I always thought you to be a good analyst, but I guess you failed this time in the whole episode. ( I read some of your previous comments )
I agree that US should have conducted the arrest and other things more civilly given her statute, but that doesn't absolve her of the alleged crime.
First, the maid was employed in US under A3 visa that is subjected to US laws, and this is a clear case of US laws being violated. So naturally US has the right to take action.
Second, she was not fully immune, if that would have been the case India would not have transferred her to UN mission to get her the full immunity.
Third, why not a thought for the maid. Is it because she is less privileged? You are forgetting she too was an Indian too and was the victim in the whole episode and not Kobragade.
Fourth, if she would have been charged for alleged spying or something of those kind of charges, then I am would have supported all of India's actions.
Last, this whole affair is not of India's national interest as portrayed by media. Here we are taking side of a alleged criminal. India spent huge amount of political capital to shield an alleged criminal.
If this reaction would have been for Kalam, I would have supported India and would have even suggested to go beyond these actions, but not in this case.
I will start from your last point - what India's national interest you are talking about ?
India took side of Devyani because she is Indian diplomat and not because she is criminal or not . what do you expect india to do ? Especially after the public humiliation that was heaped on ...it was impossible for Indian leadership to act discreetly .
This episode happened because US decided to blow it out of proportion ( whatever may have been objective to do that ? )
You have seen only one side of the story . The manner in which Devyani was arrested was totally unacceptable . She was not ordinary criminal but diplomat representing our country . US as a friendly country should have demonstrated some sensitivity .
The sheer US arrogance that it demonstrated in handling this issue depicted that it does not care about Indian interest or concerns.
There is no doubt that Devyani was guilty of breaking US law ....but she is not only to be blamed . It is systematic failure ...
Our authorities should have sought diplomatic visa for IBDA so that they will have been taken off purview of US domestic laws ...
It doesn't make sense if domestic assistants get to go to US on official passport with transport ,health insurance and what not shelved from pockets Indian government only to be subjected to US domestic laws because US insists to give them A3 visas....
It shouldn't be mandatory for such domestic assistants to be paid wages at par with US laws for it creates anomaly ....imagine domestic assistants , maids getting pays that are comparable to those GOI employee like diplomats for whom they are employed in first place . This systemic anomaly has been introduced due to differences in currency and economy of local and host country . Devyani is not the only one involved in this fiasco ....and if we justify US action on Devyani many other Indian and other diplomats would be found guilty ....we simply couldn't have let this happen .
Devyani is as much a victim of this systematic failure ...
Question is not whether maid was ignored for being less privileged ...
The maid disregarded the Indian justice system ...maid tried to exploit the 'legal' loophole and therefore can't be adjudged as victim ....to rather put it straight ...maid gained more than anyone else in this fiasco .... Maid used American laws and system towards her benefit ...but in the process she put whole country in dock ....
There is no evidence of maid having raised her issues with Indian consul ...
If maid was on Indian official passport and her expenses being born by Indian consul and she being Indian she should have put forth her grievances to Indian consul first ....
Did the maid do right thing by bypassing the authority and undermining proper hierarchy ???
If maid had done even single attempt to bring forth her grievances to Indian consul and failed in getting hearing then she would have been justified to approach American authorities !!! Did she do that ???
why did not maid trust Indian system ??? she made enemy out of whole Indian establishment by approaching American authorities ??? Indian establishment had no option but to side with its diplomat simply because the maid chose to wash dirty linen in public ...Maid's intention was not to get justice but to get mileage out of this ...
maid used Diplomat as gateway to US ...she barely worked for 6 months ...and was apparently happy for the way she was treated ....as some of the record shows ....naturally what salary she was getting as per Indian standards was not enough as far as American standards are concerned ...for this reason she wanted to get rid of Diplomat ...to work somewhere else in US ...This is classic story of greed .
Devyani wanted to exploit the system as other diplomats have been doing ... and maid also tried to do exactly samething by exploiting the legal loophole . It is for this reason I have no love for maid just as I have none for Devyani .we were forced to defend her merely because she was our diplomat and part of Devayni's problem was contributed by government. we had to defend the dignity of our country that was at stake along with Devyani ...
Given the specifics of case ....Us is guilty of treating whole Indian establishment as Oppressor ...Between 4'th September to 12'th December there were several communications from Indian consul to US state department and other authorities ....US authorities maintained tactical silence about all ...refusing to even respond to our communiques ...
US was bidding time and surreptiously whisked away family of maid ....during all this time it did not give Indian authorities any ink link as to what it indented to do with this case virtually keeping Indian establishment in darkness .
To add to this when Foreign secretary Sujatha singh and her delegation was in talks with US almost simultaneously order to arrest our diplomat and required authorization was cleared ....This was very calculated move ....
US had no courtesy to even apprise our delegation ...and what do you expect India authorities to do ???
Do you still feel defending diplomat was childish action ???
I feel sorry if some people like you feel defending representative of our country as childish action ....
I have no love for Devyani ...hell she should be booked for corruption and if convicted should be put to jail ....
But that does not mean I would justify US action to humiliate our country by making example out of Devyani ....
US is no champion of human rights or justice or equality before law or whatever they may pretend ....!!!
and we have no reason to let them play this game of charades with us ....
If we had not taken stand and stayed firm things would not have changed ...
at least now both Indian and US governments will address the issue of IBDAs and the vis awith which they will be allowed to accompany Indian consul staff will be cleared ....
I hope such nasty incidents won't happen in future again ....
as far as damage to Indo- US relations are concerned ...I am glad that myth about Indo-US friendship is broken ultimately ...
at least some policy makers will be awakened from deep slumber in which they had sweet dreams of great American savior that will lead India to her place in world .
India has to earn her rightful place in world on her own strength .... no need to bank on back stabber US for that ...!!!
