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Viewing cable 08NEWDELHI932, DELHI DIARY, MARCH 17-28

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08NEWDELHI932 2008-03-31 13:22 2011-08-26 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy New Delhi
VZCZCXRO9007
OO RUEHAST RUEHBC RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK
RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHNE #0932/01 0911322
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311322Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1135
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0881
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 6840
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0932
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0191
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4842
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2618
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 5577
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEIDN/DNI WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 6227
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 7644
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 NEW DELHI 000932 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PTER PREF SCUL SOCI TBIO MASS
IN, RS, SW, BT, KZ, TX 
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, MARCH 17-28 
 
REF: A. NEW DELHI 790 
     B. NEW DELHI 525 
     C. 07 NEW DELHI 5119 
 
1.  (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from 
Embassy New Delhi for March 17-28, 2008 that did not feature 
in our other reporting: 
 
-- Terrorists Strike Again in Jammu and Kashmir After a 5 
Month Lull 
-- Congress Strikes Out 
-- Yet Another Joint Indo-Russian Defense Project Hits the 
Skids 
-- PM Singh Plans to Visit Newly Democratic Bhutan 
-- India Courting Central Asia?  - Vice-President Ansari 
Headed to Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan 
-- Muslim Women Unveil their Own Marriage Laws 
-- Supreme Court Issues Interim Stay on Gere Arrest Warrant 
-- Taslima Nasreen Leaves for Sweden, Castigates GOI 
-- In a Bid to Overcome Its Medical Shortage, India 
Recognizes Foreign Medical Degrees 
-- Tuberculosis Trouble in India 
 
Terrorists Strike Again in Jammu and Kashmir After a 5 Month 
Lull 
------ 
 
2.  (U) On Wednesday March 16 terrorists attempted to blow up 
the only flyover at Jehangir Chowk intersection in Srinagar 
with an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The blast was 
particularly disturbing as it took place near the highest 
seat of power in the state, the civil secretariat. The 
explosion injured 25 people, mostly civilians. No Central 
Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were injured, according 
to the media. However Hizbul Mujahideen, a Pakistan-based 
Kashmiri terrorist group, contradicted the media report, 
stating there were severe casualties among the CRPF. The 
group claimed responsibility for the attack in retaliation 
for the CRPF and army killing of top commander and master IED 
bomb-maker, Chota Jahangir, on Tuesday. 
 
3.  (U) Security forces and terrorists engaged in a gun 
battle only a few days later. Press reports state that four 
policemen and a top commander of the Pakistan-based Islamic 
terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyaba were killed. The 
groups clashed after the police, informed of the presence of 
Lashkar's divisional commander Abu Faisal in a private house 
on the outskirts of Srinagar, besieged the area. Two 
terrorists opened fire on the policemen. (Civilians in the 
area were evacuated prior to the clash) 
 
4.  (SBU) Comment: The two events mark the end of a six-month 
lull in terrorists attacks in Kashmir. In general, Kashmir 
violence has been down considerably when compared with 
previous years. The state police recently released a report 
showing a fall in the civilian killing by over 50 per cent. 
That trend may reverse, however, as Jammu and Kashmir move to 
assembly polls later this year. 
 
Congress Strikes Out 
------ 
 
5.  (U) On March 20, Meghalaya's Governor accepted the 
resignation of the Congress Party's D.D. Lapang as Chief 
Minister. Donkupar Roy of the opposition Meghalaya 
Progressive Alliance is now Chief Minister of the state. 
Lapang had hastily formed a government on March 10 after his 
party and allies won 25 of 60 seats in Meghalaya's Assembly 
elections. Governor S.S. Sidhu had accepted Lapang's 
coalition on the condition that Lapang prove his majority 
within the stipulated 10 day period (ref A). Lapang, however, 
stepped down on March 19, knowing he did not have the 
 
NEW DELHI 00000932  002 OF 005 
 
 
requisite numbers to prove his majority. Combined with 
earlier defeats in Tripura and Nagaland, this latest loss 
makes Congress 0-for-3 in the Northeast this year. Although 
Meghalaya has a history of political instability (and more of 
this "toppling game" played by legislators may occur before 
the full 5 year term of the Roy government is complete), this 
latest electoral disappointment further indicates the erosion 
in the Congress Party's traditional base in the Northeast. 
 
