Cost of Indian Diplomatic Victory

[Guynextdoor2]

India has won a diplomatic battle by making USA respect Geneva Convention and grant full immunity to Khobragade. It is definitely a moment of victory for the largest democracy who had put its entire weight in the basket of the diplomat despite knowing that she had breached US laws not in the course of safeguarding Indian Interests but to benefit herself alone. Thus that was a case fought between interests of USA as a state vs personal gains of Khobragade but since she was a diplomat representing India, India had no better choice but to support her, ignoring her crimes as well as the victim who too was an Indian by birth.

Could India do anything better? Once Khobragade has returned to India, she can be prosecuted under Indian laws for breaching laws of the host for her personal gains and misusing the immunity which was granted as Diplomat representing a State. But would India do anything or not is yet to be seen.

Internationally, could there be a cost to the inflexibility and rigidness which India has shown? Access to civil nuclear technology and availability of prime military hardware to India are largely seen as favors offered in hope of building a bond which could serve American interests and designs. However there will be a question marks on the idea that is India an ally-able country and should international favors be available to it in hope of some return? From this incident, it is at least evident that India is not manageable by pressure and strong India will pose new challenges to the favor offering countries.


By: Salman Ali (me)

Her career is finished. She will never work in any major country again because her credentials have been damaged beyond repair.

 

[keeninterest]

Indo-US relations have never been one of forming alliance, the 2 nation states have had converging interests on a few issues and so the 2 are working to make those interests work in their best interests possible which will keep happening irrespective.

India has never been emotional about its foreign relations, these have been dealt with rather professionally, and even on this issue it would have gone ahead and dealt with on a day-to-day basis, but for the father of the diplomat, who used his influence in the media to rake up the issue, which was then exploited by the opposition, and so the public outburst.

The diplomatic protocols as a result of this episode have had a redefining moment, as per which whatever special privileges handed out to the American diplomats are being curtailed, and brought to reciprocal levels, as they ought to be always.

Let us not jump into wins and loses, because none of it happened. US was supposed to have followed internationally defined laws, which they have now, better sense should have prevailed earlier on though.

Indo-US relations are here to stay, remain on a strong path, and a one off incident does not derail them. As a matter of fact, there have been quite a few episodes that have happened in the past but never were these incidents ever allowed to over shadow the well defined Indo-US relations which have a pretty clear perspective of the end motives to be achieved, and this when India has always maintained an independent stance on a number of issues. Much bigger problems we have faced in the past on our relations with Myanmar and Iran, but today those are well settled and clearly the US accepts our line.

One thing for sure that goes down with the US, they do realise, if irked, India is not the country of the past, though even in the past we have shown we can stand in isolation and stand our ground as in 1971, the Bangladesh liberation war.

 

[Manindra]

Self-Respect is more worthy than anything.

 

[trident2010]

On one hand I am pleased that India mange to bring back DK from US but on the other hand I truly wish that she loses her job and get the punishment. When you leave your home country and go to a foreign land then the laws of that country is what one should follow religiously. If you don't like the laws then leave the country, as simple as that. There is no excuse to break a law and if you did it then face the consequences.

 

[jhungary]

I don't see how India Politically defeat the US.

The problem is not that she is a diplomat but she is arrested with diplomatic immunity and the US had not issue an apology.

Indian member from the get go say her treatment is inappropriate with her status. Not whether she was arrested with or without a reason

I would consider an Indian political victory if US even quasi apologise for it. But this is not the case

In the end, the whole episode only show US authority can do whatever to whoever in their country, without apologising for it, they can strip search a diplomat and get away with it as long as they were released in the end

Can you really claim this is a diplomatic victory now that US released and deported her?

 

[Srinivas]

I don't see how India Politically defeat the US.

The problem is not that she is a diplomat but she is arrested with diplomatic immunity and the US had not issue an apology.

Indian member from the get go say her treatment is inappropriate with her status. Not whether she was arrested with or without a reason

I would consider an Indian political victory if US even quasi apologise for it. But this is not the case

In the end, the whole episode only show US authority can do whatever to whoever in their country, without apologising for it, they can strip search a diplomat and get away with it as long as they were released in the end

Can you really claim this is a diplomatic victory now that US released and deported her?

Not a diplomatic victory but India did the damage control and responded to the situation well!!!

USA always says India is a strategic partner, If USA wants India to be a real friend and a strategic partner, US administration should issue an official regret for what the police department have done to Indian diplomat.

 

[SwAggeR]

One thing is for certain. The whole episode has sparked a surge of Anti Americanism in India that hasn't existed for at least a decade.

If she would have been only handcuffed and detained then it certainly wouldn't have created so much furore in India. Strip search to a female diplomat from our subcontinent was bound to attack ire of masses. In the end I would say India went soft on US as GOI could have detained expelled US diplomat ( for undermining Indian law since he abetted that maid's husband to illegaly flee out of India.

