dramatically escalated between the nuclear-armed countries over Kashmir, which is split between them but claimed by both in its entirety. Local police, mean-
Fuel prices hiked again
DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Petrol and diesel prices were hiked again in all four metro cities on Saturday following the daily revision in the fuel prices. Interestingly, petrol prices in one of the major cities of the Delhi-National Capital Region-- Gurugram-- saw a reduction of 23 paise on Saturday. In New Delhi, the petrol was retailing at Rs 71.94 per litre on March 2, up by 13 paise from Friday’s retail price. Meanwhile, petrol price in Dimapur rose by 13 paise to Rs 69.65 per litre on Saturday from Friday’s price of Rs 69.52 per litre while diesel price rose by 15 paise to Rs. 64.70. In the state capital Kohima, a litre of petrol and diesel was retailing at Rs. 70.47 and Rs. 65.32 respectively.
A local resident inspects a house damaged due to fresh shelling allegedly by Pakistan, at Salotri Julas village in Poonch, Saturday. (PTI)
while, said two siblings and their mother were killed in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The three died after a shell fired by Pakistani soldiers hit their home in the Poonch region near the Line of Control. The children’s father was critically wounded. In Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, government official Umar Azam said Indian troops with heavy weapons “indiscriminately targeted border villagers” along the Line of Control, killing a boy and wounding three other people. He said several homes were destroyed by Indian shelling.
Following a lull lasting a few hours, shelling and firing resumed Saturday. Pa k i s t a n i Fo r e i g n Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that Russia had offered to serve as a mediator to ease tensions. He said Pakistan was ready to accept the offer, but he did not know whether India would agree as well. Qureshi also said a top Saudi diplomat would soon visit Pakistan and India. Pakistani officials said China is expected to send an envoy to Pakistan and India this coming week. US seeks info on potential misuse of F-16 by
Pakistan: The US is seeking more information on the potential misuse of American-made F-16 fighter jets by Pakistan against India in violation of the end-user agreement, the State Department has said. The Indian Air Force on Thursday displayed parts of an AMRAAM beyond visual range air-to-air missile as evidence to “conclusively” prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir after India’s antiterror operation in Balakot.
Rs 9,000 cr gasgrid project for NE, Bengal: Pradhan AGARTALA, MAR 2 (AGENCIES): A Rs 9,000 crore gas-grid project has been approved to transport natural gas among North Eastern states and West Bengal, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Saturday. “There is huge amount of natural gas available in Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and other North East states are being tapped into for the Rs 9,265 crore North East Gas Grid (NEGG). The government has okayed this project to transport gas among the North Eastern states as well as West Bengal via Siliguri,” Pradhan said inaugurating Sonamura Gas Collecting station of ONGC. Transportation and availability of LPG has been eased after the Centre signed a deal with Bangladesh to ferry LPG via Chittagong international sea port and land route. “Carrying LPG tankers or cylinders by trucks through the northeast is a big problem due to its mountainous terrain. The ferrying through Bangladesh will not only be cost-effective but also consume less time,” he said.
IAF pilot says he was mentally harassed in Pakistan: report NEW DELHI, MAR 2 (AGENCIES): Indian Air Force (IAF) Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman has disclosed that Pakistani authorities did not physically torture him during the nearly 60 hours he spent in their custody but subjected him to considerable “mental harassment”, news agency ANI quoted sources as saying today. Pakistani officials maintained that although Wing Commander Varthaman was initially assaulted by local residents upon parashooting into their territory, he was treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention after being taken into custody. Initial photographs of the captured pilot showed him blindfolded and handcuffed by the Pakistani military in an injured condition. A video released later, however, had the pilot sipping tea and saying that his captors were treating him well. The videography process, however, was far from over. News agency PTI reported that just before the pilot was about to be released, he was forced to record a video statement praising
the Pakistani military. The clip, which had the Wing Commander saying that the Pakistani Army saved him from the mob, is said to have delayed his handover by three hours. The pilot was handed over to Indian authorities around 9.20 p.m. Friday, a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that they would return him in a “gesture of peace”. The pilot’s homecoming was celebrated across the nation, with politicians, celebrities and others saluting his grace and courage in the most dangerous circumstances. Upon entering India through the Attari-Wagah border, Wing Commander Varthaman was shifted to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment centre as part of his “cooling down” process. He was later visited by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who listened to a detailed account of his time in confinement. The pilot also met his parents and several top officials of the Air Force this morning, according to news agency PTI.