Yet Another Joint Indo-Russian Defense Project Hits the Skids 
------ 
 
6.  (U) The joint Indo-Russian plan to build a medium 
transport aircraft (MTA) for defense purposes has hit a major 
snag, with the Russian partner abandoning the project.  Both 
New Delhi and Moscow have spent the past 14 months promoting 
the MTA project as a solid sign of defense cooperation, in 
stark contrast to the floundering Gorshkov and SU-30 deals. 
The defense ministries of both countries signed a protocol of 
intent to develop the aircraft on the sidelines of President 
Putin's January 2007 visit to New Delhi they had previously 
signed a "legally binding" inter-governmental agreement 
during Prime Minister Singh's November visit to Moscow. 
According to Russian analysts quoted in the Russian daily 
"Vedomosti," the Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut had been 
negotiating the possibility of the joint venture with India's 
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited since the beginning of 2000. 
Yet, in March 2008 Irkut announced that it was unilaterally 
pulling out of the project, with Russian analysts explaining 
to Russian press that the company chose to refocus its 
resources on a potentially more lucrative passenger airliner 
project.  Ilyushin, the Russian defense aircraft company that 
has already sold several types of aircraft to the Indian 
military, has stepped into the breach to take over the 
partnership to co-develop and produce the proposed MTA. 
Ilyushin may not be able to pick up the slack, however, as 
even its own aviation division's manager was quoted in media 
saying that the company lacks the necessary manpower to take 
on the job. 
 
PM Singh Plans to Visit Newly Democratic Bhutan 
------ 
 
7.  (U) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit 
Bhutan in May, for the first visit by an Indian Prime 
Minister in ten years and Singh's first visit to a 
neighboring country while in office.  Bhutan recently held 
successful National Assembly elections and India has promised 
to "provide all possible assistance..." during its democratic 
transition.  Already, India has provided $2 million in 
electoral assistance, including training poll officials and 
helping to set up the Bhutan Election Commission. The Indian 
Chief Election Commissioner and former foreign secretaries 
Salman Haider and Shyam Saran were observers at the Bhutan 
lower house election on March 24. The focus of the PM's trip 
will be to meet with the new Bhutanese government to discuss 
improving bilateral ties, especially in the areas of economic 
and energy cooperation.  Bhutan has a huge potential for 
hydro-electric power, by some estimates upwards of 30,000 MW. 
 India is looking to obtain excess power from Bhutan and 
their bilateral cooperation is already evident in a 1,020 MW 
hydropower project in western Bhutan.  Last year the current 
King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, visited India 
and signed an updated treaty of friendship allowing for 
greater independence from India in foreign relations and 
military affairs, which Delhi has guided for over fifty years. 
 
8.  (U) The trip to Bhutan could be combined with a visit to 
Nepal if Constituent Assembly polls go well on April 10.  The 
PM also has plans to visit Sri Lanka in July and Foreign 
Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon and External Affairs Minister 
 
SIPDIS 
Pranab Mukherjee may visit Islamabad in the near future on 
 
NEW DELHI 00000932  003 OF 005 
 
 
separate occasions. 
 
9.  (SBU) Comment: Bhutan's peaceful democratic transition is 
seen as a huge step forward for the small Himalayan nation 
and India seems keen to remain close and dominant as a 
strategic and bilateral partner.  The other regional visits 
by high-ranking officials represent the beginning of a busy 
season for the GOI in foreign relations but they should not 
be seen as representing significant change in foreign policy 
in the run up to Indian national elections before May 2009. 
End Comment. 
 
