firstpost | The situation as it
stands now is a mere stalemate - and totally unsatisfactory from an
Indian point of view.There is clearly more we need to do to set Indo-US
relations on a foundation of respect and reciprocity. We cannot let the
matter rest here and there are lessons to learn from it.
First, we have to go after every US diplomat who breaks our laws with
the same diligence the US does even after Khobragade is back. We have to
get them booked and brought to court, though we can spare them the
"cavity searches." It does not matter if the offences relate to traffic
violations or underpayment of Indian staff. If we do not have a US
citizen facing arrest here, we cannot have a bargaining chip to get the
charges against Khobragade dropped.
Second, the measures taken against US embassy staff and others -
withdrawal of liquor permits, removal of the road barriers outside the
Delhi embassy, etc - should remain. These were unilateral benefits we
gave without any need to do so. The US does not give us any such
concessions on its territory. Nor should we. Unlike what US commentators
have said, this is not about compromising security since the vigil has
actually been enhanced after the removal of barriers.
Third, we have to now develop our own capabilities to track US spies
operating in India under the guise of diplomacy. In Pakistan, the CIA
and other US spies are tracked and checked at every point. They are
watched all the time. While it is true that they (the Pakistanis) have
much to hide (their terror outfits, etc), if we do not do the same it
will give us no leverage. The reason why the US will not help us bring
David Coleman Headley to justice for his role in 26/11 is because he was
a double-agent - he spied for the US and helped the jihadis. This is
the price we pay for harbouring a naïve belief that US spies operating
in India have nothing but our best interests at heart. We cannot be so
foolish.
Four, we have to ensure that the Richard family - which was spirited
away from India under the plea that Khobragade was indulging in human
trafficking and her family was under threat here - continue to face
trial in Indian courts. If they can keep Khobragade away from her US
husband, we should ensure that the Richards can never return here -
unless it is to face justice.
Five, the special entry and freedom from frisking that we offer US officials should be withdrawn. And remain so, unless there is complete reciprocity.
Five, the special entry and freedom from frisking that we offer US officials should be withdrawn. And remain so, unless there is complete reciprocity.
2 comments:
That was some weak shit. "She was well taken care of by Indian standards." "We have to vet their spies." Seriously, you know the US government's response.
http://youtu.be/lPFlxN5InK0
Off-topic but I thought you might appreciate this bit of ingenuity.
[Because most of Awojobi's devices don't need electricity, the hospital doesn't have to rely on the town's unpredictable electrical grid or spend a lot of money running diesel generators when power is down. That keeps care at the hospital affordable to the farmers who make up its clientele. Delivering a baby costs $30. And Dr. Awojobi says there is another advantage to designing his own equipment. “Because I make it, I will know how to mend it,” he explains. “I don't have to depend upon anybody else.”
But he has been frustrated that only a handful of other hospitals have adopted his devices. To explain the resistance he has encountered from the medical community, Awojobi points to a quote from the Renaissance philosopher Niccolo Macchiavelli. He keeps it framed on his wall.
“There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things,” it reads.]
http://bit.ly/1kvQeCB
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