I believe that government must respect treaties and protocols while dealing with foreign diplomats stationed in their countries. I fully support the actions taken by the Indian government in the wake of the diplomatic row with the United States.
However, I don’t understand the continuing hullabaloo over Devyani Khobragade issue, as it appears to have been settled between the two countries.
One can certainly empathize with Devyani over her separation with the family but it is evident that the diplomat is trying to extract personal mileage from the whole episode. If she believes herself to be innocent as she proclaims, she should surrender to a court and stand trial in the United States without wearing the diplomatic cap. If she is found guilty, she should face punishment and bear the consequences. Secondly, I am sure, there are no restrictions on her husband and children to travel out of the United States and visit her in India. They could even decide to live in India. In both ways, they could remain united and live together as a family. If someone wants to have the best of the worlds, then, none can help.
I was astounded to read earlier the ludicrous statement of a former diplomat and the current Indian Minister of State for Human Resources, Shashi Tharoor, who had argued that it was not reasonable to expect diplomats from developing countries to pay the US minimum wage to domestic staff since the envoys themselves earned less than that. Does this give the right to a diplomat to deny paying the minimum wages agreed or prescribed by law? Simply speaking, they could live without having domestic staff if they cannot afford. Besides, being well educated and widely traveled persons, the diplomats should abide by the terms of the employment contracts and regulations as well as the consequences of committing an act of perjury or making false statements. — Safi H. Jannaty, Dammam
US-India diplomatic row