India Courting Central Asia? Vice-President Ansari Headed to 
Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan 
------- 
 
10.  (SBU) In the first high level visit to the region in 
three years, Vice-President Hamid Ansari plans to visit 
Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in early April, according to the 
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).  The last prominent 
Indian official to visit the region was former Foreign 
Minister Natwar Singh, who was in Astana in July 2005 for the 
Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.  Though the 
trip has not yet been announced publicly, media outlets claim 
that cooperation in the oil and energy sectors figures 
prominently on the agenda.  MEA told PolOff March 18 that, 
though the visit was labeled as routine, the Government of 
India (GOI) was trying to increase its level of visits to 
Central Asia.  In another GOI vote of confidence for 
increased relations with Central Asia, MEA External Affairs 
Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced at a conference on 
Central Asia March 16 (organized by the Centre for Research 
and Rural Industrial Development and funded by the MEA) that 
the GOI was looking into setting up a regional center in 
Central Asia to teach English, business, and technical 
skills, and spoke of "natural synergies for greater economic 
cooperation between India and the Central Asian region where 
economies are strongly dependent on agriculture and dairy 
farming." 
 
12.  (SBU) Comment:  Though Mukherjee's pro-Central Asia talk 
was designed to please his audience of Central Asians, 
Ansari's upcoming visit is a step up in India's relations 
with Central Asia, which have not had much momentum since 
Prime Minister Vajpayee visited Tajikistan in 2003. 
According to a senior journalist, Ansari is potentially a 
particularly good envoy for Central Asia, as he is known for 
his expertise on the dynamics of relations in Islamic 
countries "better than anyone in the Indian political 
establishment."  A professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University 
opined that Central Asia's desire to wean itself of 
traditional influences by Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Russians 
could work in India's favor, allowing it to try to create a 
space for itself in the region and match rising Chinese 
influence.  End comment. 
 
Muslim Women Unveil their Own Marriage Laws 
------ 
 
13.  (U) The All-India Muslim Women Personal Law Board 
(AIMWPLB), a 30-member executive body led by Shaista Amber, 
unveiled new "Shariat Nikanama" (marriage laws) on March 16. 
These new guidelines intend to give more rights to Muslim 
women seeking divorce by providing 17-point guidelines for 
marriage under the Shariat law - applicable to both bride and 
groom - as well as eight points on the process of talaq 
(divorce). The new law makes marriage registration 
compulsory, broadens the wife's rights, and is applicable to 
Sunnis and Shias. Ms. Amber contends that the new guidelines 
are an improvement over the old Nikhnamas and "its 
authenticity could not be challenged as every provision was 
in accordance with the Shariat and it quoted the Quran." The 
 
NEW DELHI 00000932  004 OF 005 
 
 
new guidelines, available in Hindu and Urdu, prohibit dowry 
and domestic violence. They do not recognize talaq (divorce) 
conducted via SMS, email, phone or video conferencing. They 
also outline expenses to be borne by the husband in cases of 
mutual separation or talaq through legal process. 
 
14.  (U) Comment: As expected, some Muslim groups have taken 
isue with the new Nikhnamas. Maulana Khalid Rasheed 
Firangimahali, senior member of the All India Muslim Law 
Board, criticized the Nikahnama, calling it, "useless and 
irrelevant" and further stated that with the older, dated 
Nikahnama, "there was no room for another one." This step by 
the AIMWPLB indicates more progressive Muslim women, along 
with their other Indian female counterparts, are beginning to 
take ownership over their basic rights. 
 
Supreme Court Issues Interim Stay on Gere Arrest Warrant 
------ 
 
15.  (U) On March 14, the Supreme Court temporarily stayed 
Richard Gere's "kissing incident" arrest warrant(Ref C).  The 
arrest warrant came from a Jaipur court after an individual 
filed a complaint against Gere and Indian actress Shilpa 
Shetty for violating public obscenity laws, when Gere kissed 
Shetty several times on the cheek during an AIDS-awareness 
event in New Delhi on April 15, 2007. 
 
16.  (SBU) Chief Justice K G Balahrishnan sent a stern 
message regarding cases he described as "publicity hunting," 
saying "filing such complaints and an order like this brings 
a bad name to the country."  Supreme Court Justice R V 
Raveendran made clear that Gere will not have to appear 
before a Jaipur court while in country.  The court also 
stated that the initial warrant was baseless in the first 
place.  Gere was scheduled to meet the Dalai Lama on March 
21, but postponed his trip so it would not overlap with 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit. 
 
