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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NEW DELHI 001872 
 
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: INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS, 
INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS, INDO - NEPAL RELATIONS, 
WTO, AFGHANISTAN, PALESTINE; NEW DELHI. 
 
This countrywide cable reports on relevant media 
reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press. 
The Mission reports on English-language media via email 
through the daily "Early Edition" summary. 
 
------------------------ 
INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS 
------------------------ 
 
¶1. "FIRE ON BOTH SIDES...," editorial in September 7 
right-of-center Urdu daily HINDUSTAN EXPRESS: "U.S 
lawmaker Edward Markey, founder of the House Bipartisan 
Task Force on Nonproliferation has written a letter to 
the Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton that both India 
and Pakistan are trying to enhance the capability of 
their nuclear weapons. In fact, India and Pakistan are 
very far away from regional solidarity and cooperation. 
And in this way, our extremely precious energies are 
being spent in defense affairs and preparations and 
purchase of weapons. We are using our resources to fuel 
the fire of enmity and hostility instead of using them 
in eradication of starvation, poverty and illiteracy." 
 
¶2. "WE SHOULD NOT COME UNDER PAK PRESSURE," editorial 
in September 4 centrist Hindi daily DAINIK BHASKAR: 
"Pakistan is stockpiling weapons and it is no secret 
that the ultimate target of those weapons is India.... 
India has come a long way in progressing on the 
economic front, hut we still have many developmental 
challenges. If Pakistan is willing to ignore 
development, and go on hoarding nuclear arms, let it. 
India should not fall into this arms race trap. While 
we need to be alert and vigilant, let us not divert our 
finances toward acquiring arms." 
 
¶3. "NATION OF 100 BOMBS," editorial in September 5 
centrist Hindi daily, NAVBHARAT TIMES: "The revelation 
of illegal modification by Pakistan in the U.S.-made 
Harpoon missile targeting India clearly shows that it 
wants to increase its nuclear capacity at any cost. 
Pakistan's economy is in a mess and the lack of 
employment is diverting the country's youth to 
terrorism. The U.S. wants to destroy these 
organizations, but also continues giving economic aid 
to Pakistan in its strategic interest. As for India, we 
have the capability to handle any security threat from 
Pakistan. We should concentrate on nation-building, 
rather than increasing unnecessary defense 
expenditures." 
 
--------------------- 
INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. "CHINA'S MISCHIEFS," editorial in September 8 left- 
of-center Marathi daily, MAHARASHTRA TIMES: "China has 
brazenly denied the reports of incursions into India's 
border territory in Ladakh. India has to now follow the 
developments carefully. India cannot press the panic 
button immediately since China does not accept what 
 
NEW DELHI 00001872  002 OF 004 
 
 
India believes as the existing border. It is a fact 
that the recent incident is a fallout of the absence of 
a mutually agreed Line of Actual Control (LAC) between 
the two countries. India should therefore sort out the 
border disputes by using the standard mechanism of flag 
meetings and diplomatic negotiations..." 
 
¶5. "INCURSIONS IN LEH-LADAKH:  CHINA'S FRESH MISCHIEF" 
editorial in September 7 centrist Gujarati daily, DIVYA 
BHASKAR:  "China which has until now created trouble in 
India's northeastern region has suddenly started 
displaying its ulterior motives in India's northern 
areas of Leh-Ladakh by illegally transgressing the Line 
of actual control (LAC) there....  China's latest move is 
yet another attempt to encircle India with a long-term 
objective of breaking India into 30 parts....  India 
which is caught in the cobweb of gathering 11/26 
evidence for Pakistan has played down the incident 
though.  It is high time that our leaders wake up to 
this threat number one...." 
 
¶6. "WORRISOME ANTI-INDIANISM," editorial in September 6 
right-of-center Hindi daily DAINIK JAGRAN: "The ill- 
treatment of the two Indian priests in Nepal's 
Pashupatinath temple is a serious setback to the age- 
old India-Nepal relationship.... The Indian government 
should try to go down to the bottom of the reasons for 
this kind of anti-Indian sentiments in Nepal.... 
Pakistani and Chinese elements are both present on 
Nepal's soil, fomenting trouble against India. China is 
trying to increase its strategic hold in the region 
vis-`-vis India and the trouble in Nepal could be a 
part of this effort." 
 
