Nagaland: Hundreds joins 75 km walkathon demanding the repeal of AFSPA

All private offices in Delhi will be closed with immediate effect till further orders. In its revised order, Delhi Disaster Management Authority, DDMA said, the practice of work from home shall be followed. Those offices which are falling under the exempted category will be allowed to function. All restaurants and bars in the city will also be closed. However, takeaway of food items are allowed.The authority said, all District Magistrates, District DCPs and concerned authorities of Municipal Corporations, New Delhi Municipal Council, Delhi Cantonment Board shall take necessary action for ensuring compliance of this order in their respective areas. 

-Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight tested Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile on Tuesday. The indigenously developed anti-tank missile is low weight and fire & forget missile. The missile successfully destroyed the target during the test flight. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO for the consistent performance of the anti-tank missile saying that this is an important step towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in advanced technology-based defence system development. DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy congratulated the team for the excellent performance of the missile during the test.

-Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has announced that a mini Olympics will be organized in order to promote and encourage Olympic sports among the youth.
Addressing a meeting of the Maharashtra Olympic Association on Tuesday, Pawar, who is also the Chairman of the Association, said that the competition will be arranged around 1st May, to mark Maharashtra Day. He added that the sporting event will be called ‘Maharashtra State Olympic Competition’.  Pawar directed officials to prepare an ‘Olympics Vision Document’, considering the requirements of 2024, 2028, and 2032 Olympics. Ruing the lack of practice over the last two years due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pawar said sports must no longer be ignored but pursued with adequate precautions and by following COVID Appropriate Behaviour. The minister also approved a proposal to celebrate the birth anniversary of Indian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, who was the first athlete from independent India to win an individual medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, as Sports Day. However, considering the COVID situation, the celebration will be held in online mode on 15th January this year. 

In Manipur, the number of the Persons with Disabilities voters has increased in the final photo electoral rolls published last week compared with the last rolls, and they are expected to play an important role in the forthcoming State General Elections. According to the Joint CEO of Manipur S. Daulat Khan said that the number of PwDs voters as per the final photo electoral rolls published on 5th of this month is over 14 thousand. Besides female voters, the PwDs are keen to participate in the upcoming State Elections and it could be seen in the number of voters registered this time. The Joint CEO also said that the Office of CEO Manipur will enforce the special COVID-19 guidelines issued by ECI in connection to the poll. The polling stations will be sanitized before the arrival of polling parties and ensure everybody observed Covid Appropriate Behaviours. The elections to Manipur Legislative Assembly will be held in two phases on 27th February and 3rd March. The counting will be held on 10th March.

-Hundreds of Nagas both young and old from different walks of life joined in a 75-kilometer walkathon demanding the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland. Volunteers holding placards against repeal of AFSPA participated in the walkathon which started from Dimapur on Mondya and culminated at Raj Bhavan Kohima on Tuesday. A memorandum demanding the repeal of AFSPA and justice for the 14 victims killed by security forces in Mon district was submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Governor of Nagaland.The memorandum signed by the Global Naga Forum, Naga Students' Federation, Naga Mother's Association, Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Dimapur, and Konyak Union Dimapur was received by the Commissioner & Secretary of Governor of Nagaland in the absence of Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi. The memorandum include the justice for the victims, their families, and the injured of the Opting massacre by bringing the perpetrators under civil court for criminal prosecution and adequate compensation is given to the victim’s families and the injured. To repeal of AFSPA in toto from the Naga homeland and the North East and to recognize the state government’s role of handling law and order of the state and make provisions that AFSPA 1958 will not be enforced in Nagaland.