ELECTION AND SECURITY CONCERNS PROMPT INDIA TO POSTPONE

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000282 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/INSB E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ASEC SCUL IN SUBJECT: ELECTION AND SECURITY CONCERNS PROMPT INDIA TO POSTPONE NATIONAL GAMES IN JHARKHAND ¶1. (SBU) The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has postponed the National Games, India's premier amateur sporting event, that were to be held November 21 to December 5 in the eastern state of Jharkhand. According to the Jharkhand home secretary, the civil servant responsible for law and order, the National Games had to be re-scheduled due to the upcoming state assembly elections. While the National Games would not have directly coincided with the polling dates, they would have coincided with the election preparations. Jharkhand has been without an elected state government since January; elections are anticipated, but have not yet been officially announced, for mid-December. The state is ruled temporarily by the governor on behalf of the central government. ¶2. (SBU) Concerns about the security for the National Games in the Maoist/Naxal affected state may have also contributed to its postponement. According to post media contacts, central and state security agencies had serious concerns about venue security in the three host cities: Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad. There has been a spate of recent Maoist/Naxal violence in the state. The planned central and state anti-Maoist police action in the Maoist/Naxal affected states of Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattisgarh and Andra Pradesh will deprive the organizers of a significant number of police resources that would be needed. Comment ¶3. (SBU) Preparations for the National Games were relatively advanced; the schedule had been published, facilities had been renovated and Bollywood celebrities had already signed on to endorse. Congress contacts have maintained throughout that the Games would precede the state elections; in fact, they believed that successful Games would improve their party's appeal in the state. However, concerns about venue security and the demands of the upcoming anti-Maoist police action appear to have prompted the postponement to an undetermined date in the future. A successful National Games is a safe and secure one. The Government of India can not afford a security lapse or incident that might call into question its ability to securely host next year's Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, the second largest sporting event in the world. PAYNE