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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 002643 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NP, AC, PM 
 
STATE FOR INR/MR 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS, PM/CBM, PM/PRO 
 
STATE FOR SCA/PPD, PA/RRU 
 
STATE FOR AID/APRE-A 
 
USDOC FOR 4530/IEP/ANESA/OSA FOR BILL MURPHY 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: U.S.-INDIA NUCLEAR DEAL, GLOBAL 
ECONOMY: EXPANDING FINANCIAL MARKET CRISIS, PAKISTAN / 
U.S, PAKISTAN, TERRORISM; NEW DELHI. 
 
This cable reports on relevant media reaction from 
India's large non-English press. Embassy New Delhi 
reports on English-language media via email in the daily 
"Early Edition".  USG customers please write to Geeta 
Krishali (KrishaliG@state.gov) to subscribe to the "Early 
Edition." 
 
----------------------- 
U.S.-INDIA NUCLEAR DEAL 
---------------------- 
 
¶1. "INDIA DID IT" editorial in October 3 Kolkata Bengali 
independent ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA.  "... As if ridiculing 
those of his allies...who regard the agreement as America's 
imperialist design, Manmohan Singh signed a nuclear deal 
with the French President... That Manmohan could come back 
with a deal from the shores of the Seine even 
before...Condoleezza Rice and ... Pranab Mukherjee ink the 
deal is a significant development.  Now, Russia, Britain, 
and even China may come forward to supply fuel to India's 
nuclear reactors.  This is, no doubt, an admirable 
achievement for a country, which has been isolated for 
more than three and a half decades in global nuclear 
trade, and was subjected to economic and technological 
sanctions after the Pokhran test." 
 
¶2. "A HISTORICAL OPPORTUNITY" editorial in the October 3, 
2008, Mumbai edition of centrist Marathi daily SAKAAL. 
"U.S. Senate's stamp of approval to the U.S.-India 
nuclear deal spells a crucial development, not just for 
India and the U.S., but for the entire world. The 
civilian deal has now overcome the last hurdle. India is 
jubilant but it needs to also note down the various 
objections raised by some Democrats in the senate. These 
senators fear that India's nuclear program will be 
`misused', much on the lines of the ones in North Korea 
and Iran. It is rather unfair to compare India with North 
Korea and Iran. India's track record over the last 60 
years proves the peaceful nature of its civilian nuclear 
program. India is not agreeable to any nuclear 
proliferation treaty or a nuclear test ban. But that is 
only because of the prejudiced nature of these pacts, and 
not because India wants to indulge in any illegal nuclear 
business. The Democrats opposing the U.S.-India nuclear 
deal should have taken all these factors into 
consideration. But thankfully the deal has been passed 
despite their objections. The ones who have taken the 
initiative in pushing the deal through are able to place 
India well in the emerging geopolitics...". 
Similar editorials appeared in Marathi daylies LOKSATTA 
and LOKMAT of October 3, 2008. 
 
¶3. "ONE TWO THREE"  editorial in the October 3, 2008 
multi-edition centrist Gujarati daily DIVYA BHASKAR. 
"The U.S. Senate formal approval of the Indo-U.S. nuclear 
deal has removed the last of hurdles in the 
implementation of this agreement.  U.S. Secretary of 
State Condoleezza Rice's visit to New Delhi to sign the 
deal will see this agreement's takeoff....  While the 
Congress has welcomed this by saying that the agreement 
has ended India's nuclear isolation, the Left and BJP 
 
NEW DELHI 00002643  002 OF 004 
 
 
have criticized this as India's surrender to the U.S. 
What the opposing parties need to understand is that this 
is India's victory as India will be now be able to import 
nuclear energy without signing the NPT....  This accord has 
not only displayed Prime Minister Singh's leadership 
skills in Indian politics but has also secured India a 
place of prominence on the international center stage." 
 
¶4. "END OF NUCLEAR APARTHEID," editorial in October 2 
RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily: "The India-France civil 
nuclear agreement is as per expectations. In fact, Prime 
Minister Manmohan Singh wanted to sign the agreement with 
the U.S. first and then with other nations, but it could 
not happen. The U.S. does not have any reason to oppose 
it. This pact was necessary because it will now remove 
the hesitation if some countries still have any even 
after the NSG waiver. Actually, the nuclear apartheid 
racism has practically ended only after this agreement. 
If a country does not agree to cooperate then the IAEA 
and NSG clearances are meaningless. In this context this 
deal is historic because France will supply nuclear 
reactors, technology and fuel to India. This nuclear 
agreement with France has, actually, ended India's 34- 
year-old nuclear drought." 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
GLOBAL ECONOMY: EXPANDING FINANCIAL MARKET CRISIS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶5. "THE CONSEQUENCE OF POLITICS" editorial in October 2 
Kolkata Bengali centrist ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA.  "...No 
doubt, the rejection of the proposal at the first 
instance has landed the administration in a crisis but 
why did it happen?  In one word, it is for two reasons: 
economic and political.  To pump in funds from the 
Federal Reserve to rescue the giant financial 
institutions amounts to reflection of their callousness 
and misdeeds.  They are facing trouble because of their 
own acts, which in many cases, is their extreme greed. 
Now utilizing the taxpayers' money to save them will not 
only look immoral but will also encourage imbecility and 
wrong doings...  This argument is not unknown to the 
peoples' representatives but here lies the role of 
politics...because they are now making election 
calculations.  A large chunk of Republicans wants to keep 
them away from the shadows of Bush because of his 
shrinking popularity.  On the other hand, a section of 
the Democrats wants to project themselves as 'friends of 
the poor.'  It now remains to be seen which way the U.S. 
economy and politics finds a solution to wriggle of the 
crisis." 
 
