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| Devyani Khobragade case – India diplomatic blunder! | |
By Dr. Tanveer
For the last decade, the U.S. administration has portrayed India as an emerging power & strategic partner with a vibrant democracy that respects the rule of law and shares U.S. values. However, there remains a considerable political, social and cultural divide between the two countries, which the ongoing frenzy over the arrest of an Indian diplomat in New York has vividly illustrated.
Devyani Khobragade is an Indian consular official who was charged of visa fraud, false statements, and exploitation of a domestic worker by the US attorney Preet Bharara, also of Indian descent. The indictment stated that Khobragade often made a servant work 100 or more hours per week. Based on a salary of $573 per month, her actual hourly wage would be less than$1.42 per hour, which is abuse and exploitation by any standard. Yet Indians, accustomed to harsh domestic labor practices, perceived Khobragade’s arrest as deliberate humiliation of a woman representing their country. Ms. Khobragade nevertheless generated a wave of outrage in India, claiming that she was subjected to indignities normally reserved for common criminals. The fact remains that Khobragade is from the same breed of corrupt politicians that have milked India dry of her dignity for the last 60 years. She should not have broken the law in the first place. Much of the anger in India is directed at the U.S. prosecutor, Preet Bharara, also of Indian descent. His only fault seems to be prosecuting other high-profile Indians including, Rajat Gupta, a former director at Goldman Sachs, and Raj Rajaratnam, a billionaire hedge-fund manager. It is ironic that some corrupt Indian politicians and bureaucrats consider breaking the law an entitlement. It is shameful that the Indian Foreign Minister publicly backed Devyani Khobragade- what kind of message does it send?
The decision by Indian authorities to support a person who has committed fraud is tasteless and without any merit. Rather than supporting the poor worker’s rights, India chose to stand behind a high profile bureaucrat who is not new to controversies. It is well known that Devyani is the daughter of a highly corrupt IAS officer who has illegally acquired over multiple properties and submitted false affidavits tot them. In fact her father has decided to use this diplomatic tussle for his political gains by decided to run for elections. India has been working very hard to improve its international image, and this only serves to tarnish that image. It seems that, there are two opposite factions fighting for control of India. One promotes a democratic, educated, economically vibrant & tolerant India that stands for the rule of law while as other one supports corrupt, caste and class-based faction based on a pseudo-nationalism. The answer to this dichotomy lies largely in the different value systems operating in the two countries. To complicate matters even more, the Indian government has worsened tensions with high-decibel rhetoric and a vindictive campaign against U.S. diplomats in New Delhi including the revocation of government issued IDs for U.S. diplomats, stopping the U.S. Embassy from importing goods, and, most provocatively, removing a concrete security barricade protecting the U.S. Embassy in Delhi. India is responding for political ends, a tactic common in most authoritarian states.
This case shines a harsh light on India's diplomacy and tells a sad story about the reality of power and politics of privilege. The case shines a disturbing light on the politics within India, and the ability of the Indian government to conduct diplomacy befitting a great power seeking to ease tensions with allies. The willingness of the Indian government to jeopardize the safety of an embassy indicates a lack of understanding of diplomacy. Even if India feels its diplomat was ill treated, a responsible power does not embitter the situation, especially against the world's most powerful country. Incidentally the treatment of the case by most of the Indian media has shown a substantial moral blind spot. Few seem to show sympathy for the maid in question who has allegedly been the victim of a crime not the perpetrator. It is ironic that both Divyani and Sangeeta are Indians, how can the Govt. of India believe Khobragade only-Is it because the maid is poor and has no political and bureaucratic clout? Indian politicians should face reality-what they have done has proven them immature, callow and impetuous driven by emotions. It is fair to stress that USA is the only country that maintains true equal rights and freedoms without regard to class, race or religion.
(The author can be reached at [email protected])
(Opinions expressed in write-ups/articles/Letters are the sole responsibility of the authors and they may not represent the scoopnews.in)
Editor, Scoop News.
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