 

[Yeti]

I think India needs to expand ties with the developing world and countries in Latin America and Africa more, the last NAM summit was in Iran which was a important show for India that it is always been non-allied in many ways when it comes to its foreign policy. This is not the first time the US has done this but in the past they have frisked actors even our former president! so this time around we were not going to just let them get away with this continued abuse of our people.

 

[faithfulguy]

I will consider as gains rather than cost.
Now, not only US but the whole world knows that india can not be pushed around like a third world country.
Its India rising.

In this case, its India that is pushing others around. India created diplomatic immunity for her that she didn't have at the onset of the incident. She was a criminal and should be charged as such. However, American president was weak so she got away.

 

[shuntmaster]

Allies means slaves in US dictionary..

Who is the designated Major Non-NATO Allay (MuNNA) of US in the subcontinent?

 

[my2cents]

India had to go the full hog and throw its weight behind DK or else it would have set a bad precedent. The maid if she was wronged should have approached Indian authorities or the Indian high commission in the US but she preferred to run to the US authorities and their NGO and their lawyers. Her family in India schemed against India taking support of a US consulate officer and clandestinely ran from India. It would have played out differently if her husband had approached Indian authorities.

I read that the maid Richards was disappointed that DK left for India and that the maid wanted DK to face up to the US courts...what about the case against the maid in the Indian courts? why doesn't she want to face up to that? for her the US authorities and the US court is more important than India's justice system. This is the precise reason why India went all out to bring back Kobragade.



The "maid" ran to the US lawyers, NGO and their court, if she had approached Indian authorities than there would be sympathy for her. By all indications her statements against the diplomat are false and trumped up and we have no reason to trust her bull crap because she did not come to our courts.

Well the maid is defending her rights under US labor laws. So, why would she approach Indian consulate?

 

[Manvantaratruti]

Her career is finished. She will never work in any major country again because her credentials have been damaged beyond repair.

Wrong. She did everything as directed by the MEA. That includes 'visa fraud'.

She can and probably would work in may other nations including the UN.

She is not Modi for her career to be damaged by mere charges. Those have to be PROVED. No one's career gets damaged by mere Allegations.

In this case, its India that is pushing others around. India created diplomatic immunity for her that she didn't have at the onset of the incident. She was a criminal and should be charged as such. However, American president was weak so she got away.

LOL. Reality is US was weak so she walked away.

 

[Indo-guy]

I don't see how India Politically defeat the US.

The problem is not that she is a diplomat but she is arrested with diplomatic immunity and the US had not issue an apology.

Indian member from the get go say her treatment is inappropriate with her status. Not whether she was arrested with or without a reason

I would consider an Indian political victory if US even quasi apologise for it. But this is not the case

In the end, the whole episode only show US authority can do whatever to whoever in their country, without apologising for it, they can strip search a diplomat and get away with it as long as they were released in the end

Can you really claim this is a diplomatic victory now that US released and deported her?

India expelled American diplomat ...and US could do nothing besides express regrets ...that's the point .India had last sya in this episode

US despite all its grandstanding of moral high ground had to give importance to bilateral relations with India ...

Ultimately US took beating by accepting inglorious expulsion of its diplomat by India in retaliation ...!!!

Well the maid is defending her rights under US labor laws. So, why would she approach Indian consulate?

she was on Indian official passport ...besides being an Indian citizen she had obligation to inform Indian authorities which in this case was Indian consul....If indeed she was interested in justice for her ....but nopes she wanted to exploit the legal loophole and US laws to get to stay in US that's why she bypassed Indian consul and approached American authority ...

This was very calculated move by her ...

 

[Beidou2020]

Allies means slaves in US dictionary..

This.

 

[Indo-guy]

In this case, its India that is pushing others around. India created diplomatic immunity for her that she didn't have at the onset of the incident. She was a criminal and should be charged as such. However, American president was weak so she got away.

American president is not just weak ...he is also hypocrite ! that's why Diplomat was accorded immunity ...

US state department have maintained tactical silence about immunity Devyani had at the time of her arrest by virtue of her accredition to UN as advisor ....US States spokes person just said that it is under evaluation after several questions ...

US is not the country which will accept its faults ....It was very clear that Devyani had immunity even at the time of arrest and that's why US ultimately was forced to grant immunity to her ...Or else India would have dragged the matter ...and it would have been bog loss of face to US if it would have been proved that Devyani had immunity even at the time of her arrest ...

US states department and its spokes person are nothing but bunch of liars and hypocrites ...

Go and listen their explanations as to why Guantanamo bay has not been closed yet despite promised by Obama !!!