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09/17/2009: "60 Naga MLAs push for peace OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph"

60 Naga MLAs push for peace OUR CORRESPONDENT The Telegraph

Kohima, Sept. 17: The Opposition Congress today said the “demand and aspirations” of the Nagas could be resolved within the framework of the Constitution even as the Naga militant organisations rejected the Centre’s offer to find a solution within it.
Nagaland PCC president K.V. Pusa said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and home minister P. Chidambaram told the state government and the Congress that no solution to the Naga problem was possible outside the Constitution.
Pusa said all the 60 Naga MLAs, cutting across party lines, have decided to forge a common voice. The political affairs committee of the ruling DAN government, under the chairmanship of T.M. Lotha, today had a closed-door meeting with Naga Hoho and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation to develop a consensus on the problem.
PRESS RELEASE NPMHR
September 16, 2009

The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) is shocked at the extent to which the Government of Manipur has gone in throttling the voice of dissent by her citizens. That curtailing the democratic movement for engagement with the state is serious enough, but the arrest and torture allegations of civil society leaders, is an issue that can haunt the Government for a long time.
The Working Committee of Apunba Lup (WCAL) formed by the Apunba Lup to pursue agitation against those responsible for the July 23 Khwairamband incident is justified, considering the grievousness of the crime. Securing a transparent and bold response from the State of Manipur is a right her people must not be denied. We express serious concern over the safety of the lives of all the civil society leaders who have been arrested in the recent past.
The Nagas stand by the Meitei people in these harsh times and raise our hand in solidarity with them. The Meiteis have the right to defend her people against violation of their human rights by the State in any form.
Naga people also continue to face grim situations in Manipur evinced by the physical assault on a Naga man at Makhan Centre, along the National Highway - 39 on the same day of the Apunba Lup arrests. This unprovoked attack only demonstrates utter lack of respect to human values by the Manipur Rifles and its commandos and the hate that has been engineered against their own people.
The NPMHR expresses hope that a solution will be arrived at between the Government of Manipur and the Apunba Lup agitators by a process of dialogue based on mutual respect. We therefore, urge the Government of Manipur to restore the civil and democratic space, by releasing the arrested leaders so that an atmosphere is created for a dialogue, rather than using force to submit.

Sd/-
Dr. N. Venuh
Secretary General
Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights

Flip - flop policies of DAN government
The complex and sensitive nature of our Naga political issue should in itself be conspicuous and easily discernible, that every sensible Naga who bas a concern and pursues the issue should do it in all seriousness, fairness, sincerity and above an, with political maturity and Wisdom. In this aspect, and at this junction people's confidence & Unity among all sections of our society is inevitably a required component for realization of our ultimate goal and aspiration. Any further division have the tendency to jeopardize the hard earned, nascent visible positive development being ushered into our Society through the genuine and sincere effort under the aegis of Forum for Naga Reconciliation (FNR). Yet, astonishingly without realizing its past folly of hasty, hollow and populist agendas which utterly flopped, as if to aggravate the situation, DAN Government bas recently launched another platform under the nomenclature of common Naga platform, which is beyond comprehension and devoid of any logic.
Conglomerate party of DAN in its election Campaign Slogan of 2003 state general election did promise with aplomb to secure an honourable settlement to our Naga political issue within three months if voted to power. With such baffling and populist promises, which led it to power, and right after assumption of power, DAN government has been introducing Flip-Flop Policies pertaining to our Naga political issue. Firstly, an offspring of its equi-closeness in the form of consultative Committee for peace was formed, to pursue the Naga political issue to its logical conclusion, has utterly failed on all fronts due to obvious reasons. In due course after the burial of the consultative committee for peace, DAN government asserted and proclaimed to be an active and good facilitator, announcing from time to time of its readiness and willingness to demit office if so required to pave way for a final settlement of Naga political issue. Yet, contradictorily on the other hand, it has without any reservation and hesitation declared to the government of India that NSCN (IM) was having links with Huji, a Muslim terrorist organization. On the state political front it has been alleging the Congress party as an anti-people and an Anti-Naga party and has been rubbishing the Congress party's factual allegations of its inability to contain law and order, corruption etc, rebutting it as merely out of jealousy, baseless, unfounded and imaginary until their foot-in the mouth syndrome caught up with them and finally admitting to our esteemed media mends of their failure in containing Law & Order.
Undeniably it is only through the initiative and effort of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation that resulted to evincing of positive response from the different factions, leading to cessation of hostilities and a halt to killing of precious lives among ourselves. FNR's Endeavour with the guidance of our almighty God towards bringing peace, unity and reconciliation is truly laudable and appreciable. Yet against the backdrop of su.ch clear, positive result oriented approach being initiated and pursued by FNR, the DAN Government instead of extending all-out support, has as if to undermine the credibility of the FNR, creating a parallel body in the form of common Naga platform at this juncture call be rightly termed as a big political blunder by the DAN govemment. The congress party finds no wisdom, justification nor the rationale with the DAN government's creation of such a platform at this juncture when the FNR's initiative and pursuit is moving in the right direction, deserving appreciation and support from every quarter of our society. The congress is of the view that creation of such parallel platform might only aggravate the situation, stagnating the process and lead to more divisions in our society. DAN government's attitude and consideration towards the opposition congress has been negligible and regrettable right from day one of its assumption to power. Congress party was never taken into confidence in the first place, on any of their policy towards the vexed and delicate Naga political issue. As such, there was neither support nor approval on any of their policy towards the same from the congress. Only as lately of 9th Sept. 2009 when an all-party meet on Naga political issue was convened, did some semblance of acknowledgement and regard was accorded to the congress party. However, the said meet too could not come out with any concrete resolution which might be attributable due to the lack of political confidence.
In retrospection and analysis of the NPF party's general convention dated 18th Nov. 2008 declaration, quote: a section that is not part of the solution cannot deny that they are part of the problem unquote: some pertinent questions arises in this statement. Whom do they (NPF party) meant by a section? Is it the congress party in particular? Or does it include even other pol1tical and social organizations which refuses to toe along with NPF party's imposed, autocratic ideologies principles and hidden political agendas? If so, since now political and social organizations such as Sumi Hoho, FGN, NSCN (K) and even NSCN(IM) had opted out of the common Naga platform, are they also part of that section?
Mere visualization and building of castles after castles in thin air without touching the core ground reality will be only creating more chaos and confusion resulting into, more division and disintegration in our society. Hence, the need of the hour is to let our good senses to awaken and prevail over narrow domestic walls and personal political mileage. The present day government should in all seriousness explore and take-up the right initiative, commensurating with the present situation, lest the situation slip out of reach and spiral to a point of no return.
The congress as a responsible political party in Nagaland had never proclaimed nor glorified itself as the champion of our Naga issue. But rather, it has been persistent and consistent in seeking the confidence and unity of every section of our Naga society in its endeavour and quest for an honourable and acceptable settlement of our vexed Naga political issue. As such, the congress will remain to do so even in the days to come.
SEVOTSO SEYlE , Ex. INC Candidate

