September 19, 2019

Page 1

Nagaland Post www.nagalandpost.com

Vol XXIX No. 284

DIMAPUR, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019 Pages 12 ` 5.00

Israel poll: Netanyahu’s rival Gantz leads vote count

Kohli leads India to T20 win over South Africa

Mamata Banerjee meets PM Modi

international, Page 9

sports, Page 12

national, Page 7

Ayodhya judgement likely in mid-Nov Supreme Court sets Oct 18 deadline for completion of hearing NEW DELHI, SEP 18 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday set an October 18 deadline for conclusion of hearings in the protracted Ram-Janmabhoomi Babri Masjid land title dispute, a move that has raised the possibility of a verdict in the politically sensitive case in the middle of November. The target date for completion of arguments by both the Hindu and Muslim sides assumes significance as Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is heading the five-judge Constitution bench hearing the case, is due to demit office on November 17. The apex court also said the parties to the dispute can amicably resolve the matter through mediation if they want to but told lawyers from both the sides that it wanted to conclude the day-to-day hearings by October 18 so that the judges get almost four weeks time to write the judgment.

DoPN cautions Kohima public DIMAPUR, SEP 18 (NPN): Department of power, transmission division, Kohima has informed that “conversion of 33 kV Kohima Ring Main feeder to G.I Lattice Towers between New Secretariat to Kiyake” passing through New Secretariat area, New Medical College and Kiyake would be test charged at the rated voltage on September 20, 2019 at 7am and would remain charged thereafter. The department has, therefore, cautioned the public not to touch the said line nor go near it.

Govt deptts owe Rs.2.18 cr to DoPN

DIMAPUR, SEP 18 (NPN): Department of Power Nagaland (DoPN), which released the list of defaulting government departments that have failed to clear their electricity, Wednesday said that the total outstanding amount upto June 2019 was Rs.2.18 crore. In a press release, chief engineer (D&R) KK Awomi has requested the responsible departments to clear the dues failing which the department would disconnect the power supply to their establishment without further notice after 15 days from the date of publishing of notice. (See Advt on p-4)

This is it!

“Don’t think PAC will save you. We’ll get you in the end. Here’s a road tax receipt for Rs.5000.” K Y M C

it had to decide the matter pending before it. The court, which on March 8 referred the matter for mediation, had asked for in-camera proceedings to be completed within eight weeks, but later granted time till August 15 after the panel’s earlier report said the mediators were “optimistic” about an amicable solution. The top court fixed the seat for mediation process in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, around 7 km from Ayodhya, and said adequate arrangements, including the venue of the mediation, place of stay of the mediators, their security, travel should be forthwith arranged by the state government. It had perused a report about the progress of mediation process till July 18 and said its contents will remain confidential. Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against the 2010 Allahabad High Court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77-acre land in Ayodhya be partitioned equally among the three parties -- the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

PAC confronts parallel tax system Staff Reporter

DIMAPUR, SEP 18 (NPN): There were few trucks passing through New Field, Burma Camp and Dillai check gates on Wednesday which happened to be ‘Vishwa Karma puja’ on the third day of the ongoing ‘Operation Check Gate’ launched by the Public Action Committee (PAC) with volunteers from various tribe-affiliates of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD). However, those “authorised” collectors acting on behalf of or contract-leased by the geology & mining , forest and veterinary & animal husbandry departments were merrily carrying out their job of overcharging but issuing receipts for much less amount. This was discovered at the New Field check gate where collectors or contractleasees of the departments of geology & mining and forests were still collecting taxes separately for the same items such as sand from nearby Karbi Anglong. It may be noted that both departments have authorised tax collections on similar items- marble, granite, sand, stone chips etc separately. PAC had barred both

PAC officials and volunteers questioning the driver of a van at New Field Check gate. (NP)

departments from such collections till both clarify on the reasons and legality for collecting royalty on similar items such as marble, granite etc transported from other parts of India which have been taxed under GST. Even when the two departments were yet to clarify their stands, their collectors were still charging royalty tax from various trucks at the check gate. PAC volunteers prevented a collector of forest department from collecting tax. When asked he said the order to collect royalty was issued by a “Ranger” and to share the amount with the geology & mining department. The collector could not show the letter issued by the Ranger when asked to do so. In another incident, whe n vo lunte e r s we r e

questioning the driver of a Maruti van (AS 09-8454) transporting poultry to Dimapur, he showed a letter under “To Whom It May Concern” purportedly issued by a functionary of one particular Naga political group dated June 6,2019. In the letter the functionary declared ownership of the van and requesting all tax collectors to exempt the driver from paying any tax as it was his own local enterprise. PAC volunteers seized the document and said they would release it only after further investigation. RESOLUTIONS Meanwhile, PAC has issued a four-point resolution adopted at its meeting with apex tribe hohos on Wednesday in Dimapur.

