India-US Showdown – A Saga Of Immorality, Immunity & Impunity

Once upon a time, diplomatic tension between the US, world’s most powerful democracy, and India, the world’s most populous democracy, would be sparked off by glamorous allegations of espionage and moles.

Now, a tawdry tale of human exploitation, cultural arrogance and diplomatic doublespeak has embittered the relations between the two ‘supposed’ allies. A senior Indian diplomat in New York was arrested on charges of visa fraud and human trafficking by the US on the complaint of her Indian maid.

When Indians attack
Americans, self-conscious about their stereotypical image as ‘The Ugly American,’ have obviously never met ‘The Assertive Indian’ – especially the privileged ones in India’s class and hierarchy-conscious Indian Foreign Service, who took severe umbrage at the treatment of one of their kin.

Bureaucrats shook off their legendary sloth and in retaliation, the US embassy and the Consular staff were asked to surrender their special IDs; their diplomatic privileges were put under review and in an act that discomfited even common Indians, security at the US institutions was downgraded.

Worse still, the salaries that US diplomatic staff in India are paying to Indians employed by them have been subjected to scrutiny in an attempt to pay the US back in its own coin.

United state of hypocrisy
Ironically, both countries are now united in their hypocrisy. The US claimed to hold the rule of law above diplomatic niceties even after an ex-diplomat had ‘outed’ several egregious instances of Uncle Sam’s chosen ones having violated the law overseas and getting away with it.

The Indian government played to the gallery as well, suitably aided by sections of the Indian media, which would make Fox News blush. Accusing the US of cultural imperialism had raised a few eyebrows and some people pointed out that the US case was being prosecuted by an Indian-American, who claimed he was just doing his job.

What makes the situation near bizarre is that for most Indian diplomats, a posting in the US is highly sought after and is seen as the mark of a high-flier. On the other hand, US diplomats could be stationed in a worse country than the democratic, liberal, English-speaking India, where thanks to a colonial hangover, the status and day-to-day social courtesies accorded to the Americans can be immense.

Regardless of the media and the political spin, the ball is in a US court for now. Real diplomacy may be required once the verdict comes in.