SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENTIAL

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SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: PRESIDENTIAL
INAUGURATION/NEW ADMINISTRATION'S FOREIGN POLICY
(Continued)

This cable reports on relevant media reaction from
India's English and large non-English press.

SUMMARY: President Obama's inauguration event received
unprecedented media coverage in India, and it is
continuing. All newspapers published the President's
speech, complete or in parts. Reports also highlighted
that Vice President Joe Biden is a close friend of India.
The commentary is highly positive, with great
expectations for change. The general refrain is that the
new President will have to act fast with so many problems
that he has inherited. The Urdu press, reflecting Muslim
opinion in India, welcomed the change of guard, and
hailed it as a good development for world peace.
Commentary from India's leading English and language
newspapers follows. END SUMMARY.


01. "MORNING, MR PRESIDENT," editorial in the January 21
centrist English daily THE TIMES OF INDIA. "Undoubtedly,
the gloomy economy will consume much of the new
president's energies and he has so far shown signs of
clear thinking on how to get America up on its feet
again. Equally tough are the assortment of challenges
that will present themselves on Obama's foreign policy
plate. One war needs to be wound down responsibly while
America's attention has to shift to the real battleground
in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Obama cannot afford to
engage Pakistan only to tackle al-Qaeda and the Taliban ...
It is evident that Obama will have to hit the ground
running. There are soaring expectations which cannot be
all fulfilled. But he has a good base of credibility to
start from. Opinion polls show he enjoys close to 80 per
cent approval ratings as he picks up the keys to the
White House and that the American people, across
political divides, are willing to give him a chance and
their time. His commitment to consultative governance
while being firmly in charge, and the A-list team he has
picked, would hopefully serve America and the world
well."


02. "YES IT'S CHANGE, BUT NO SURPRISES," editorial in the
January 21 centrist English daily THE HINDUSTAN TIMES.
"Much of what Obama does in the next few years will build
on the second Bush foreign policy - minus the image
deficit George W. Bush suffered. There will be
differences in emphasis: Obama is more at ease with
China, less at ease with Iran and more enthusiastic about
a West Asia peace process. Where "change" will be more
evident in the new administration will be in economic
policy ... Disincentives against outsourcing, a huge
diversion of the world's capital to the US economy and
protectionism cloaked as climate change are likely
components of the US's new external economic policy.
Emerging economies should be wary on all counts. There is
no reason to detract from the hope and excitement Obama
has been able to bring to the global stage. But no one
should have any illusions. Obama will be a hard-nosed
advocate of US interests in a time of scarcity Change at
home can lose much of its positive sheen when it crosses
a border."

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03. "CHANGE, WITH REALISM," editorial in the January 21
pro-BJP right-of-center English daily THE PIONEER. "Like
Reagan, Mr. Obama's charter is beyond just policy reform
- it is to design an agenda for American renewal. It is
about making appropriate choices, both at home and
abroad, that may disturb status quoists but will, in the
new President's judgment, serve America well in the
coming decades ... Islamism remains a threat to American
assets anywhere on the planet. To completely efface the
Islamist threat may be beyond Mr. Obama, even if he
serves two terms. However, he cannot duck the challenge.
Whatever the rhetoric of the election campaign,
notwithstanding the claims of the new Secretary of State
that "smart diplomacy" - at the best of times, a vague
term - will replace a military doctrine, the fact is
America cannot abandon the war on terror. To be fair, the
new President seems to recognize this."


04. "FROM ESTRANGED TO ENGAGED DEMOCRACIES," analysis in
the January 21 centrist English daily THE TIMES OF INDIA
by political editor Rajeev Deshpande: "For most post-
Independence Indians till almost the early 1990s, America
remained both a land of gold - the steady brain drain and
mushrooming of motels owned by Patels were testimony to
the power of the dollar - but also a quasi foe with
Russia as India's white knight ... On their part, Americans
often saw Indians as unbearably preachy and steeped in a
socialist rhetoric that put New Delhi firmly in the
Soviet orbit. Yet, US policy towards India has not been
uniformly hostile ... Ironically, it was Clinton, who
referred to Kashmir as a major trouble spot in his 1993
UN speech, who began realigning America's infamous tilt
in south Asia. Though criticized by a section of opinion
as jingoistic, Pokhran II set off a much-needed US-India
dialogue that finally culminated in the Manmohan-Bush
nuclear deal. The rise of Islamic terrorism and
Pakistan's failed adventure in Kargil quickened this. It
clearly marked stepped up US intervention as Clinton
gently underlined when he told India's parliamentarians
on the role of American diplomacy in "urging Pakistanis
to go back beyond the Line of Control" during the Kargil
war."


