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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 001509 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KIRF KNNP IR BT KZ
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, MARCH 8-29 
 
NEW DELHI 00001509  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
¶1.  (U) Below is a compilation of Political highlights from 
Embassy New Delhi for March 8-29, 2007 that did not feature 
in our other reporting. 
 
Former Iranian President Gets a Warm Reception in India 
------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The mostly Indian audience at the India Today 
annual "conclave" March 23 heavily applauded former Iranian 
President Hujjat-ul-Islam Seyed Mohammad Khatami who said, 
"There is no need to refer the Iranian nuclear program to the 
UN Security Council.  Without threat or use of power, we can 
solve this problem in a peaceful manner."  Responding to 
questions from the audience, Khatami noted that Iran's oil 
and gas reserves were diminishing, and stressed that Iran had 
a "legitimate right" to a peaceful nuclear program.  "We 
can't rely on powers who have this fuel - they use it to 
control us," Khatami told the crowd, many of whom Poloff 
observed nodding in agreement.   Khatami stressed that Iran 
was concerned about the proliferation of nuclear arms and 
stated that the Middle East should be a "nuclear free zone." 
He declared that it was "unfortunate that the American way of 
solving problems is unilateral," claiming that "using power 
to solve the problem won't work," and adding that the 
"sensitive" Middle East region was "unable to suffer another 
crisis."  He complained that the U. S. was "supporting 
dictatorial regimes" in the region, and that it supported 
other nuclear powers.  "Negotiations don't require 
pre-conditions," he underlined, "but only goodwill."  When 
asked if Iran and Pakistan were collaborating on the 
production of nuclear weapons, he responded that Iran did not 
have any special cooperation with any country.  He said Iran 
would take advantage of nuclear scientific technology from 
others on a "legitimate scale."  "I give you a guarantee that 
(Iran's nuclear program) will never be a threat to any other 
country, and Iran will never have nuclear weapons," he said, 
reiterating that the Middle East should be a nuclear free 
zone and that Iran was for a nuclear free world. 
 
¶3.  (U) Prime Minister Singh continued the warm reception for 
former President Khatami during his lunchtime speech at the 
same event.  Praising Khatami as &a great citizen of the 
world, a great leader of the Iranian people, and a great 
friend of India,8 he said it was &a source of joy8 that 
Khatami had been part of the event,s initial proceedings. 
Singh quoted from a speech Khatami gave in September 2000, in 
which Khatami said that dialogue among civilizations is a 
means to &attain empathy and compassion.8  Singh added that 
India, as a multi-cultural society, appreciated this kind of 
dialogue more than anyone else. 
 
Bhutan:  Indian Paramilitary Sets up Camp on Bhutanese Border 
------ 
 
¶4.  (C) The Sashrastra Seema Bal (SSB, an official Government 
of India (GOI)  paramilitary border force), that polices the 
 
NEW DELHI 00001509  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
Indo-Nepal/Bhutan border, is setting up 132 new security 
posts on the Indo-Bhutanese border, to prevent ULFA (United 
Liberation Front of Asom) insurgents and Maoists from 
sneaking into the country, said Tilak Kak, Director General 
of SSB, speaking to the Calcutta Telegraph.  Kak told press 
that 60 outposts are already in place, and the remainder 
should be completed by March 2008.  This is despite the fact 
that GOI officials, such as Ministry of External Affairs 
Director (North) Sudhakar Dalela, and official spokespersons 
in statements to the Lok Sabha, continue to parrot the Royal 
Government of Bhutan that there are no "specific reports8 of 
ULFA cadres establishing camps inside Bhutan. 
 
...and First Bhutanese Political Parties Formed 
------ 
 
¶5.  (C) On March 24, the Bhutanese national newspaper 
"Kuensel" reported the creation of the People's Democratic 
Party (PDP) and the Bhutan People United Party, (BPUP) 
without elaborating on their platforms.   The PDP coordinator 
quoted in the media did not give the name of the party chief, 
who is a serving minister in the National Assembly, but said 
that the party has retired government officials, businessmen 
and community leaders as its members.  The BPUP has members 
including four serving Royal Advisory Councilors and 73 
&chimis8 (people,s representative to the National 
Assembly.) Under the new election law of Bhutan, civil 
servants must resign before taking part in electoral 
politics, or else be liable for disciplinary action.  The 
election commission has set July as the deadline for 
registration of parties for the 2008 polls.   "We expect at 
least three credible political parties to come forward," 
chief election commissioner Dasho Kunzang Wangdi said. 
 
