Singh1699 Wrote:
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> I wouldn't be surprised if the Americans arrested
> that American Sikh brother is just to make the
> Indians happy in order to compensate for putting
> in jail that corrupt Indian ambassador who was
> caught red handed doing labor exploitation. This
> seems like damage control being done by Americans.
Devyani Khobragade is an indian diplomat and not the Indian ambassador. This case is a one in which there are multiple issues involved and is not simply a a case of a 'corrupt diplomat' who did 'labour exploitation'. There is more than what meets the eye.
I would not argue in favour of the wages given to the maid servant which is debatable both sides. The more important question is : does US treat other countries, especially, developing nations, as equals, when it comes to rights and privileges?
There is a hardly any proof needed for the 'fact' that US is a global bully. And when it comes to bullying they consider trampling the smaller nations under its feet as nothing. They can concoct up a flimsy and untrue reason like 'weapons of mass destruction' to bomb down Iraq, kill thousands of innocents, insult a whole nation and control its each and every aspect according to its whim and fancy. And when not even a shred of evidence of 'weapons of mass destruction' were found, what did they do? Did they put George Bush on trial for killings thousands of innocents? No. They think that just feeling regretful is enough.
They do not care for sovereignty of other nations. They attack the Pakistani territories with drones and kill their targets with impunity.Osama bil laden was not proven to be behind the World Trade Centre bombing. He was just chosen as a scape goat. Noam Chomsky and many others have spoken with knowledgeable authority on this. US continues with its drone attacks even today without any respect for international borders. It does not care about the innocents being killed in the process.
As I mentioned above, Devyani's case is not just a case about the wages paid to the servant. Its about the question of treatment of diplomats of other nations. International laws lay down rules for diplomatic immunity. The basis of these rules is that a diplomat is representing his/her country and in that capacity he/she cannot be given common criminal treatment, because that amounts to disrespect to the nation he/she is representing.
US officials are given 5 star treatment in India. Special privileges at airports, special allowances for import, special I Cards for facilitating smooth execution of their stay in India. And do Indian Diplomats get anything in return? No. Indian Embassy was not even given a PARKING SPACE. And what about the US embassy in India? A WHOLE ROAD was sealed off and given for their use. (This was the first privilege broken down when a row escalated between the two nations).
We were graceful enough to treat them like VIPs, and what do they do? They STRIP NAKED Devyani Khobragade, STRIP NAKED, meaning they took off all her clothes? And not only this, they did a CAVITY SEARCH, meaning they also searched Va***a as well as An** of Devyani, an Indian Diplomat. Is this not an extreme disrespectful treatment of a Lady? What were they looking for? Weapong and drugs on Devyani's person?? And what was the case about? About wages of a maid servant. She was not a terrorist mind you!
If you think that the maid servant raised this issue because of slave wages, then its a false opinion. Maid did all this to get herself and her family immigration to US. She has her whole family in US now even though she herself broke the contract of the job and even when New Delhi let the US authorities know months in advance that the maid is wanted by law. She broke her contract, she ran away, and was reported as missing. She was not kept enslaved mind you. If she had problems with wages she could have always resigned and come back to India. The truth is she wanted her whole family immigration visa to US. Her family was evacuated out of India and even their tickets were paid by the US govt. So US can ignore the laws of Indian state as and when they like!
US does not believe in the Principle of reciprocity. Indian government has allowed many US Diplomats to bring along 'companions' to India. These 'companions' are actually homosexual partners. Right now Gay sex is banned in India. So if India arrests all these diplomats and their partners, women as well as men, handcuff them, bring them to police stations, take of all their clothes, search their private parts, and then throw them in dirty cells along with common criminals; all this should not be acceptable to US. But in reality would US accept this lying down? No. It would almost come to a declaration of war.
That's what Shashi Tharoor pointed out. He said, look at how we treat your diplomats and how you treat ours. If you have some problem with our diplomat then at least treat them with dignity.
Allow me to point out that this case is similar to searching the Sikh gentlemen by asking them to take off their turbans. There are, and should be, other, and more respectful ways of conducting a search on a person. Stripping naked a lady (who is also a diplomat, representing a friendly nation) and then inspecting her private parts is beyond imagination. For US it may be a 'standard procedure' but it is extreme humiliation nonetheless.
I just wanted to point out these things on Devyani's case. I do not wish to hijack this thread.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