New York security agency has meted out “barbaric” treatment to our accredited envoy, Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General in Indian Embassy in New York. The way they slapped allegation of visa fraud on her, took her into police custody and then strip searched her on suspicion of carrying drugs shows that the New York security managers are not only uncouth but also uncivilized. Anybody will endorse the view that they are devoid of common sense, and want to overdo things bordering on vulgarity. They need to be humanized. They need to understand that there is vast and big world away from their homeland, and there are nations and civilizations far more ancient and civilized than what is known to them. From how they have treated a senior member of the Indian embassy shows that they are ignorant of international laws and rules of protocol, Geneva Convention, US laws on dealing with ambassadorial staff and above all the desk book rules of courtesy, politeness and fair play which even a school boy knows fully.
Government of India has reacted strongly. It has termed “barbaric” the arrest and strip searching of India’s Deputy Consul General in New York Devyani Khobragade. It has initiated a slew of steps to strip US diplomats and their families of some privileges offered as a matter of courtesy and regard. India has decided to withdraw all airport passes and stop import clearances for the US Embassy. She has asked all US Consulate personnel and their families to turn in their ID cards immediately which will now be downgraded and brought on par with what the US provides to our Consulates in the US. Key information such as salaries paid to all Indian staff employed at the consulates and by Consulate officers and families including as domestic helps has also been sought by the Government apart from visa and other details of all teachers in US schools and pay and bank accounts of Indians in these schools. Government has also stopped all import clearances including for liquor for the US Embassy. Also, the traffic barricades near the US Embassy on Nyaya Marg here will be lifted except the picket.
39-year-old Khobragade, a 1999-batch IFS officer posted as Deputy Consul General in New York, was taken into custody last week on visa fraud charges as she was dropping her daughter to school before being released on a USD 250,000 bond after pleading not guilty in court.
Cutting across conflicting ideologies and approaches, Indian leadership, in and out of the Government, has expressed abhorrence of police/security staff in New York for their uncivilized behaviour with the Indian lady diplomat. In protest to this kind of unbecoming treatment Indian leaders have refused to meet with the US Congressional delegations that were scheduled to interact with them. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi also refused to receive the US Congressional delegation. Ministry of External Affairs has formally expressed to the US embassy in New Delhi its displeasure on the ugly incident. This is for the first time that the Indian Government had to take such harsh steps. It wanted that its protest be registered because India would not be compromising with internationally recognized protocol and the dignity of human beings.
There is a long history of good record of Indo-US relations. There have been irritants in these relations intermittently but those were generally of temporary and transient nature, and were fixed in the normal process. USA is a great country, great in power, resources, technology and other spheres. Every country would want to have good relations with her. So does India. But the word greatness is abused when foolish and childlike things are done by this otherwise great nation. The behaviour with the lady diplomat proves that American security is afflicted with cynicism. They are behaving in a manner as if the entire world community is their enemy and they must suspect each and every man or woman who sets foot on their soil. We would like that the US authorities come out of this syndrome and return to the norms of decency and politeness. Let no one be in dark that the US security authorities covertly allow many wanted terrorists, fundamentalists and criminals to land on the American soil who they think would be somehow or other helpful in their pursuit of home security. Is that fair?
In final analysis, we would impress upon the US security authorities to own willful aberration on the part of their security structure and take steps to reform and recast their procedure as well as their mindset. We want cordial, honest and smooth relations with the US just because the two countries together share the title of the largest and the strongest democracies in the world.
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