05. "PRESIDENT OBAMA: LESSONS IN GRACE," editorial in the
January 21 centrist English daily THE ASIAN AGE. "For
Americans, history is not a burden to be dragged along
but a path traveled, a lesson learnt and an unfolding
story whose climax is to be full of hope ... The world may
not agree with America and Americans at all times and on
all issues, but in almost no other major country does one
see the victor accept his laurels with such magnanimity
and the vanquished the lesson of defeat with such grace.
We in India pride ourselves on being the biggest
democracy in the world: but here the victor revels and
the vanquished sulks; and the celebrations often
degenerate into taunts, muscle-flexing and bitterness.
Why can't we ever see such grace in this country?"


06. "SO, CAN HE?" editorial in the January 21 pro-

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economic reform English daily THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS. "On
the economy, Obama's task is two-fold. First, he has to
continue with the Bush administration-initiated Tarp to
rescue banks and other financial institutions. That
should not be hard-Obama supported the plan and he has
the personnel to implement it. He will, commendably, add
a large fiscal stimulus to his economic package. As
importantly, he must resist vested interests in the
Democratic Party, which will try and push him towards
protectionism-that path of erecting barriers can only
lead to another Great Depression. Fortunately so far, at
least in his Cabinet picks, he has shown independence
from the left-wing of the Democratic Party. May that
moderation continue in his policies towards trade and
delicate matters like outsourcing ... His likely shift in
focus to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the war on terror
can only be a good thing-those are, after all, the real
epicentres of global terror. India will hope that he
would take a tough line on Pakistan-sponsored terror.
However, we must hope that he (or anyone on his team)
doesn't tread the David Miliband path by linking a
resolution on Kashmir to terror emanating from Pakistan.
Terror mustn't be given any cover to hide behind.
Obviously, India will have to work hard to push this
perspective."


07. "THE ECONOMY WILL MAKE OR BREAK OBAMA" editorial in
the January 21, 2009 centrist English daily DNA. "... of
all the compelling crises that compete for Obama's
attention, there is one that, depending on his response
to it and the degree of success he has in addressing it
will eternally come to define his presidency, and will
either make or break his term in office. That crisis is
the one that confronts the US economy.... Just one piece
of statistic is illustrative of this mess: US personal
consumption expenditure was 72 per cent of GDP in 2006,
the highest in economic history. To 'fix' the US economy
now, Obama needs to do two unpopular things: first, he
must persuade Americans, long used to the Good Life of
consumption excess, to look up the word 'thrift' in the
dictionary -- and live by it -- and get down to doing
some work in the real world, not just in the parallel
universe of paperless money.... But Obama's bigger
challenge is to address the other half of the global
imbalance -- by persuading Asian governments to introduce
social safety nets and let their currencies appreciate,
and encourage their people to stop exporting or saving,
and instead start spending.... Obama has thus far proven
himself to be a man of prodigious talent who thinks
issues through. Yet, for all the intellectual capital he
and his All-Star economic team possess, the Big Ideas he
has formulated and the tremendous political goodwill he
starts his term with, this is one challenge that may
overwhelm him...."


08. "US VISTAS AND INDIAN REALITIES," analysis in the
January 21 English Daily THE MINT. "There is speculation
that Obama will select Holbrooke as a special envoy to
South Asia. No doubt, "alarmed" American eyes find his
background in conflict resolution appealing, as he

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brokered the Dayton Accords on Bosnia. Yet Jammu and
Kashmir is not the former Yugoslavia, and such a template
would be deeply resented in India ... There has been much
buzz lately about social entrepreneurship, but the
private sector is indeed an essential ally to deliver
public goods nimbly and efficiently. Government schools
in rural India, for example, have notoriously terrible
attainment rates. A glacial public sector cannot deliver
alone where a voucher system can ... Public-private
partnerships are imperative also for global problems such
as climate change, which can be aided by technical
expertise and research. No public sector can compete with
the green-energy ventures coming out of Silicon Valley.
The Asia Society report rightly urges Obama "to leverage
the creativity and resourcefulness that exist outside
both governments". This is certainly a step in the right
direction."


