MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS,

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: KMDR KPAO PGOV PREL IN
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS,
TERRORISM (INDO-PAK CONTEXT, GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS; 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."

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INDIA/PAKISTAN RELATIONS
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1. "ZARDARI'S EXCUSES," editorial in December 15 right-
of-center DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "Pakistan is
refusing to hand over the terrorists wanted by India and
denying that the sole terrorist captured in the Mumbai
terror attacks is a Pakistani national. Despite the
international pressure, it has adopted a negative and
tenacious attitude. Now the U.K. is also saying openly
that Pakistani elements were behind the Mumbai strikes
and the Pakistan government will have to take serious
action against them. Pakistan's so-called democratic
government is still not affected. On the contrary,
Pakistan is making false allegations against India of
violating its airspace and of the Indian Minister of
External Affairs threatening its President. It is the
height of shamelessness that despite the irrefutable and
sufficient evidences it is denying the Lashkar-e-Taiba
links to the ISI. Now the Indian Government will have to
firmly clarify that it will+QllQ.9
MQaQEY(?QQA SAHARA Hindi daily: "What U.K.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during his India-
Pakistan visits has further strengthened India's position
at the international level. It is clear from his
statements that his strategy was totally based on
pressurising Pakistan to initiate, by itself or jointly,
an anti-terrorist campaign. It was, certainly, a message
for India also that its anger is justified, but it should
not take military action against Pakistan. His saying
that there is enough evidence of Lashkar-e-Taiba's
involvement in the Mumbai massacre must have increased
pressure on Pakistan. President Zardari had no option but
to agree to his suggestion that it is the time for action
and the terrorists should not get shelter on Pakistan's
soil. The U.S.-U.K. strategy is quite clear now with the
visit of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State followed by
Brown's visit. But, our motive is the complete
destruction of Pakistan-based anti-India terrorism. It is
in the interests of the entire world."


3. "PAKISTAN'S NATIONAL CHARACTER IS BASED ON VIOLENCE
AND FALSEHOOD" editorial in the December 16, 2008
centrist Gujarati daily GUJARATMITRA. "Pakistan perhaps
is the only nation possessing a temperament of violence
and falsehood. Leaders starting from Jinnah, the founder
of Pakistan, to the present President Zardari have

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nurtured extremism and terrorism there. Terrorism
emanating from Pakistan has reached such epidemic levels
that it now threatens global security. Basically,
Pakistan's aggressive behavior is a result of its
inferiority complex arising out of a feeling of ill-will
toward its neighbor [India]. Besides, the entire
international community is sneering at Pakistan for its
alleged links to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Despite all this, Pakistan continues to trumpet that
India should provide hard evidence of 26/11 terror
strikes before jumping to conclusions. India forgets
that it is dealing with a nation that thrives on
falsehood. What the world forgets though is the fact
that Pakistan is the epicenter of global terrorism and
the world cannot heave a sigh of relief until it is
eliminated from the root...."


4. "TIME FOR PAKISTAN TO TAKE CONCRETE ACTION" editorial
in the December 16, 2008 multi-edition right-of-center
Gujarati daily GUJARAT SAMACHAR. "Despite the global
community upping the ante against Pakistan, the latter
continues to be in a state of denial and refuses to take
concrete action against those involved in the Mumbai
terror plot.... What Pakistan needs to be reminded of is
that, if it doesn't rein in radicals, extremists and
fundamentalists operating on its soil, then the global
community, including AMERICA and Britain, will set the
house in order in Pakistan.... Only time will tell whether
Pakistan takes concrete actions against all the rogue
elements or forces India and other nations to adopt an
aggressive approach."


5. "A DIGNIFIED REMARK ON AN UNDIGNIFIED COUNTRY",
editorial in December 15, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily
"HAMARA SAMAJ" New Delhi: "For the last 60 years, India
has been tolerating the undesirable activities of its
neighbors with great patience and forbearance. For the
first time, we complained to the Security Council, which
in turn castigated Pakistan and asked it to take
immediate action. These are some initial stages. The way
our Prime Minister tackled this stage, shows that he will
accomplish the forthcoming stages with the same
diligence. He knows that better relations with neighbors
are a must for progress and development. That is why he
never looks down upon any of the neighboring countries.
In his statement, instead of accusing Pakistan directly,
he said in an effective manner: 'Terrorists came from
Pakistan to invade Mumbai.' This sentence mirrors the
political wisdom of Dr. Manmohan Singh, and is worthy of
a dignified Prime Minister of a great democratic
country."