Never asked for imposing Hindi: Amit Shah Committed to conclude Naga

Fuel prices see steepest hike since July 5

A view of the Supreme Court in New Delhi, August 28, 2019. (PTI)

The Court on Tuesday asked the counsels for the Hindu and Muslim parties to inform it about a tentative “time schedule” for concluding their arguments. The Constitution bench, which also comprised Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer, also said it has received a letter from former apex court judge F M I Kalifulla, who was heading the threemember mediation panel, in which it was stated that some parties have written

NEW DELHI, SEP 18 (AGENCIES): Amid a raging debate over his appeal for Hindi as the common language across the country, Home Minister Amit Shah Wednesday said he never asked for imposing Hindi over other languages but proposed that other than one’s mother tongue, there should be a common second language and that should be Hindi. “I never asked for imposing Hindi over other regional languages and had only requested for learning Hindi as the second language after one’s mother tongue. I myself come from a non-Hindi state of Gujarat. If some people want to do politics, it’s their choice,” ANI quoted him as saying. Speaking at an event in Ranchi, Shah said his speech at a Hindi Diwas event had been misconstrued. Stating that he too hailed from Gujarat, where Gujarati and not Hindi, is the primary

to him for resumption of the mediation process. “There is an ancillary issue. We have received a letter that some parties want to settle the matter by way of mediation,” the bench said, adding they may do so and the proceedings before the mediation panel can remain confidential. The bench said the day-to-day proceedings in the land dispute case have reached “an advanced stage” and will continue. The apex court on August 6 commenced day-

to-day proceedings in the sensitive land dispute case as mediation proceedings initiated to find the amicable resolution had failed. The court had taken note of the report of the three-member panel, also comprising spiritual guru and founder of the Art of Living foundation Sri Sri Ravishankar and senior advocate and renowned mediator Sriram Panchu, that mediation proceedings, which went on for about four months, did not result in any final settlement and

BJP national president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a rally in Jamtara in Jharkhand, Wednesday. (PTI)

language, he said: “People should carefully listen to my speech (delivered on Hindi Diwas). If one wants to do politics, they are free to do so. But I had repeatedly stated (in the speech) that Indian languages should be strengthened. A child can study better and his mental development assured if he takes his lessons in his mothertongue. By mother-tongue, I did not mean Hindi. Every

state has its own language. I only requested that if there is a second language being learnt it should be Hindi. What is wrong in this? I don’t understand.” Shah said that someday, a campaign to strengthen local languages will have to be undertaken, “or else we will end up like Australia and Africa”. “When I meet people from Australia or New Zealand, I ask them what

is their native language. They can’t meet my eye. We should not reach a point where we lose our local languages. So local languages should be strengthened but Hindi learnt alongside,” he stated. Last week, Shah had pitched for Hindi as a common language for the country, reigniting the debate on the issue even as regional satraps in the south said they would oppose any attempt to “impose” the language. Many states, even the BJP-ruled Karnataka, had openly resented his statement. DMK president M K Stalin has asked his party workers to get ready for another anti-Hindi agitation. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the Hindi language was not the mother tongue of a majority of Indians. Actorturned-politician Kamal Haasan protested against Hindi imposition.

Accord by year end: Madhav

DIMAPUR, SEP 18 (NPN): BJP national general secretary and in charge of North East and Kashmir, Ram Madhav, Wednesday said the BJP government at the Centre was committed to conclude the Naga Accord by the end of this year so that peace and prosperity would prevail in Nagaland. Madhav said this while addressing the Jan Jagaran Abhiyan - public awareness campaign and Sampark Abhiyan on Article 370, which was organised by BJP Nagaland State at Wokha town and attended by a host of BJP leaders from across the state. Madhav said “Nagaland is in safe hands and there was no comparison between Article 370 and Article 371 as Article 370 did not recognise the sovereignty and integrity of the Indian Government, whereas Article 371 A does not question the Indian government and

the Indian State”. Stating that there was a BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and there was a BJP-led government in Nagaland, Madhav said therefore nobody can touch any of the special provisions provided to the state of Nagaland under the Constitution of India. He said the future of Nagaland is in very safe hands with Modi and the present BJP leadership in the state. Referring to its alliance partner NDPP, Madhav asserted that the seat sharing arrangement between the two parties was “a gentlemanly agreement” and would complete its term. Also, speaking at the meeting, deputy chief minister Y Patton and BJP state president and minister Temjen Imna Along urged upon all the party workers to spread the message of hope and peace across the state.