Anti-Conversion Bill Signed Under the Guise of "Freedom of 
Religion" 
----- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) On February 19, the governor signed into law the 
Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.  Despite its 
misleading title, this is an anti-conversion bill identical 
to what BJP governments have passed in Rajasthan and Gujarat. 
 A similar law was passed in Tamil Nadu before it was 
repealed by ordinance.  The Hindustan Times suggests that the 
Himachal Congress Party, which faces elections next March, is 
abandoning secularism and pandering to Hindu votes by 
borrowing BJP policies.  While, the Himachal Pradesh (HP) 
bill is not new (see New Delhi 80), news about a letter from 
Archbishop Concessao to Sonia Gandhi asking the Congress 
party to intervene is a recent development.  Gandhi, however, 
has ignored the letter.  As a result, Hindustan Times reports 
that Indian Christians are beginning to feel doubly betrayed. 
 First, they feel disappointed by Congress, which usually 
wraps itself in pious paeans to secularism.  Second, they 
feel additionally insecure by being ignored by Sonia Gandhi, 
who was born Catholic in a Catholic country, and her failure 
to respond or acknowledge the pleas of Indian Christians. 
The Hindustan Times goes on to suggest what Congress critics 
 
NEW DELHI 00001509  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
have been saying for years ) that the party,s secularism is 
a simply a cloak of convenience.  Post will continue to 
follow developments in HP closely. 
 
Tibet:  PolCouns Meets Rival Ascendant to Leader of Karma 
Kagyu 
------ 
 
¶7.  (C)  His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Trinley Thaye Dorje 
expressed his gratitude for the USG's support for preserving 
Tibetan culture and language in a March 13 meeting with 
PolCouns at the Karmapa International Buddhist Institute in 
Delhi.  He said that the Government of India has been a 
gracious and understanding host since his arrival from Nepal 
in January 2000, and he resides very comfortably in 
Kalimpong.  The 17th Karmapa stated that he did not have much 
hope to return to Tibet in his lifetime, but expressed 
optimism that his people would be able to live in Tibet in 
peace one day. 
 
¶8.  (C)  The 17th Karmapa was born in occupied Tibet in 1983 
and is the son of a prominent lama (father) and accomplished 
doctor (mother).  He was officially recognized as the 17th 
incarnation of the Karmapa by the 14th Kunzig Shamarpa, 
second highest lama in the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan 
Buddhism.  His supporters trumpet him as the leader of the 
Karma Kagyu sect.  However, his ascendancy is mired in 
controversy, as His Holiness the Dalai Lama purportedly 
supports Urgyen Trinley Dorje as the Karma Kagyu sect's 
rightful leader.  In separate discussions with prominent 
members of the Kashag, literally meaning "house of Lord's 
order," of the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala, it 
was noted that there was no communication between the Dalai 
Lama and Karmapa Trinley Dorje, and he was not recognized by 
the Dalai Lama's followers, who represent the Gelupa sect of 
Tibetan Buddhism. 
 
Indian-Kazakh Ties On the Rise 
------ 
 
¶9.  (U) At a March 8 conference celebrating fifteen years of 
India-Kazakhstan diplomatic relations, Kazakhstan,s 
Ambassador to India, Kairat E. Umarov, expressed his 
government,s support for an Indian seat in the UN Security 
Council.  Turning to economic matters, he noted that the $210 
million in bilateral trade during 2006 was an increase of 76% 
in 2005 and added that Kazakhstan wants a common energy 
network and market throughout South and Central Asia to 
increase &stability.8  Ministry of External Affairs Joint 
Secretary (Eurasia) Jaimini Bhagwati said lack of money or 
 
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conflicting schedules was to blame if India-Kazakhstan 
relations seem inactive, not lack of will.  &India does take 
Kazakhstan seriously,8 he stated, faulting both insufficient 
ground links and the small size of Kazakhstan,s population 
as impediments to greater bilateral trade and investment. 
While India desires stronger economic ties with Kazakhstan, 
&the two must interact in a manner that is commercially 
viable and sustainable,8 he cautioned.  Bhagwati noted that 
 
NEW DELHI 00001509  004.4 OF 004 
 
 
defense ties were important, and that &things are happening 
now and more will happen in the future.8  He did not wish to 
"publicize" what those activities were, however. Borat 
Sagdiev was not in attendance. 
MULFORD