¶6. "WAVE OF RECESSION ACROSS THE WORLD", editorial in 
September 30 right-of-center Urdu daily "URDU TIMES", 
Mumbai: "While the American economy is grappling with 
unprecedented crisis, it has sent shivers down the 
economies of the entire world. The upheaval is taking a 
disastrous turn all over the entire world owing to the 
fact that the 700 billion dollar emergency rescue 
package( bail out package) proposed by the Bush 
administration  has been virtually thwarted, leading to 
 
NEW DELHI 00002643  003 OF 004 
 
 
the share markets across Europe & Asia witnessing massive 
swings. Bush had already issued a warning that if his 
proposed package does not get passed by the Senate, the 
economic crisis in America shall be difficult to 
overcome. Along with America, a number of countries in 
the world are facing the economic wrath today. There has 
been news of share prices falling rapidly across Japan, 
Korea, Australia & India. The BSE also witnessed a fall 
below 13000, a level not seen in India since the last 2.5 
years. The fears are looming large that foreign investors 
might withdraw their money parked in India." 
 
-------------- 
PAKISTAN / U.S 
-------------- 
 
¶7. "AMERICAN OFFENSIVE & AL QAEDA", editorial in October 
2 right-of-center Urdu daily "RASHTRIYA SAHARA", New 
Delhi: "As per the results of a survey conducted by the 
BBC world service, leading to the exposure of certain 
facts, we can very well assert that America, which claims 
to be fighting a war on terror, is actually playing a 
pivotal role in exacerbating terrorist activities across 
the world, while making the terrorists more stabilized & 
deadly. Although it may not be happening knowingly, but 
certainly, its actions are leading to such circumstances. 
To be frank, America itself has not been honest and 
unbiased in its so called war on terror. The Taliban are 
being targeted by the American forces today, however it 
was America which nurtured them, masterminded them & used 
such organizations against Russia during the Cold War. It 
is also true that the war on terror being talked about in 
the world today, is not actually a war against any 
particular organization per se, but is gradually taking 
the shape of a war on the Islamic world." 
 
-------- 
PAKISTAN 
-------- 
 
¶8. "INDIA, PAKISTAN'S COMMON PERIL," op-ed article in 
October 1 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily by senior journalist 
Kuldip Nayar: "The Al Qaida-Taliban coalition has already 
penetrated deep in Pakistan. If they capture more 
territory, what would be its effect on India is the 
greatest worry... Actually, U.S. trained and armed 
fundamentalists to oust Soviet Union from Afghanistan 
during the Cold War. Those fundamentalists are today's 
Taliban... There is a need to understand that Pakistan's 
war against Taliban is India's war too. If ever Pakistan 
goes under, India's first line of defense would collapse. 
India and Pakistan should jointly fight against the 
menace. Former Pakistan president and U.S. ally Pervez 
Musharraf should also be blamed for this. There is a 
lesson for India which is a sad picture of inaction and 
ineptness when assessed in terms of action taken against 
communal forces. The matter is much more serious: Muslims 
and Christians have lost faith in the fairness of the 
state. This will be hard to restore if the secular forces 
do not assert themselves." 
 
 
NEW DELHI 00002643  004 OF 004 
 
 
--------- 
TERRORISM 
--------- 
 
¶9. "EID UNDER THE SHADOW OF BLASTS", editorial in October 
2 right-of-center Urdu daily "INQUILAB", Mumbai: "The 
festival of Eid is being celebrated at a time when the 
country has gone through painful moments marked by a 
series of continuous bomb blasts. The recent incidents 
have been reported from Bangalore, Ahmadabad, Delhi & 
Malegaon. However, fears & anxiety are not restricted to 
these cities alone; instead the entire country is gripped 
by them. Virtually tearing apart the lives of common 
people, insecurity is writ large on their faces. Talking 
of Muslims, they are directly affected & perturbed by 
these unsavory incidents, while also being at the 
receiving end of the arrests & accusations made in the 
aftermath of these blasts. The incidents of blasts have 
affected all our fellow brethren of the country, more so 
the Muslim community. Muslims thus have to face the wrath 
of attacks from all directions. What irony, that Muslims 
are the victims of such incidents & the culprits behind 
them, at the same time!" 
 
¶10. "EID & THE ISLAMIC WORLD", editorial in October 2 
right-of-center Urdu daily "MUNSIF", Hyderabad: "In the 
aftermath of 9/11, Muslims all over the world have been 
termed as terrorists and made worthy of hatred. This 
satanic attempt is a part of the conspiracy hatched by 
the leaders of the Zionist regime to discredit the 
Muslims. This conspiracy is beginning to have its fallout 
on the Indian Muslims, who have virtually got trapped 
into it. The lack of a leader to guide the Muslims today 
has never been felt more. At one time, Indian Muslims 
were branded as traitors, Pakistani moles, agents and 
spies by the communal elements. In pursuance of this 
nefarious agenda, the fanatic persons in the police 
force, the Sangh parivar, Zionists & their agent MOSSAD 
have been exploding bombs all over the country, with the 
motive of branding Muslims as terrorists, by 
orchestrating their involvement in the blasts. Such 
incidents used to be rarely heard but as of now, their 
frequency has increased dramatically." 
MULFORD