09. "PRESIDENT OBAMA REACHES OUT TO MUSLIMS & HINDUS,"
front-page dispatch in January 21 centrist THE TELEGRAPH
by Washington-based Diplomatic Editor K.P. Nayar.
"...Obama stunned his nation by using his Muslim middle
name, Hussein, for the oath of office... Obama's decision
to use his Islamic middle name immediately struck a chord
in Arab countries... Obama became the first President in
U.S. history to acknowledge a Hindu America, a growing,
increasingly influential and affluent segment of the
immigrant population in the U.S.... Missing from the new
President's agenda were unrealistic goals such as a U.S.-
administered democratic panacea for the rest of the world
that characterized the speeches of...George W. Bush.
Instead, the 44th President promised a return to American
values, which Bush was widely seen to have trampled
upon...."


10. "HOPE IN DIFFERENCE," edit-page article in January 21
centrist THE TELEGRAPH by Diplomatic Editor K.P. Nayar.
"...The final days of the Bush Administration will be
remembered...as the end of a dark era that lasted eight
years - the transfer of power from an occupant of the
White House whom history will probably judge as the worst
president of America... There will be...revelations in
Washington in the coming weeks and months about how the
Bush Administration, which sought a permanent Republican
majority in the Congress and in the White House,
subverted the law and the
constitution and risked America's reputation as the
world's oldest democracy. But Obama is unlikely to make
the
mistake...and engage in any witch-hunt against the previous
administration. At least not for now... If the hundreds of
thousands of Americans who have been singing, dancing and
partying non-stop in Washington...saw yesterday's change of
guard at the White House as the end of a long nightmare,
in reality, it was cold comfort for Obama. He inherits a
nightmare of a different kind that is already touching
the lives of all Americans irrespective of their color,
beliefs or material well-being: the economic meltdown...."


11. "VIEW FROM THE TOP," op-ed in January 21 centrist THE

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STATESMAN by N.D. Batra, Professor of Communications at
Norwich University. "...The inauguration of the first
black man to grace the White House, have characterized
the emerging American dream. It is a dream of
transcendence and self-renewal and it makes us wonder
what President Barack Obama...will do now that his dream
has come true. What America is going to be, what it does
or does not do, under President Obama will have serious
repercussions for the world. No metaphor can capture its
immensity but one might say that the USA is not only a
moral force for freedom and equality but it is also the
hub and the driving engine of global the economy. And to
a great extent the USA is the single most important
determinant of peace in many parts of the world.
America's misfortunes do not necessarily mean blessings
for other nations. Its decline and fall will not leverage
others to rise. The whole world is watching whether
Obama, having raised himself by his bootstraps and having
transcended all the prejudices of race, religion and
color, can prevent the U.S. and the world economy from
sliding into the abyss of depression. This is the dream
he might not have dreamt while aspiring for the White
House...."


12. "OBAMA AND THE AMERICAN DREAM," op-ed article in
January 20 DAINIK JAGRAN Hindi daily: "Barak Obama's
becoming the U.S. president heralds the dawn of a new era
as he is the first Afro-Americans to reach here. India is
very interested in Obama because of his underprivileged,
non-white background. Rights of the underprivileged and
marginalized sections of society are a great concern in
this country too. What is interesting is that black Obama
was sponsored by the non-blacks. That is the beauty of
the American society. Now it is time for the non-whites
to live the American dream. In the U.S., 80 per cent
white and 12 per cent of the population is black. What
happens nowhere else -- only happens in America."


13. "OBAMA! THOUSANDS OF PROBLEMS WELCOME YOU", editorial
in January 20 right-of-center Urdu daily "HAMARA SAMAJ",
New Delhi: "By the grace of Almighty, human beings got
rid of the ugliest and the most hot-headed American
ruler, George Bush. It will need centuries altogether to
heel the wounds inflicted by him on humanity. Today,
America and the entire Europe are entrapped in the
quagmire of a dreaded economic crisis, which created
instability throughout the world. Even the super power,
America is reeling under increased unemployment and
poverty. The present chaos in America is neither an
abrupt feature nor did American people make any
undemocratic and unwanted decisions. Unfortunately,
trampling the American people's opinion, Obama's
predecessor, President Bush adopted the policy of
venture, death and destruction like Hollywood stars and
sent out American mariners to conquer the Muslim world by
adopting aggressive and imperialistic policies. American
people elected Obama and thus, sent a message that they
still believe in supreme values of democracy and want the
welfare of humanity. At present, issues like Palestine,
Iraq and Afghanistan are top of the complicated issues.

