MEDIA REACTION: INDIA/PAKISTAN, POTUS NOBEL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 002104

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, POTUS NOBEL
AWARD, AFGHANISTAN, SINO-INDIA RELATIONS, NON-
PROLIFERATION; NEW DELHI.

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
--------------


1. "PAKISTAN, PLEASE WAKE UP!" editorial in October 12
Hindi daily, RASHTRIYA SAHARA: "The terrorist attack on
Pakistan's military headquarters shows that it is
reaping what it has sown. The strategy of nurturing
terrorism against India has now become the biggest
challenge for Pakistan's own existence. Suspicion in
the Indian Embassy attack in Afghanistan is again
pointing to the Pakistan Army and the ISI. Will
Pakistan shed its terrorist strategy after this attack?
It is still stuck to the same old Kashmir issue. It
cannot break up Kashmir. Only time will tell if it can
even save its own Balochistan, Sindh and tribal areas!"


2. "BOMB BLASTS IN PAKISTAN," editorial in October 13
right-of-center Urdu daily, MUNSIF: "The internal
situation in Pakistan is horrendous, but the danger is
for the entire South Asian region, including India.
Pakistan is passing through its worst crisis. The
political leadership has failed to influence the
worsening internal situation."


3. "A REALISTIC FOREIGN POLICY NEEDED," op-ed article
in left-of-center Marathi daily, AAPLA MAHANAGAR:
"Indian Prime Ministers have always paid importance to
dialogue and bilateral relations with neighbors. Such a
policy is welcome, but it has to be coupled with a
strong agenda that serves India's national interest.
India will have to consider its allies very
consciously, knowing fully well that Pakistan cannot be
trusted. China too is untrustworthy, especially
considering its frequent threats and claims on Indian
territory. India has to be in a state of permanent
alert."

--------------
POTUS NOBEL AWARD
--------------


4. "AN ACT OF DECEPTION," editorial in October 13
right-of-center Urdu daily, URDU TIMES: "The world is
bewildered by the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to
Obama. But these simpletons do not know that the world
has always been a place for tricksters. Here, those
heads have been crowned who massacred thousands and
thousands of innocent human beings. In this world, they
are eulogized whose barbarism is more dangerous and
horrible than those of wild beasts of the jungle. This
award is a deception, which aims at proving great
tyrants as gods of peace."


5. "HASTE IN AWARDING OBAMA," editorial in October 12

NEW DELHI 00002104 002 OF 002


Hindi daily, RASHTRIYA SAHARA: "The entire world,
including President Barack Obama himself, is surprised
at the Nobel award. His foreign policy initiatives on
Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Guantanamo etc. have not
been productive. The world wants to see how he will
meet these expectations."

--------------
AFGHANISTAN
--------------


6. "ATTACK ON INDIAN EMBASSY IN KABUL," editorial in
October 13 right-of-center Urdu daily, ETEMAAD: "India
is playing a significant role in carrying out
development projects in Afghanistan. Even then its
engineers and authorities associated with these
projects have been the targets of Taliban. World
opinion is expressing its sense of defeatism due to an
elongated fruitless war in Afghanistan. If India plays
any sort of venture - some role, it should be ready to
face the consequences thereof. Instead, India should
maintain a balance in its bilateral relations with
Afghanistan and Pakistan. Any imbalance may create an
atmosphere of doubt and suspicion."

--------------
SINO-INDIA RELATIONS
--------------


7. "CHINA CREATING CONSTERNATION," editorial in October
14 centrist Gujarati daily, DIVYA BHASKAR: "China
seems to be obsessed with lodging objections whenever
Indian officials visit Arunachal Pradesh. China's
recent objection over Indian prime minister Singh's
visit is not new. China has been eyeing this region
ever since the 1962 war with India when it captured
major part of Arunachal Pradesh. It is high time Indian
leaders got to brass tacks."

--------------
NON-PROLIFERATION
--------------


8. "NON-PROLIFERATION: WHO WILL THINK?" editorial in
October 14 right-of-center Gujarati daily, MUMBAI
SAMACHAR: "While one of the important objectives of the
UN was to rid the world from nuclear weapons, there has
been no progress on this issue at all. The world's most
powerful nations possess such dangerous and hazardous
weapons that mere thought of it sends a shiver down the
spine. On the other hand, African and Asian nations are
spending such huge amounts of money procuring weapons
that they are unable to fight their own poverty,
healthcare, education, safe drinking water, etc. This
can be stopped only when the taxpayers of these small
nations impel their governments not to buy weapons from
self-centered big and powerful nations and instead use
these monies for developmental purposes."
ROEMER