Mcleod Russell best bet in tea sector Times of India
The rally in tea prices over the last two years has been a boon for tea plantation companies. Mcleod Russell, being the largest plantation
company, stands to gain the most, and hence is the best bet for investors considering exposure in the tea sector.

Business:

The Rs 800-crore Mcleod Russell is the largest tea producing company in the world. With 75 million kg, production, it is has around 10% share of the North Indian tea market. The company exports one-third of its produce to West Asia, Europe and North America. The company acquired four tea plantations in each of the last four years , three being in India and one in Vietnam. Now its has plantations in Assam, North Bengal and Vietnam.

Growth Strategy:

In the last couple of years, while Tata Tea and Hindustan Unilever were divesting their stake in tea plantations to focus on their core business of marketing packaged tea, Mcleod Russel had been acquiring plantations at attractive valuations.

The four acquisitions have enabled the company to grow its production from around 43 million kg to the present 75 million kg. It is still open to any small acquisition in the overseas tea markets especially in Vietnam and Africa.

The outlook for tea is bullish with the domestic demand growing by 3 to 3.5%, while supply is rising 1 to 1.5% annually. The scenario is similar in the international markets as well. Consequently, the domestic tea plantation industry is right now in a sweat spot, which is likely to last for another 2-3 years.

Financials:

The company has strong balance sheet healthy cash flows and a comfortable debt equity ratio of 0.7. The company’s net sales have grown at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR )of 27% over the last four fiscals to stand at Rs 829 crore in FY 2009. The growth in revenues has been due to volume growth as well as price increases.

The company made a net loss of Rs 19.7 crore in FY05. From FY06 the net profits have grown at a CAGR of 57% to reach Rs 88.8 crore for the year ended March 2009. While the company does not have a defined dividend policy, it has been distributing dividends since last three years in view of the profit growth. However, the company intends to strengthen the balance sheet during the profitable years by reducing debts. The management has planned to reduce the debt equity ratio to 0.3-0 .4.in next few years.

The plantation industry in India is labourintensive and requires little working capital. Nearly four fifth of the cost is accounted for by fuel, power and labour. and are fixed in short term. Hence a tae prices leads to a dispoportionate increase in profitabilitty. With tea prices remaining firm the company’s realisations have grown from Rs 110-115 per kg during FY09 to Rs 130-135 per kg right now.

Valuations:

At its current stock price, stock is trading at around 16 times its earnings. while the forward P/E works out to be of 13.8. The stock offers growth potential in an inflationary environment. Investors are advised to buy the stock on dips.