Month: July 2017

Newmai News Network

DIMAPUR | July 19

In three years TR Zeliang was sworn in as the 19th chief minister of Nagaland today for the second time hours after Nagaland governor dismissed the Shurhozelie Liezietsu government after two weeks of power struggle. The governor invited Zeliang to take oath at the Raj Bhavan in Kohima an hour after beleaguered Liezietsu failed to show up for the floor test.

Zeliang was asked by the governor to prove his majority on the floor of the House or before July 22.

Things may not be that easy for Zeliang given the situation. He was expelled from the Naga People’s Front (NPF) by the party for six years with immediate effect minutes after he was sworn in as the chief minister. As of now things are indicating that there is a possibility of split in the NPF.

On Tuesday after few hours of the Kohima Bench Gauhati High Court’s dismissal of the writ petition of Lietzietsu filed in the same court on July 14 against the governor’s directive for floor test, governor PB Acharya had directed the Speaker to summon an emergent special session of the Nagaland Assembly on Wednesday (July 19) at 09:30 am to test the majority support of the present cabinet led by chief minister, Liezietsu. However, Liezietsu and his MLAs did not turn up to the Assembly. Interestingly, Liezietsu will face by-election to the Northern Angami-I assembly constituency on July 29, the seat vacated by his son.

Liezietsu became chief minister on February 22, 2017 after Zeliang was forced to resign by the people over the local body election issue.

The Naga People’s Front (NPF) has vehemently condemned the “partisan role” played by the governor in installing a government “through backdoor” without following the due process of parliamentary norms.

“The haste with which he has acted time favouring the RSS-friendly dispensation should be a wake-up call to the Naga people that there are elements fiercely and furiously doing the utmost to pierce the trishul into the heart-land of Christ. The presence of RSS functionaries in large numbers in Nagaland in the last few days should also open the eyes of the Naga people as to what exactly is the ulterior motive behind the present political drama,” the NPF said in a press release.

The press note said that, it was very clear that the governor, “who was a decorated RSS pracharak”, was sent to the land of Christians with a single agenda but he could not effectively fulfil his mission so long as the BJP was riding piggy-back on the NPF. By aligning with the BJP all these years and playing host to the saffron party, the NPF was successful in containing the agenda of the BJP in Nagaland. “As coalition partner, the NPF managed to keep the BJP alive but ensuring that it was barely alive not unlike a florist making bonsai out of a tree”, the NPF stated.

The NPF statement then said that, to revisit electoral history in the state, the BJP won 7 seats in 2003 but later they merged with the NPF (one out of 7 died while in office before the merger). In 2008, 2 BJP candidates returned to the Assembly only to merge again with the NPF.

In 2013, only one BJP returned to the House. “However, after the BJP victory at the Centre in 2014, 3 NCP MLAs merged with the BJP which was contested by the NPF in the Courts thereby earning the ire of the Lok Sabha MP and former Chief Minister which is in public knowledge,” it added.

“It would seem that the BJP, buoyed by the Assam and Manipur victories, plans to repeat another Arunachal experiment in Nagaland. But the BJP has another thinking coming because its culture and mentality are alien to the Naga people. Without the NPF to cloak it, the BJP would stand fully exposed and its nakedness shall never appeal to the Naga psyche,” the NPF statement also said.

According to the NPF press note, if the governor has “any sense of decency and fair play”, he owed to explain to the people of Nagaland and to his conscience (we believe he is not bereft of a conscience) what extenuating circumstances prompted him to support legislators sans party set up this time round when he did exactly the opposite in 2015.

“Or has he forgotten that in 2015 he did not entertain the NPF dissidents’ plea to dismiss the then so-called “minority” government of Zeliang who then had the sanction and mandate of the party set up?,” the NPF asked.

It then stated that the governor should also not “gloat over his act of dismissing the NPF-led DAN government and installing and expelled legislator because this has shown the vindictiveness he harbours: The day after the NPF severed ties with the BJP, the governor dismissed the NPF-led government! He has shown his true colours for all to see”.

By Ningthoujam Prasant and Elangbam Nikita

IMPHAL | July 19

The Manipur University authorities have clarified that there is no provision for retest of a candidate after results are declared.

Officials made this clarification when the Imphal Free Press asked the reaction of the university to an application purportedly filed by an in individual, seeking retest of B.A. (Home Science) examination, 2017 gold medalist Hijam Surjabala to the vice-chancellor of the university. The application is uploaded on social media.

The complainant has urged the vice-chancellor to conduct a retest of Surjabala, a Manipuri film actor, popularly known as Bala, who stood first in the examination.

The application dated July 17 expressed doubts on the result stating that there are cases of mass copying, attendance only during examinations and many colleges did not conduct proper classes.

According to MU officials, there is no provision for retest as per the university examination guidelines. The only option is re-evaluation if a student is not satisfied with his or her marks.

They also said answer scripts are coded before evaluation to hide the identity of the students and marks are awarded according to the performance of the students.

“The university sends flying squad teams to various examination centres during examinations to assess the examination process and in case any student is caught using unfair means, he or she is expelled on the spot”, a university official said, adding actors can also excel in academics.

Faculties of the home science department of Standard College, Surjabala’s college, said she is a “quick learner.” Although she could not attend regular classes due to her commitments, she had always submitted her assignments on time, attendded her practical classes regularly and kept herself updated with the academic progress of the college. They also added that the practical examination for home science was conducted by an external examiner.

“We are not happy with the recent accusations made against her as she is good in her academics. And there are not such rules that an actor cannot outperform other students in academics.” they said.

Standard College produced position holders in previous years also. Along with Surjabala, two more students are among the top 10 position holders in the B.A (home science) examination, 2017, they said. 

Surjabala said she is ready for a retest if all the students are willing to take the test together.

“I took up homes science because I had the belief that I can do well in this subject.” she said.

Surjabala, daughter of Hijam Biramangol Singh, was felicitated by the then MLA of Sagolband constituency Loken Singh for securing 1 st division in her 12 th standard examinations from Manipur Public School in 2011.