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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 001013 
 
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: SPECIAL REPORT: INDIAN MEDIA WELCOMES "END OF 
THE WAR," REMINDS SRI LANKA OF RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD 
TAMILS 
 
Summary:  The Indian media shed no tears for the LTTE 
or its slain leader Prabhakaran, saying a continuum of 
blunders lay behind their downfall. Editorials 
expressed relief at the "end of the war," but reminded 
the Sri Lankan government of its responsibility to 
rehabilitate the Tamils and craft an enduring political 
solution based on devolution of power. Commentary from 
India's leading English and language newspapers 
follows. End summary. 
 
"END OF THE WAR" - THE HINDU English daily 
 
¶1. (BEGIN EXCERPT): "President Rajapakse has achieved 
what no previous Sri Lankan leader came close to doing: 
securing the integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka by 
freeing it from the malevolent challenge of the LTTE. 
Now, in the post-Prabakaran era, he needs to address 
two big tasks: rehabilitation of hundreds of thousands 
of Tamils who have been through a prolonged nightmare, 
and crafting an enduring political solution based on 
far-going devolution of power to the Tamils in their 
areas of historical habitation.... India, which has 
excellent relations with its southern neighbor, can 
make a constructive difference by coming up with a 
massive rehabilitation package for the North and 
encouraging Colombo to fast-track the political 
solution. (END EXCERPT) 
 
"DEATH & RECONCILIATION" - THE TIMES OF INDIA English 
daily 
 
¶2. (BEGIN EXCERPT): Colombo may have reason to be happy 
about its military success against the LTTE but it must 
refrain from adopting a triumphal approach towards the 
minority Tamil population. The end of the LTTE must be 
seen as the beginning of a new phase, in which 
Colombo's emphasis should be on winning the trust of 
the beleaguered Tamils who have experienced the worst 
of the war. (END EXCERPT) 
 
"COLOMBO'S MOMENT" - THE INDIAN EXPRESS English daily 
 
¶3. (BEGIN EXCERPT): "That closure is of immense 
significance in India, of course, with the LTTE's 
defeat coming 18 years after Rajiv Gandhi's 
assassination, almost to the day.... This victory is an 
accomplishment that's come with huge costs in terms of 
civilian deaths and displacement. To validate the 
argument that sovereign nations have the onus of 
clearing their territory of terrorist infrastructure, 
Colombo needs to capture the moment with generosity, 
humane and political, to its Tamil civilians. Ending a 
civil war means not just defeating the insurgents, but 
effecting reconciliation." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"NOW WIN THE PEACE" - HINDUSTAN TIMES English daily 
 
¶4. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "No country could be more relieved 
than India at the thought of peace returning to Sri 
Lanka.  Even if the LTTE hadn't claimed the lives of an 
 
NEW DELHI 00001013  002 OF 003 
 
 
ex-prime minister and hundreds of Indian soldiers, the 
nearby presence of a fierce combination of repressed 
nationalism and terrorist tactics represented a grave 
threat to Indian security.... Colombo needs a magnanimous 
and transparent rehabilitation program." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"COLOMBO NOW HAS TO DELIVER" -- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS 
English daily 
 
¶5. (BEGIN EXCERPT)"Tamil sensitivities have to be 
considered, because the people whose cause the Tigers 
represented with such ardor and so much bloodshed must 
be feeling particularly vulnerable and hopeless, even 
those who had no love for Prabhakaran. Colombo has a 
duty to assure them that they will not be victimized or 
treated as second-class citizens." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"CEASEFIRE" - DAILY NEWS & ANALYSIS English daily 
 
¶6. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "India must encourage, even pressure 
the Sri Lankans to speed up reconciliation and reach 
out to Tamils who genuinely have a sense of being 
second class citizens in their own country. Mahinda 
Rajapaksa and his government must show political large- 
heartedness and clearly demonstrate that they have the 
interests of Tamils at heart." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"PYRRHIC VICTORY" - DECCAN HERALD English daily 
 
¶7. (BEGIN EXCERPT)"Prabakaran's intransigence on the 
question of creation of Tamil Eelam and his dismissal 
of the political option were obstacles in the path of a 
negotiated solution to the conflict.  With his exit, 
that obstacle has been removed. The Sri Lankan 
government has an opportunity now to push a political 
solution." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"AN ERA ENDS" - DECCAN CHRONICLE English daily 
 
¶8. (BEGIN EXCERPT)"In all these post-war measures, the 
vital role of the international community, particularly 
that of India, to get President Rajapakse to keep his 
promises cannot be underestimated. Colombo has, after 
all, repeatedly acknowledged New Delhi's assistance in 
its war against the Tamil Tigers; so the Indian 
government is fully justified in demanding that Sri 
Lanka keep its part of the bargain." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"IN EVERY DROP OF BLOOD" - DINAMANI Tamil daily 
 
¶9. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "The genuine demands of the Sri 
Lankan Tamils must be fulfilled. Until then, every 
Tamil woman will give birth to a 'Tiger' there." (END 
EXCERPT) 
 
"END OF A DICTATOR" -- PRAJAVANI Kannada daily 
 
¶10. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "The Sri Lankan government should 
understand that the problems of Tamils will not end 
with the killing of LTTE leader Prabakaran. Several 
 
NEW DELHI 00001013  003 OF 003 
 
 
Prabakarans will emerge if the problems are not 
solved." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"END OF THE BLOODY HISTORY" - EENADU Telugu daily 
 
¶11. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "The Rajapakse Government now has 
to concentrate on providing satisfaction and equal 
rights to the Tamil youth in Sri Lanka. It also has to 
concentrate on getting the people in Northern Sri Lanka 
into civil society." (BEGIN END EXCERPT) 
 
"INDIA'S FAILURE" - RASHTRIYA SAHARA Hindi daily 
 
¶12. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "What bigger failure could be 
India's than the fact that the Tamils cried desperately 
for our help, and we could not come to the rescue of 
the common Tamil in Sri Lanka?" (END EXCERPT) 
 
"END OF VIOLENT STRUGGLE" - RASHTRIYA SAHARA Urdu daily 
 
¶13. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "After eliminating the LTTE, the 
world's most dreaded terrorist outfit, it is now the 
responsibility of the Sri Lankan government to win over 
the hearts and minds of the country's Tamil 
population." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"CONFLICT OVER, ISSUES REMAIN" - LOKMAT Marathi daily 
 
¶14. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "The death of a particular militant 
leader cannot ensure peace in the region.  The Sri 
Lankan government has to appreciate the reasons for the 
rise of separatist sentiments... and as a responsible 
neighbor India needs to convince Sri Lanka to deal with 
the situation cautiously." (END EXCERPT) 
 
"PRABHAKARAN'S END" - GUJARAT SAMACHAR Gujarati daily 
 
¶15. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "The Sri Lankan security forces' 
swiftness in killing LTTE chief Prabhakaran during 
combat operations deserves kudos, and demonstrates the 
political acumen of Sri Lankan authorities." (END 
EXCERPT) 
 
"END OF LANKA WAR" - ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA Bengali daily 
 
¶16. (BEGIN EXCERPT) "President Rajapakse should keep in 
mind that the ethnic trouble in Sri Lanka will not end 
till the issue of autonomy for the Tamils is settled. 
The future of Indo-Sri Lankan relations depends on 
whether or not... Colombo gives due importance to Delhi's 
concern over Beijing's growing presence in the Indian 
Ocean." (END EXCERPT) 
BURLEIGH