SPECIAL REPORT: INDIAN MEDIA WELCOMES "END OF

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