---------------------- 
INDO - NEPAL RELATIONS 
---------------------- 
 
¶7. "TENSIONS IN INDO-NEPAL RELATIONS," editorial in 
September 6 right-of-center Urdu daily RASHTRIYA 
SAHARA: "Historically, Nepal and India are the two such 
blessed neighboring countries, which have good 
bilateral relations for centuries altogether. But it 
seems now, as efforts are being made to make the 
amicable mutual relations strained. Who should be made 
the clergy-in-charge of Pashupati Nath Temple situated 
in Nepal, is entirely an internal matter of Nepal. Any 
decision of Nepal government in this regard should be 
acceptable to one and all. But violence and terror 
against two Indian "Pujaris" cannot be justified in any 
way. It will hamper the good existing relations between 
the two countries." 
 
--- 
WTO 
--- 
 
¶8. "IMPASSE IN DOHA ROUND," editorial in September 5 
right-of-center Hindi daily, AMAR UJALA: "The impasse 
of the Doha Round is over agricultural subsidies and 
 
NEW DELHI 00001872  003 OF 004 
 
 
import duties... U.S., Australia and the EU countries, 
despite having very high agricultural subsidy, want 
developing nations to cut down on their subsidy. WTO 
Director General Pascal Lamy is biased in ensuring that 
the EU subsidy cannot be challenged till 2013. Thus, 
the developing countries' demand is justified that 
developed countries should first scrap their subsidies 
and open their markets. The poor countries cannot 
proceed with the Doha Round unless rich nations shed 
their tenacity on agricultural subsidy. A biased WTO is 
not in the interest of the world's poor nations." 
 
¶9. "TOWARD DOHA," editorial in September 8 independent 
Kolkata Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA: "Will the 
WTO Doha Round be able to reach any positive 
conclusion? The recent New Delhi Ministerial Conference 
has kindled some hope... The 'success' of the present 
talks proved that India is quite supportive of 
international free trade. Every country will have to 
sacrifice a little in order to make the Doha Round 
successful. In this situation, India has a dual role to 
perform. First, India will have to become active in 
safeguarding its national interests... Second, India 
needs to keep the pace of bilateral trade moving with 
the ASEAN countries, especially with South Korea. 
Continuity of this will send out a signal that India is 
not opposed to trade liberalization...." 
 
----------- 
AFGHANISTAN 
----------- 
 
¶10. "AFGHANISTAN DEADLOCK," op-ed article in September 
6 right-of-center Hindi daily, DAINIK JAGRAN, by 
strategic specialist K. Subrahmanyam: "Afghanistan is 
at a critical juncture. The U.S. and British troops are 
continually losing their lives. The Taliban attacks are 
constantly increasing. Besides that President Hamid 
Karzai's incapability and accusations of fraud against 
him are also worsening the situation... The U.S. forces' 
presence in Afghanistan is necessary for years. No 
anti-Al Qaida policy can be successful without 
defeating jihad in Pakistan. The Pakistani army wants 
the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan so that it could 
once again have control of this area. If the U.S. quits 
Afghanistan, the jihadis will become more aggressive." 
 
--------- 
PALESTINE 
--------- 
 
¶11. "WHO IS THE ENEMY?," editorial in September 7 
right-of-center Urdu daily URDU TIMES: "Muslim nations 
are doing nothing to restore AQSA mosque from the 
control of Zionists. Imam Sheikh Akrama Sabri, Chairman 
of Supreme Islamic Council and speaker of AQSA mosque 
says, Arab and Muslim countries have left Palestine 
alone and aloof. America befools the world community by 
giving an anti-Israel statement, while on the other 
hand; it is helping Israel in legalizing Jewish 
 
NEW DELHI 00001872  004 OF 004 
 
 
settlements in Jerusalem. Nothing is wrong when Sheikh 
Akrama says that so called peace plan envisaged by the 
U.S is, in fact, a conspiracy to keep the Palestine 
issue in cold storage. Liberation of 'Bait-ul-Maqdis' 
is not possible until Arab and Muslim countries unite 
together." 
ROEMER