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UNCLAS NEW DELHI 000196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y  CAPTION 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM SCUL KIRF SOCI KISL IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, JAN 14-18 
REF: A. NEW DELHI 130, B. KOLKATA 2 
 
¶1.  (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from 
Embassy New Delhi for December 14-18, 2007 that did not 
feature in our other reporting, including: 
 
-- Bhutan Election Commission Announce Historic Election Date 
-- Coalition Crisis in Goa 
-- Darul Uloom Deoband Madrasa authorizes use of 
contraceptives 
-- BJP Finds a Solution for Rajasthan's Gujjars 
-- Mayawati Celebrates, Congress and SP Seek Alliance 
-- Child Labor Update: Expanding the List of Hazardous Jobs 
May be on the Horizon 
 
 
 
Bhutan Election Commission Announce Historic Election Date 
------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On January 17, the Bhutan Election Commission (EC) 
officially announced that Bhutan will hold its first general 
elections on March 24, 2008.  On this date, Bhutanese 
citizens will go to the polls to elect 47  representatives to 
serve in their National Assembly (lower house of Parliament). 
 This election, which kicks off a historic transition from an 
absolute monarchy to democracy, will be fought between two 
political parties, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) and the 
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The EC also decreed that campaigning can begin on 
January 22 with the two political parties submitting a letter 
of intent,  a copy of their election manifesto, and audited 
financial reports.  Names of candidates can be submitted to 
the EC until February 7.  Television debates between party 
presidents have not been announced but candidates may hold 
public debates in their constituencies after February 7. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) This tiny Himalayan Buddhist kingdom has been 
preparing for democracy since former monarch Jigme Singye 
Wangchuck decided to hand power over to an elected 
government.  The first stage of this transition took place in 
December when 55 percent of 300,000 registered voters in 
Bhutan went to the polls on December 31 to elect 
representatives to the National Council (the upper house of 
Parliament).  Voter turnout in the March election is expected 
to be much higher.  The Embassy plans to send observers. 
 
 
Coalition Crisis in Goa 
------ 
 
¶5.  (U) On January 17, the Speaker ofthe Goa legislature 
suspended the state assembly to prevent a vote on a financial 
bill. This move was sparked by a small rebellion of four of 
the 23 member Congress-led coalition government in Goa who 
announced that they are withdrawing their support to Congress 
Chief Minister Digambar Kamath. In a house of 40, this 
threatens to reduce government strength from 23 to 19. Of the 
people withdrawing support, three belong to the Nationalist 
Congress Party (NCP) and one is an independent. In response, 
the BJP, with 16 members in the state assembly, has called 
for elections to elect a new assembly. 
 
¶6.  (U) The crisis is prompted by tiny alliance partners (the 
NCP and one other party) wanting a bigger share of power. In 
addition, some of the governing alliance sought a reversal of 
the Goa government's recent decision to scrap the SEZs in the 
state. In the incestuous nature of Goan politics, the single 
member parties in the Goa legislature are as likely to 
support a BJP-Ied coalition as a Congress-led coalition. 
Congress and the NCP national leaderships have rushed 
"fire-fighters" to Goa to try and save the coalition, if need 
be, by changing the chief minister. We expect there to be 
more drama this weekend. 
Darul Uloom Deoband Madrasa authorizes use of contraceptives 
------ 
¶7.  (U) In response to a request from a married man asking to 
use condoms to help space out his children, the influential 
Islamic center, Darul Uloom Deoband, issued a fatwa 
authorizing the use of contraceptives. The clerics responded 
that use of temporary prophylactics was allowable so that 
mothers can properly care for and nourish their young 
children.  Surgical procedures including vasectomies, 
tubectomies or abortion, are only permitted when the mother's 
life is in danger, said the clerics. 
 
¶8.  (U) Comment:  The recent fatwa belies common perceptions 
that Muslims in India are entirely against family planning. 
While countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan 
discourage contraception, others such as Turkey and Iran 
encourage its use to check their growing populations. 
According to a GOI report, 37% of Indian Muslims use 
contraceptives compared to the national average of 47%. This 
recent announcement reflects that Wahabi Deoband may be 
breaking away from its conservative roots.  End Comment. 
 
