Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com
Vol XXX No. 317
DIMAPUR, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020 Pages 12 ` 5.00
Army vice chief meets US counterpart
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national, Page 5
Lockdown over, but virus still there: PM All must be cautious during festivities: PM
NEW DELHI, OCT 20 (PTI): With the onset of festival season, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made an impassioned appeal to people to follow COVID19 guidelines, saying this is not the time to be careless as the virus is still around and even a small negligence can dampen the festive spirit. In his seventh address to the nation following the COVID-19 outbreak, Modi autioned citizens against any laxity until an effective cure is found. He said pictures and videos have of late emerged showing that many people have either stopped following precautions like wearing masks or have become negligent. “This is absolutely not right. Those who have become negligent and are mov-
This is it!
Narendra Modi (PTI)
ing around without masks are putting themselves and their families, including children and elderly, at risk,” he said in his televised speech. He noted that people have been getting on with their lives after the lockdown was lifted while economic activities are picking up and crowds are slowly returning to markets in the festive times. At one point in his speech, he folded his hands to impress upon people to take precautions like wearing masks, sanitising their hands and maintaining social distance and said he wants to see them safe and
their families happy. “We must keep in mind that lockdown may have ended, but the virus is still there... This is not the time to be negligent, this is not the time to believe that corona is gone or there is no danger from it,” he said. “India is in a stable situation today due to efforts of every Indian in the last seven-eight months, and we have to ensure that the situation does not deteriorate,” he added. People should continue to be careful and not be callous until a vaccine is found, Modi said. Countries across the world are working at a warfooting to develop a vaccine, and scientists in India have also been working hard in this regard. The prime minister said the government is making all efforts to ensure that a vaccine, whenever it is launched, reaches every Indian. “We all must remember, there can be no laxity till a cure is found (Jab tak dawai nahin, tab tak dhilai
nagalandpostofficial
State govt failed to present transparent solution, says NPCC DIMAPUR, OCT 20 (NPN): NPCC through its president K. Therie has hit out at the ruling PDA government over the Naga political issue by accusing it failing to present a transparent solution to the people. Therie said “we cannot allow Nagaland people to be slaves in our own land” and slammed the state government of washing its hands off like Pontius Pilate and abdicating its responsibility. He cautioned that the state government has no idea about the impact of its role in a post-solution. Therie said that Congress would defend and protect stakeholders with party MPs in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha as it “cannot allow Nagaland people to be slaves in our own land.” Therie said the state government has chosen to “merely facilitate the negotiation” and had no idea about the impacts.
international, Page 9
Doctors, nurses recruitment: H&FW all set to declare selected candidates’ list Correspondent
KOHIMA, OCT 20 (NPN): In the backdrop of the State cabinet’s approval to recruitment of doctors, nurses and technicians in June, the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department is now all set to declare list of the selected candidates once the government gives its final approval. Speaking to Nagaland Post, H&FW principal director (PD) Dr Vizolie Z Suokhrie said the entire process of selection was completed and now only the government’s approval was awaited. He said reshuffle of administrative officials and some testing positive for COVID have delayed the process, even though the government had directed completion of the entire process within a month after approval. He claimed that the selection process was open and candidates have been (Cont’d on p-8) selected based on the cri-
teria cited in the advertisement, adding that the recruitment would be made based on length of service, academic performance and personal interview as no written exam was held. PD said that the interview board members comprised officials from the P&AR and H&FW departments and Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research. He said Zoom app was used for the first time in the State during a recruitment process. Once the current recruitment gets completed, Suokhrie remarked that the State would have substantial number of heath workers. As interviewing nurses would be difficult as many of them did not have experience in using digital technology, the PD said a request has been made to the government to waive the interview part and exuded confidence that the case would be considered. He added that their recruitment would be done
based on their academic performance. Even for GNM admission, he said a new system has been introduced as per Indian Nursing Council whereby there won’t be any interview or written exam the selection would be based on their academic performance. He assured that there would not be any manipulation. Mentioning that result of nurses would be declared earlier than doctors, Suokhrie said upon declaration of the results, health workers in districts having higher COVID positive cases would be complemented with more manpower. He appreciated the efforts of health workers during the pandemic. After its earlier decision to approve regularisation of 27 posts of doctors recruited recently backfired, the State cabinet on June 23 revoked the decision and went ahead in creating 186 new posts under the H&FW department.
