DELHI DIARY, NOVEMBER 3-15

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 004989

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/15/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM CH JA IN
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, NOVEMBER 3-15

Classified By: PolCouns Ted Osius for Reasons 1.4 (B,D)


1. (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from
Embassy New Delhi, in coordination with Consulate Chennai,
for November 3-15, 2007 that did not feature in our other
reporting, including:

-- Indo-Japan Relations Expected to Continue Positive Trend,
But On Hold While Fukuda Gets Settled
-- Tamil Nadu Congress President Stabbed in A Case Of
Mistaken Caste Identity

Indo-Japan Relations Expected to Continue Positive Trend, But
On Hold While Fukuda Gets Settled
--------------


2. (C) Japanese PolCouns Takio Yamada told PolCouns that he
expects the budding Indo-Japan relationship to continue to
blossom under PM Fukuda, although Fukuda will probably not
focus on India until after more prominent relationships, such
as those with the U.S., China and ASEAN, get his attention.
Yamada reported that Foreign Secretary Menon met with Chief
Cabinet Secretary Machimura last week. Only briefly
mentioning the civil-nuclear deal, they primarily discussed
climate change and agreed to Terms of Reference for an
Economic Partnership Agreement, according to Yamada. Menon
told the Japanese that we should maintain the quadrilateral
dialogue concept, stating it would be a natural evolution for
countries sharing values to get together, Yamada conveyed.
One of Tokyo's goals for the bilateral Japan-India
relationship now was to seek synergy with Japan's alliance
with the U.S., he added. PM Singh is scheduled to meet with
Fukuda at the East Asia Summit next week, and will travel to
Hokkaido for the G8 Summit, but plans for a bilateral visit,
expected for early 2008 with PM Abe, are now being postponed
until near the end of 2008.

Tamil Nadu Congress President Stabbed in A Case Of Mistaken
Caste Identity
--------------


3. (SBU) The president of Tamil Nadu's Congress party, M.
Krishnaswamy, was stabbed on October 29 when a mob attacked
his motorcade in Ramanathapuram in the south of the state.
Krishnaswamy's family told ConGen Chennai that the Congress
leader was out of danger and recovering well. The state's
police intelligence chief told post the attack was not
politically motivated. He explained that it was a case of
"mistaken identity," and that the Congress leader had
traveled along a prohibited route in an area known for
caste-based violence without informing the police. The
police intelligence chief said three of the state's southern
districts, including Ramanathapuram where Krishnaswamy was
stabbed, were marked by frequent clashes between local Dalits
(former "untouchables" in the Indian caste system) and
members of the locally dominant "Thevar" caste. He told post
the target of the Dalit attack on Krishnaswamy's motorcade
was actually a Thevar leader that Krishnaswamy's party had
unknowingly picked up along the route.


4. (SBU) The state's political parties have picked up on the
incident to press for political advantage. Congress party
members have been circulating conspiracy theories in a bid to
advance their positions in a long-running factional fight
within the party. Jayalalithaa, leader of the opposition of
AIADMK party, paid a highly visible, and unusual, call on
Krishaswamy, whose Congress party is a member of the state's
ruling coalition. Echoing her commonly expressed line of
attack against the ruling parties' failure to maintain law
and order, she asked "when there is no protection to
political leaders, what will be the condition of the common
man?"


5. (SBU) COMMENT: The police intelligence chief's
explanation that Krishnaswamy was the victim of mistaken
identity was detailed and convincing. That said, the attack
highlighs the continuing caste volatility of south Tamil
Nadu. The Dalits and the Thevars remain at each others

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throats, which means violence can flare up at any moment.
Local governments, responding to pressures from the growing
presence of caste-based parties in Tamil Nadu, are
increasingly ineffective in handling caste conflict. The
police blame Krishnaswamy for traveling along the prohibited
route and failing to inform them where he was going, but that
an important political leader traveling in a motorcade
(albeit one with no police escort) could become a victim of
caste violence speaks volumes about the situation in southern
Tamil Nadu. END COMMENT.
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