WWD: Chang calls for curbing wildlife crime DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): On the occasion of the World Wildlife Day (WWD)2019, Nagaland minister for environment, forest & climate change, CM Chang, has appealed to the people of the state to join hands with the government in curbing wildlife crime. Observed on March 3 every year, the World Wildlife Day was dedicated to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. In his message, Chang pointed out that India was one of the mega bio-diverse countries of the world. However, he said that diversity was under stress from poaching and organised wildlife trade with global ramifications. Illegal wildlife trade is driven mainly by the huge profits earned by traders, he said, adding that low risk and no penalties make the trade highly lucrative. The minister said that the state government had been implementing the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 since December 18, 2018 by looking into the importance of forest and wildlife in life. (Full text on p-6)
Gov concerned over welfare of Myanmar Nagas
P.B. Acharya with the delegation from Myanmar at Raj Bhavan.
DIMAPUR, MAR 2 (NPN): Nagaland governor, PB Acharya, has expressed concern over the welfare of the Nagas living in Myanmar and called for development activities in the border areas of both the countries. According to a Raj Bhavan statement, a team of delegation of the Union Solidarity & Development Party, Myanmar consisting of 11 members called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan Kohima on March 2, 2019. Governor said human concern was needed and called for opening of educational D I M A P U R , M A R 2 institutions, hospitals, or(NPN): Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) has informed that parking fees would be levied on all vehicles at Nyamo Lotha (NL) Road at the rate of Rs.10 per hour starting from March 10, 2019. In a press note, DMC administrator Moa Sangtam said the move was as per the Dimapur district RTA meeting resolution dated August 4, 2018 and requested all responsible to co-operate.
Parking fee along NL Road
phanages, skill development centres etc through border area development activities. Acharya opined that Private Public Partnership (PPP) welfare activates with participation from various NGOs from both India and Myanmar should be encouraged for development and strengthening both the nations. He explained the Indian National Fellowship Centre, a Mumbai-based NGO, was working for the people of North East by organising student-teacher exchange programmes, medical camps in border areas etc. Governor also encour-
aged the delegation to arrange for Nagas of Myanmar to visit not only the State of Nagaland but to also conduct “Bharat Darshan” from time to time so as to strengthen ties between the two countries. He further called for cultural exchange programmes between the two countries. Acharya said NEZCC could also sponsor cultural programmes and exchanges with Myanmar Nagas. U Than Htay expressed their desire for further developing the Naga administered areas of Myanmar. The meeting was also attended by minister for higher education, Temjen Imna Along. Governor appreciated the delegates for their visit to the State. The delegate from USDO was sponsored by the India Foundation, an independent research centre focussed on the issues, challenges and opportunities of the Indian polity.
Plea in SC to frame laws against fake news
This is it!
“Sunday ban there has become our boon here.” K Y M C
NEW DELHI, MAR 2 (IANS): Supreme Court has been moved seeking direction to the Centre to frame guidelines and to put in place a statutory regime for curbing fake news and punishing those responsible for authoring and circulating them. The petitioner Anuja Kapur has contended that the unrestricted circulation of fake news on the social media leads to crime against humanity and violation of citizens’ right to fair and
factual news and reports. The petition has listed 12 crimes that include mob lynching, communal riots, breach of peace, tranquillity and public order, unlawful assembly, mass hysteria, mob violence, abetment to murder, sedition, influencing of elections and criminal conspiracy that at times take place due to fake news. Kapur has contended that there are no set laws that curb and punish the author of fake news including those promoting it on social
media platforms. “There is no accountability, liability and responsibility to restrict or counter fake news by organising press conferences or putting it on the official website of the concerned authorities for the general public to be aware of the facts,” the petitioner has contended, seeking to saddle the government and concerned authorities to counter fake news by making people aware of the factual position. “Videos of previous air-shows and photos of crashing fighter jets were being peddled as the latest from both the countries on various platforms. The intensifying tension between India and Pakistan since Tuesday’s air strike has turned the social media into a virtual battlefield and fact-checkers are left grappling with a deluge of misinformation and fake news,” her plea stated. K Y M C