 
BJP Finds a Solution for Rajasthan's Gujjars 
------ 
 
¶9.  (SBU) On January 17, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led 
Rajasthan government sent a letter to the Prime Minister 
recommending the Gujjar community be listed as a "nomadic 
tribe" and thus eligible for a four to six percent quota 
allotment for education and employment.  In doing so, the 
government seems to have found an elegant solution to the 
Gujjar demand to be included as a Scheduled Caste/Schedule 
Tribe (SC/ST), which would have granted them broad access to 
education and employment benefits.  Whereas adding Gujjars to 
the SC/ST list would require amending the Indian 
Constitution, putting them on the list of nomadic tribes 
would not.  If the Gujjars accept the solution, the Rajasthan 
government will have deftly finessed what was shaping up to 
be a damaging political problem in the run up to state 
assembly elections later this year. 
 
¶10.  (U) In May 2007, Gujjars went to the streets demanding 
to be downgraded from the social category of Other Backward 
Castes (OBCs) to SC/ST.  By June 2007, Rajasthan erupted in 
violence, after police fired on peaceful Gujjar protesters. 
The clash between the police and Gujjars quickly expanded to 
include one of the largest beneficiaries of ST/SC quotas, the 
Meenas -- a politically influential community -- who did not 
want to share their benefits.  At that time, Post issued a 
travel warden notice due to the increasing severity of the 
situation, including damaged train tracks and roadways to 
major tourist sites. 
 
¶11.  (U) Gujjars felt betrayed by BJP Chief Minister 
Vasundhara Raje whom they accused of reneging on her campaign 
promise of pushing for Gujjar be inclusion in the SC/ST 
roster.  Since the politically influential Meena community 
opposed this change, Raje faced a serious dilemma, which many 
thought would result in her political demise.  Stalling for 
more time, Raje pulled together a Committee to review the 
Gujjars demands but the ploy backfired when, on December 18, 
the Justice Chopra Committee determined that the Gujjar 
community did not qualify for SC/ST status.  Against this 
backdrop, Gujjars had threatened to take to the streets 
again. 
 
 
Mayawati Celebrates, Congress and SP Seek Alliance 
------ 
 
¶12. (U)  On the occasion of her 52nd birthday, Uttar Pradesh 
(UP) Chief Minister Mayawati announced several development 
projects in sectors including power, infrastructure, 
education, health, and poverty reduction.  She also 
downplayed her January 7 threat to withdraw from the United 
Progressive Alliance, and endorsed the breakup of UP into 
three states.  At sycophant-laden parties in Lucknow and 
Delhi, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief was showered with 
gifts and feted with a 52kg cake.  The Financial Times 
reports BSP office holders were encouraged to bring a minimum 
"gift" of $7,700. 
¶13. (U) Comment: Mayawati's relations with Congress remain 
strained as party leaders realize that BSP gains come at 
Congress' expense.  But both parties appear to agree on a UP 
breakup.  Electorally, the breakup would primarily hurt 
Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party (SP).  This week both 
the SP and Congress made friendly overtures towards each 
other in the press, possibly leading to an alliance yet again 
against the BSP.  End Comment. 
 
 
Child Labor Update: Expanding the List of Hazardous Jobs May 
be on the Horizon 
------ 
 
¶14. (U) The Child Labour Technical Advisory Committee 
recommended that nine more activities be added to the current 
list of 15 hazardous occupations and 57 "processes" which 
cannot employ children under the age of 18. The proposed 
expansion will include prohibiting children from being 
involved with excessive heat or cold, mechanized fishing, 
timber handling and loading, food processing, beverages 
industry, diving and mechanical lumbering. There are also 
rumors that a complete overhaul of the Child Labour 
(Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986 is on the docket, as 
well as procedures to repatriate migrant child workers to 
their homes and rehabilitating them so they do not draft back 
into the workforce. 
 
¶15. (SBU) Comment: Even if the proposed amendments are 
adopted and the law overhauled, no one is waiting with bated 
breath for immediate social revolution. However, we find it 
noteworthy and encouraging that over the past 5-7 years, 
India has become increasingly comfortable in acknowledging 
that it has a child labor problem to contend with. Even 
better, there is general acceptance in public and private 
circles that passing a few good laws isn't sufficiently 
addressing the situation. With the support of an active 
socially-conscious media, India has begun to build the 
momentum needed to grapple with its domestic demons. 
MULFORD