17.  (SBU) Comment: Common sense seems to have prevailed in 
India's highest court and the interim stay is expected to 
become permanent.  The postponement of Gere's most recent 
trip is not related to his arrest warrant, but rather to keep 
the spotlight on the current Tibetan political unrest during 
the visit of one of the highest officials in the US 
government.  End Comment. 
 
Taslima Nasreen Leaves for Sweden, Castigates GOI 
------ 
 
18.  (U) Exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen left India 
last week for Sweden.  The controversial writer had been 
living at an undisclosed location in Delhi under tight 
security after she was forced to flee Kolkata in November 
2007 due to Muslim protests (ref B).  Before departing she 
harshly criticized the Indian government, describing her 
treatment as "cold-blooded state terrorism" to drive her out 
of the country.  Nasreen, whose works have been called 
anti-Islamic, told the Hindustan Times, "My terrible 
experience has shattered all notions about a secular and 
democratic India.  For 20 years I have been hitting out 
against fundamentalism.  There has been no physical attack on 
me.  But India, when it failed to break me psychologically, 
destroyed me physically by denying treatment to an ill 
person."  Media reports Nasreen is recuperating at a posh 
Swedish health clinic.  She plans to write about her 
experiences on her website and in a new book. 
 
19.  (SBU) Comment: Since her flight from Kolkata after 
Muslim protests last November, Nasreen has been a thorn in 
the side of the ruling Congress Party.  The party has been 
taking criticism from both ends - accused by Muslims of 
coddling an anti-Islamic writer on one hand, and repudiated 
 
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by the BJP for playing communal politics by giving in to 
Muslim demands and placing her under virtual house arrest. 
Finally the secular-when-it-suits Congress Party got what it 
wanted. Nasreen left the country in what amounted to a one 
day news story.  Though the Congress Party does not relish 
the thought of her return, her residence permit is valid 
through August.  Nasreen told the press she may return, "Just 
to check whether I can stay in Kolkata." Or to create 
publicity for a new book launch.  End Comment. 
 
In a Bid to Overcome Its Medical Shortage, India Recognizes 
Foreign Medical Degrees 
------ 
 
20.  (U) After months of shuffling its feet, the Government 
of India (GOI) began accepting post-graduate medical degrees 
from five English speaking countries - Australia, Canada, New 
Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.  As of 
March 18, the GOI will accept the degrees on the condition 
that they are officially recognized and valid in the country 
of issuance.  The GOI already accepts post-graduate degrees 
from Burma, Italy, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Japan 
and Hong Kong.   The GOI has implemented this policy to 
overcome its severe medical practitioner shortage.  According 
to the Medical Council of India (MCI), there are 6.8 million 
allopathic doctors in India, which works out to a very high 
ratio of 1 doctor for 1634 people. 
 
21.  (U) Comment:  This policy, which will allow Indian 
students to pursue their medical studies in foreign countries 
and make them directly eligible to practice in India, may be 
part of a GOI strategy to attract Non-Resident Indians (NRI) 
back to the homeland.  The new policy does not call for 
reciprocity from other countries, pointing to India's 
eagerness to bring its doctors back home.  Considering that 
NRIs currently holding foreign medical degrees from the list 
of eligible countries will now have the opportunity to 
practice in India, it seems the GOI has finally made a smart 
move in its effort to address its medical practitioner 
shortage. Of course, it could do something totally useful 
like encourage private foreign investiment in education, but 
that would go against its statist instincts. End comment. 
 
Tuberculosis Trouble in India 
------ 
 
24.  (U) According to the latest WHO report on tuberculosis, 
almost one third of the world's populationis infected with 
TB. Although African countries have the highest rates of TB, 
India leads the world with 1.9 million new cases each year; 
and more than 1.5 million of these cases were detected and 
treated by the highly effective DOTS program (Directly 
Observed Treatment Short-course), in which a whopping 400,000 
providers watch and support patients as they complete a full 
six-month treatment. Of those detected by the national 
program, 85% are successfully treated. However, those not 
treated under the national program may not receive care up to 
international standards. Though the program is hailed for its 
effectiveness, the 2008 TB report released by India's health 
ministry reveals that about 35,000 patients in DOTS dropped 
out or defaulted on their treatment, risking developing 
drug-resistant TB. 
MULFORD