6. "MEDIA AND WAR ATMOSPHERE", editorial in December 15,
2008 right-of-center Urdu daily "MUNSIF", Hyderabad: "The
outgrowth of tension and acrimony between India and
Pakistan after the Mumbai incident is natural. But
electronic media of both countries failed to play their
expected roles in mitigating the atmosphere of tension
and conflict. It is the responsibility of Pakistan to
completely subdue the terrorist elements, and not give

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its neighboring country India any room to complain. As a
major country, India always demonstrated magnanimity in
this regard. Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. In
fact, religious intolerance is the fundamental reason for
terrorism. Terrorist organizations of Pakistan are
misinterpreting various religious terminologies. In a
nutshell, media of both countries should exercise extreme
patience, tolerance and realism in the situation borne
out of the Mumbai attack."


7. "EVEN MORE DANGEROUS FOR PAKISTAN" editorial in
December 16 Guwahati Assamese left-of-center ASAMIYA
PRATIDIN. "...Pakistan is going to face a fate similar to
Somalia's, Iraq's and Afghanistan's where religious
fundamentalist and terrorist forces brought about wars on
their soil... These forces are using the innocent and God-
fearing tribal people in Pakistan...as their weapon... To
maintain its control over Asia, the U.S. is bent on
fighting a decisive battle to wipe out terrorist forces
indoctrinated in religious fundamentalism... Pakistan's
common people may face dangerous consequences from the
anti-terror war unless its leadership stops aiding and
sheltering Laden's Al Qaida... The sooner Zardari takes
Rice's and Brown's warnings seriously the better it is
for Pakistan."


8. "IF WE OBSERVE PAKISTAN FROM A PAKISTANI STANDPOINT,"
editorial-page article in December 16 independent Kolkata
Bengali daily, ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA by Assistant Editor
Semanti Ghosh. "...How Islamabad has retained power by
transforming all its administrative and societal failures
into an anti-India tirade has few parallels in the world.
America too eagerly supported it in its obsession with
the Cold War... Consequent to constant brainwashing over
the past six decades, the Pakistani society has undergone
considerable changes... People's anger against India is so
pronounced now that...if Islamabad wants to fight
terrorism, it is not the Army, but the masses who will
overthrow the government. It is from this perspective
that Delhi will have to evolve its diplomatic
relationship with Pakistan. No doubt, India will have to
maintain its pressure on Islamabad, but excessive
pressure may boomerang... So, it will really be a tightrope
walk for India."


9. "PAKISTAN'S FALSEHOOD," editorial in the December 16
left-of-center Kolkata Bengali daily, SAMBAD PRATIDIN.
"Let Pakistan stop telling lies. This is not befitting of
a neighbor. The way Pakistan has been trying to spread
canards against India is absolutely unjust. Pakistan is
trying to build a war-like situation in a planned manner.
Under these circumstances, the Indian government must
take a strong posture. There is no room for showing any
weakness."

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TERRORISM (INDO-PAK CONTEXT)
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10. "TERRORISM: LEARNING A LESSON FROM PAKISTAN",

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editorial in December 15, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily
"URDU TIMES", Mumbai: "Everyone says that terrorism is
not related to any religion. But it is also true that
terrorists have impressions of different religions and
faiths. That is why terrorists have different colors
(ideologies). In India, there are red, saffron and green
colors of extremism and terrorism. Such groups grew out
of proportion in Pakistan due to political instability.
As a result, terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jamaat-
ud-Dawah etc. became a burden for Pakistan. Nobody is
ready to oppose them and control them. Now, under the
pressure of AMERICA and the entire world, Pakistan is
taking actions against these non-state players. Similar
is the attitude of India with respect to saffron
(Hindutva forces) terrorism. Here in India, the same
mistake is being committed. However, if the saffron
terrorism is given a free hand, the day is not far off
when it may defame us within and outside the country."

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GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS
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11. "GLOBAL RECESSION AND INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SECTOR",
editorial in December 15, 2008 right-of-center Urdu daily
"RASHTRIYA SAHARA", New Delhi: "To what extent the global
financial crisis may affect India can be assessed from
the fact that the growth rate in the Indian Industrial
Sector further decreased to 5.45%. Economists are taking
it as the most crucial negative tendency in the last 15
years. This growth was 12.2% in October 2007, dropping to
5.45% in September of the current year. Most probably,
the downfall is due to the tremendous decrease in
exports. The decrease is because of lesser demand for
export goods from Europe and America. These impacts on
India are due to the global economic and Banking System
crisis, and recession in economic markets."
MULFORD