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Moreover, capitalism has turned most exploitative and
there on uprising against it in Europe itself. Hoping
Obama will bring uncontrolled capitalism under the
purview of just and legitimate conditions."


14. "FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING TO OBAMA", editorial in
January 20 right-of-center Urdu daily "INQUILAB", Mumbai:
"Martin Luther King was a social reformer, famous as well
as respected in America. He dedicated his life for
restoration of civil and human rights. Martin Luther King
was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 1964. Where, on one
hand, Obama has the honor of being the first black
President of America, on the other hand, people of two
continents, America as well as Africa, are happy over his
election. African Americans think that success of Obama
is the end result of Martin King's efforts. Eminent
personalities of Africa and America are considering Obama
as the continuation of King's ideological journey. But it
is possible only when Obama practices the human-friendly
ideology which Martin Luther King had preached. He will
have to keep the golden saying of King: The right
delayed, the right denied, always in his mind. American
policies have deprived millions of people of their
fundamental rights. Obama will have to remove those anti-
human elements from these policies so that hatred against
America throughout the world may deescalate. Obama should
not forget that George Bush has left a lot of work for
him to do."


15. "A NEW DAWN IN AMERICA", editorial in January 20
right-of-center Urdu daily "MUNSIF", Hyderabad: "Obama
will have to face a number of complicated issues and
challenges. No predecessors of Obama faced such a great
number of internal and external problems. American
economy was very strong in the recent past, which helped
it to be the super power as well as superior to Russia
during the era of cold war. But now American economy is
reeling under a severe crisis. Obama, therefore, will
have to concentrate on the internal issues of his
country. On the external front, what change Obama can
bring into Bush's oppressive, unjustified and Zionist-
friendly policies, is an important question. It is
because, like his predecessors, he is also under the
control of Zionism. It is not easy for him to take action
against Israel. If he, contrary to his predecessors,
could do something in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, or
else where against the vested interests of Israel, it
will be considered as his revolutionary and historic
initiative. But such expectations from him are nothing
but living in fool's paradise."


16. "WELCOME OBAMA: THE NEW AGE OF LAUGHING BUDDHA"
editorial in the January 21, 2009 multi-edition centrist
Gujarati daily DIVYA BHASKAR. "The man, whom the entire
world is watching with much hope, has finally officially
assumed office of the President of the Untied States.
The rise of Barack Obama to the highest civilian office
is an indicator of sorts of his personality traits. He
has this uncanny wit of connecting with people who
possess diverse opinions. His smiling face beams a

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feeling of positivity that the world badly needs today
than ever before.... Although the tasks and challenges
before the new president are enormous, Obama has the
audacity to take the bull by the horns.... Whatever may be
the case, one thing is sure that this historic election
has translated Martin Luther King's dream into a
reality. Now Obama has the opportunity to write a new
chapter in history."


17. "I HAVE A DREAM" editorial in January 21 left-of-
center Marathi daily MAHARASHTRA TIMES. "To instill
confidence in the American people in one of the darkest
hours of American life is not an easy task. President
Obama's inauguration speech has accomplished that task.
Obama faces a bleak economic scene at home and elsewhere.
Similarly, the terrorist and insurgent outfits, spread
across the globe, have further jeopardized international
peace and they continue to threaten the new president.
One should note the fact that Mumbai terror attacks took
place three weeks after Obama's election and Israel's
attack on Gaza strip was three weeks before his swearing
in. Is this just coincidence? Or is it a warning from
terrorist outfits - as if these outfits want to see what
kind of change will Obama bring in these uncertain
times.."


18. "OBAMA LEANS TOWARDS..." editorial in January 21
centrist Marathi daily LOKMAT. "While welcoming Barack
Obama as the 44th U.S. President, India should exercise
vigilance towards Obama's foreign policy stance. With
ideologues like the Chicago-based Rob Malley (who has a
soft corner for Pakistan),one can imagine what kind of
South Asia policy will Obama have? Malley is a
propagandist and will try to veer Obama towards a lenient
Pakistan policy. India has to be mindful of the lobbyists
surrounding Obama."


19. "NOW AMERICA BELONGS TO OBAMA" editorial in January
21 centrist Marathi daily SAKAAL. "... One does not expect
major foreign policy shifts in Obama administration.
America's foreign policy has been essentially a geo-
political expansionist strategy which gives first
priority to the U.S. vested interests. That's precisely
why Obama's assurance of withdrawal of forces from Iraq
will not be an easy proposition. The rich oil reserves of
Iraq and other parts of Middle East will remain central
to many policies. Obama will not be able to overlook the
U.S. economic interest in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Similarly, the U.S. needs Pakistan to fight terrorism in
Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Therefore, it won't be easy
to dictate terms to the erring Pakistan...."


