MEDIA REACTION: INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS, POTUS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001411 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: MEDIA REACTION: INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS, POTUS VISIT TO RUSSIA, UNREST IN CHINA; NEW DELHI. NEW DELHI 00001411 001.2 OF 002 This countrywide cable reports on relevant media reaction/opinion from India's large non-English press. The Mission reports on English-language media via email through the daily "Early Edition" summary. -------------- INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS -------------- ¶1. "ALTHOUGH LATE, ZARDARI FINALLY SPEAKS THE TRUTH," editorial in July 9 centrist Gujarati daily, DIVYA BHASKAR: "Pakistani President Zardari's admission, that Pakistan created and nurtured terrorists to achieve short-term goals, is the first such instance by any Pakistani head of state in recent times. It is well known that while Pakistan nurtured such rogue elements on its soil to inflict damage on India, it failed to realize that the same monster of terrorism would one day devour Pakistan itself. Zardari's change of heart is welcome, but much remains to be seen on what steps he intends to take in reining in such extremist elements." ¶2. "UNFORTUNATE BEGINNING OF DIALOGUE," op-ed in July 8 right-of-center Hindi daily, DAINIK JAGRAN: "It is not a good sign that India and Pakistan could not agree on a place for their foreign secretaries' meeting. Both sides had to eventually agree to meet on the sidelines of the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Egypt. There is no doubt that the Kashmir issue needs to be resolved. But Pakistan should realize that if it lost Kashmir in the battlefield how can it win on a dialogue table? The solution lies in both the civilian and military wings in Pakistan agreeing to a dtente with India. But the army has given no evidence that it wants to bury the hatchet. Washington can play an important role in this." -------------- POTUS VISIT TO RUSSIA -------------- ¶3. "OBAMA IN RUSSIA," editorial in July 8 centrist Hindi daily, NAVBHARAT TIMES: "The biggest achievement of Obama's Russia visit is the military transit agreement, enabling America to transport its military personnel and equipment across Russia to support American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. With this new transit route Obama has reduced the U.S. dependence on Pakistan to a great extent. Besides that, by changing the tone of U.S.-Russia relations, he has tried to bring them directly to the presidential level. During George Bush's term, U.S.-Russia relations constantly turned sour." -------------- UNREST IN CHINA -------------- ¶4. "DESPOTISM," editorial in July 8 independent Kolkata Bengali ANANDABAZAR PATRIKA: "While Western democracies NEW DELHI 00001411 002.2 OF 002 are concerned about Tibet, they remain absolutely indifferent to the pathetic condition of the Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang. Is their apathy toward the ethnic group based on the equation that the Tibetans are innocuous Buddhists and the Uighurs are jihad activists? China like any despotic nation is ruthless in curbing human rights. Humanity demands that the world shows its solidarity toward the repressed people." BURLEIGH