Nagaland COVID tally breaches 8000-mark Ravi, NNPGs to meet on Oct 22 in Chümoukedima COVID-19 STATUS AS ON october 20, 2020 District
Dimapur
“Why doesn’t the govt realise that if they want to improve the economy, give sops to us, the haves-not?”
nahin),” Modi said. He also urged the media and people on social media to campaign to spread public awareness about following the COVID-19 guidelines. Modi also highlighted India’s “success” in saving lives in the fight against the disease compared to resourceful countries like the US, Spain, Brazil and Britain. While there are 25,000 COVID cases for one million population in countries like the US and Brazil, the corresponding figure in India is only 5,500. The number of fatalities in India is 83 for a million population against more than 600 in nations like the US, Brazil, Spain and Britain, he said. Festivals are a time of happiness but even a small amount of negligence can dampen our spirits, he said. Modi also greeted people for various festivals, including Eid-Milad-un-Nabi and Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary.
Armenia, Azerbaijan to meet Pompeo
nagalandpostofficial
ACTIVE CASES Symptomatic AsDeath ReMi- Total ympCritical-ICU cov- Death under grat- CastomInvestiMod- Se- With On ered ed es Mild atic gation erate vere Oxy- Ventigen lator 1065 45 6 2 0 1 3132 21* 1 39 4312
Kiphire
1
0
0
0
0
0
12
0
0
0
13
Kohima
330
6
5
3
1
2
2090
3
0
9
2449
Longleng
3
0
0
0
0
0
6
0
0
7
16
Mokokchung
58
0
0
0
0
0
44
1
0
0
103
Mon
57
0
0
0
0
0
373
2
0
8
440
Peren
24
0
0
0
0
0
274
0
0
0
298
Phek
1
0
0
0
0
0
35
0
0
0
36
Tuensang
35
0
0
0
0
0
95
0
0
0
130
Wokha
0
0
0
0
0
0
26
0
0
0
26
Zunheboto
7
0
0
0
0
0
120
0
0
3
130
Total
1581
51
11
5
1
3
6207
27
1
66
7953
*6 deaths not due to Covid-19 *1 deaths in under investigation
DIMAPUR, OCT 20 (NPN): Nagaland COVID-19 tally Tuesday crossed the 8000-mark after 67 new cases were reported--38 in Dimapur, 13 in Kohima, 11 in Tuensang and 5 in Mon. The tally as on October 20 stood at 8020. Out of 8020 positive cases, the distribution across various categories include 3567 cases from the armed forces/police, 1613 returnees, 2448 traced contacts and 392 frontline workers. Meanwhile, the COVID19 caseload in India rose to 75,97,063 on Tuesday, according to the Union Health Ministry.
DIMAPUR, OCT 20 (NPN): Government of India’s representative and Interlocutor for Naga Peace Talks, R.N. Ravi and the Working Committee (WC) NNPGs are scheduled to hold an official meeting on October 22 at Police Complex, Chümoukedima, Dimapur.
Sources informed Nagaland Post that NNPGs delegates will be led by its convenor, N Kitovi Zhimomi. Ravi, who is also the Governor of Nagaland, will chair the meeting wherein both parties are expected to discuss details to sign the much awaited final agreement.
Kitovi Zhimomi slams accusations against apex Naga tribes, CSOs DIMAPUR, OCT 20 (NPN): Working Committee of NNPGs convenor, N. Kitovi Zhimomi reacted to recent statement that branded apex Naga tribal bodies and civil societies as “Anti-Naga” as well as “Traitors” by describing them as the recurrence of “toxic political expletives in the lexicon of political statement and interviews. In a statement, Kitovi pointed out that no one has so far dared to call the 14 Nagqa tribes and subtribes, GBs or other civil societies as “anti Naga” or “traitors” for demanding early “Indo-Naga political solution” that was honourable, and acceptable to Nagas everywhere. Kitovi reiterated that one or few Naga leaders calling apex tribal bodies and CSOs with whom millions of Nagas share blood allegiance and lineage as “traitors” would not change the narrative. He instead said Naga history reserved the right to determine “who masterminded divisions, gave genocidal ideas, put them into action and interpreted covert tribal supremacy as “National Principle” or “Naga nationalism”. He therefore, said labels such as “Anti Naga” or “Traitors” were best left to future generations to “who lived and died as one”. Kitovi said three years of negotiations between Working Committee, NNPGs with the government of India, “has completely blown the lid off the perpetual secrecy and mystery of the IndoNaga negotiations” after unravelling of the ‘Agreed Position’. (Full text on p-6) K Y M C
K Y M C