20. "OBAMA-HILLARY POSSESS GOODWILL, THEY CAN DO, BUT
THEY WILL NEED TIME," front-page commentary in the
January 21 left-of-center Kolkata Bengali daily SAMBAD
PRATIDIN by former Indian Ambassador to the U.S.
Siddartha Shankar Roy. "People expect too many things
from the new Obama Administration. First, the U.S.
Administration will continue to become friendlier toward
India; second, the U.S. will adopt certain economic

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measures that will also
benefit India. Third, U.S. military aggressions in the
Middle East including in Iraq, and in Afghanistan will
stop
and the U.S. foreign policy will change soon. I can
clearly say that Obama and Hillary will want to change a
lot of things. Maybe they will be successful to some
extent. But they will not be able to do anything
overnight. The Obama team will be ideally positive for
the entire world. But they are not magicians. Let us be
patient. People should give them time to deliver."


21. "OBAMA'S CHALLENGE," editorial in January 21 left-of-
center Bengali daily SAMBAD PRATIDIN. "The world will
monitor Obama's role in combating terrorism. The issue of
Indo-U.S. relationship under the Obama regime will also
be important. Regardless of Bush's flaws in several
fronts, there is no denying of the fact that Indo-U.S.
relationship has blossomed like never before during his
tenure. The Indo-U.S. civil nuclear deal bears testimony
to it. New Delhi must be anxious to see which way that
relationship moves in the near future. We may hope that
the relationship between the two countries will at least
remain stable if it does not flourish more."


22. "OBAMA WILL MISS THE HONEYMOON," editorial in January
21 Chennai-based independent English daily THE NEW INDIAN
EXPRESS. "As Barack Hussein Obama enters the White House
he might be tempted to reflect on the road he has
traveled. It hasn't been an easy one and it's likely to
get much harder, not simply because his victory as the
first African-American President spells a revolutionary
change in American politics. As the race went on, the
times got worse and now, as he takes office, Obama
probably won't even have the 100-day honeymoon US
Presidents are traditionally expected to use for settling
down in office. Even before he formally took over as the
44th president, newspaper headlines focused on an all-too
short honeymoon. But Obama has moved in with huge
expectations and, at the same time, apprehensions of how
successfully and speedily he will ease the burdens the
country is reeling under, at home as well as abroad. The
near-collapse of the financial sector, spelling a loss of
nearly three million jobs last year alone, together with
the mess exported by the Bush regime provide extreme
challenges for the new President...
In addition, he has to pay attention to the Indo-US
nuclear deal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and decide on his
approach to Iran's congratulations..."


23. "CHALLENGES BEFORE OBAMA," editorial in January 21
Bangalore-based left-of-center Kannada daily
PRAJAVANI. "In all likelihood, the US-India relations are
expected to reach new heights during President Obama's
regime. There is a possibility of continued military
action in Afghanistan, which will affect the US ties with
Pakistan. His statements with regard to Kashmir have
created ripples in India though Indian leadership is
confident of changing his stance on Kashmir. Any change
in US policies with regard to outsourcing might affect

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the Indian IT sector adversely. The confusion in this
regard might end soon. In spite of all these, Obama wants
a better relationship with India and that is a very good
sign."


24. "OBAMA TAKES OVER," editorial in January 21
Bangalore-based independent Kannada daily KANNADA
PRABHA. "Obama's takeover signifies a great social
revolution in the world. Obama might choose a path of
restraint and cooperation instead of confrontation."


25. "BUSH'S MARKET VALUE," editorial in the January 21
CPI (M) Organ GANASHAKTI Bengali daily, Kolkata. "People
in America and abroad had been awaiting Bush's exit from
the White House. During his tenure Bush put a question
mark on America instead of shoring up its image
domestically and internationally. Now, Obama faces a
great responsibility of addressing the issue of
withdrawing American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
American citizens as well as the world community will be
eagerly watching for sometime to see what actions he
takes on this. How Obama tackles the pressure from the
U.S. war lobby remains to be seen. But what will happen
to Bush? What will he do now? Will he take up a new job
or will he write his autobiography? However, his personal
equity seems to be so low that nobody wants to take a
risk."
WHITE