(Cont’d on p-7)

NEW DELHI, SEP 18 (PTI): Petrol and diesel prices were on Wednesday hiked by 24-25 paise per litre, the steepest increase since July 5 Union Budget, as a fallout of turmoil in global oil markets following drone attacks on Saudi Arabian crude oil facilities. Petrol price was increased by 25 paise per litre to Rs 72.42 and diesel by 24 paise to Rs 65.82 in the Delhi market, which is sort of a national benchmark, according to price information available from stateowned fuel retailers. This is the biggest single-day hike since the July 5 Budget of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman that raised rates by almost Rs 2.50 a litre. The hike on Wednesday followed a 14 paise a litre increase in price of petrol on Tuesday and 15 paise per litre rise in diesel rate.

2 Assam cops suspended for custodial torture of 3 women VAHAN 4.0 system: ANTA G uwahati / N ew Delhi, Sep 18 (agenies): Two cops, including a woman constable, have been suspended for allegedly torturing three women in police custody in Assam’s Darrang district. In a horrific incident, a pregnant Muslim woman and her two sisters were allegedly stripped and tortured inside a police station in Assam’s Darrang district. Kicked in her belly by a police officer, the pregnant woman started bleeding and lost her baby due to the torture. The incident took place on September 8 and came to light only on Tuesday. After the alleged torture, the pregnant woman was admitted to a hospital where she lost the baby due to miscarriage. According to reports, Darrang district police picked up three sis-

ters - Minuwara Begum, Sanuwara and Rumela from Sixmile area in Guwahati on September 8 night in connection with a kidnapping case and took them to Burha police outpost. In a complaint filed with the Darrang district Superintendent of Police on September 10 by Minuwara Begum, she has alleged that the three of them were picked up from their homes by a police team led by the officer-in-charge of Burha police outpost, Mahendra Sarma, on September 8 night. In the complaint they have said that they were taken to the Burha police outpost where the Mahendra Sarma and a lady constable physically tortured them the whole night. They were also stripped naked. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal suspended Officer in-charge of

Burha police station Mahendra Sarmah and Constable Binita Boro following a complaint filed by three sisters with Darrang Superintendent of Police on September 11 alleging that they were tortured and stripped by the police in custody on September 6. A inquiry has also been ordered into the allegations. According to the complaint, the police had detained the three sisters based on a FIR filed by a girl’s family that their brother had eloped with their daughter ealier on September 6. The sisters were beaten black and blue and also allegedly stripped by the police in custody. The torture led one of the sisters, who was pregnant, to deliver a stillborn baby. They were released by the police the same evening after the boy surrendered with the girl.

NCW seeks stern action

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Wednesday sought stern action from Assam Police against officials who allegedly stripped and beat three sisters at a police outpost. According to a media report, the three sisters have accused the Assam Police of custodial torture, including being stripped, kicked and beaten with lathis, at a police outpost in Darrang district. Reportedly, one of the women was pregnant and suffered a miscarriage due to the alleged torture. The women were picked up by police on September 9 in connection with a case registered against their brother for allegedly abducting a Hindu woman, the media report said. NCW, which took suo moto cognisance of

the issue, condemned the treatment meted out to the women. The commission has asked Assam director general of police to take up the matter urgently and ensure that the accused officials are given stern punishment, the NCW said in a statement. It said it is “anguished” by such alleged misconduct on part of the police officials. The police officials, the NCW said, ill-treated the women not involved in any crime but suspected to know the whereabouts of an alleged criminal. The role of police officials is to help uphold law and order impartially, and protect people, especially women, it said. The commission is of the view that these officials should be dealt with very strongly so that they do not repeat such an act in future, it said.

units support MDCVOA

MOKOKCHUNG, SEP 18 (NPN): Various units of All Nagaland Taxi Association (ANTA) have extended support to Mokokchung District Commercial Vehicle Owners Association (MDCVOA)’s opposition to the introduction of VAHAN 4.0 system. Representatives of ANTA Tuensang, Longleng and Zunheboto and Mokokchung held a joint meeting with MDCVOA representatives at Mokokchung town and deliberated at length the current issues relating to Vahaan 4.0 system. At the meeting, the house after thorough deliberation decided to extend support to MDCVOA. It was learnt that ANTA Wokha and Mon also gave verbal assurance that they extend support with regard

to VAHAN 4.0 system. It may be mentioned that on September 3, 2019 MDCVOA had served a seven-day ultimatum on the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Mokokchung to remove/delete VAHAN 4.0 system from their application and re-install the previous application before VAHAN 4.0 was introduced. MDCVOA had threatened that all commercial vehicles would stop plying (Chaka bandh) indefinitely if the authority failed to do so within the stipulated period. However, the bandh has been deferred for ten days after the request made by the deputy commissioner (DC) Mokokchung during a joint meeting. The extended deadline ends on September 20, 2019. K Y M C


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