Sunday, 22 December 2013

Entrapment - A diplomat's Tale




Every Indian who flew across the globe, been on a foreign soil (often alien soil) crossing our boundaries and have got stuck and have technically relied upon a setup for a safe living or return and who all know about the importance our political and economical ties with other countries … will endorse that we rely on none other than our Indian embassy officials positioned there. They are our representatives, hope and a family away from our main land.


The latest news of an Indian diplomat Devyani being taken under judicial custody in US for violating their domestic laws on engaging a maid, providing visa and compensation is sounding ridiculous and is dominating the headlines of all Indian news media. The foreign minister is answering for talking tough actions but do not even sound as taking tough but that is taken care of by our other ministers like kamalnath, Meera Kumari and BJP even. Often the international issues which visibly float on the surface would have a serious under current and would have had deeply submerged roots too.


Diving deeply into the core of the issue with various versions heard… and the statement said to have been made by the father of the victim to the media has brought to the lime light some real issues which could have triggered this tragedy. First is the domestic help, Sangeetha Richard who is believed to be a CIA agent undercover, who has been sent as a spy bug to provide vital info to the US agencies. To support this doubt, Mother of the help is serving as a domestic help with an American intelligence official. An officer who is ranked as a Deputy should obviously posses any vital and classified info and leakage of those endangers the sovereignty of our country. And when the US agencies got annoyed failing to accomplish their missions and when the real skin of the maid have been exposed they proactively has fixed up our officer for the breach of law. Spying is an integral part and activity carried out by every nation’s foreign ministry (ours too) hence fights between intelligence and counter intelligence agencies (a bond 007 movie stuff) are inevitable.


Second is the hand cuffing of a diplomat (suspect as mentioned by US) whose identity have already been established, while she is on the way to drop her kid to school can never be accepted as a standard operating procedure (SOP) of the agents. As they were aware of the stature of the person, then the dignity with which she had to be treated falls automatically in its way which itself is an SOP for the action. Rule of any land allows the officers to handcuff those who possess an inherent threat from the detainee.  But her being a lady under humanitarian grounds and a higher cadre official representing the largest democracy being taken into custody in a way as it happens with third rated criminals of that country. Would Americans justify their deed? When they are aware that many of their ladies been offered their dignity and security here in our country... Where is that courtesy gone?


Third is that she was strip searched and was locked up with the drug traffickers. It is the sheer act of embarrassment which no Indian would ever tolerate to have happened with the ladies of their families. This act of ultimate barbarism boils our blood and makes us to feel like having been tied to watch all this to happen.

Many questions arise…

1.       Why dint the US follow the diplomatic channels before arrest?

2.       Why dint it summon and instead took everyone by surprise?

 3.       Where is the maid now and why has she been allowed to fly out?

4.       Why she is not allowed to communicate?

5.       Why the privilege of immunity to the law of the land is not offered to a diplomat?

6.       How dare they reject our plea to stand down and withdraw out rightly?

7.       Why should it reject the immunity after her being appointed the permanent UN ambassador of India?

8.       Should we react in the same manner as a tit for tat and offer an exchange or sever our ties?


Shashi Taroor an ex-diplomat, Ex-minister of state for foreign “affairs”, an evolved minister and well experienced in these issues has given us a very serious and logical input, which is the compensation paid…. It is believed that the officer of her stature is paid a salary of around 4200 US$ which is lesser to that of the minimum wages slab (15$ an hour) fixed for a US maid. Then how do we expect our so poorly paid diplomat to maintain her livelihood, status and a maid who is equitably a better paid professional by abiding to the US laws? When we dint recognize her how would others do?


But this incident makes us all think in a broader perspective too… when our Tamil fishermen are taken away, we cry for diplomats help. And also we complain for their inaction, poor initiatives, being soft handed or soft spoken. Now this incident has made all those allegations sound baseless as it has made the sky to be crystal clear that treatment of an NRI victim is indiscriminate. And we can now understand about how our diplomats would help our fisherman when they themselves are in a much endangered and uncertain environments especially in the cases of hostile neighbors, though in this case USA is notably a self-proclaimed proud ally of India.

Two main aspects of focus are: 1. Abduction – Ramayana’s core and 2.Striping- Mahabharata’s core -would tell us about how we have fought for the dignity of our women, is our legacy. And we have both the reasons to fight now...

But one thing which has to be ensured at this juncture is that we will never bent down and be oppressed, and been considered to be a weak state by any other country though it be the demigod USA.. Let’s teach the entire world a lesson show casing our strong backbone and bring our daughter home with dignity or even seat her in the highest of the order assemblies of the world to represent our self respect.


Jai Hind!!!


Saturday, 21 December 2013

“New” Delhi – A different ball game



“New” Delhi – A different ball game






For the second time in the history of the capital city, it is living by its name for being prefixed “New” and this time for not its formation but for its experimenting spirit. With the fight on for the top chair in the Metro, the instability not just in the governance but even in the formation of it is clearly evident in our present democratic format. With a pictorial representation of the older foxes waiting for their “fresher” pray to come near the trap, while the pray is just circling around the trap, holding (hiding) the tail of the commoners who created this whole lot of mess and is running the show. The results are quite alarming not just in the way electoral charts and formulas were being rewritten but also in the emergence of one segment of the population who is ready to risk with a new brand… as its has been quite appealing with its publicity campaign, promising to deliver and has sold them their demands(dreams).

It’s the value delivered which actually matters at last… which in turn is still remaining as an uncertainty and will remain so for the days (and years) to come.  With the market (vote) share not projecting an eminent leader, the fight is on not just to crawl and climb up to the throne but also to pull others to dust simultaneously. With the existing old players hoping for the entrant to make flaws so that they can capitalize on it and meanwhile the entrant is playing the card of being the “people’s face” throwing the ball thrown by the older back to the people’s court but is forgetting that the people are already very tired of this different ball game.

The irony of the situation is that the new chapter of revolution shall only be written with the support offered by the same stumbling, old (dirty) hands that wrote and profess the existing “Old Testament”.

Now the people who hoped for a change by default may change the entire scenario either by overwhelmingly enriching the catalyst or may dilute that, rethink and reverse to the older choices as the new one not clearing the pilot test with its inexperience. With LPG in our books everywhere it’s the same capitalist attitude and the strategies which are ruling the country’s politics even, as it no more remains a service but a service industry.

Adding the metaphor of “Being critical of a batsman by sitting in the gallery and commenting on his play and shot selections is quite easy and that alone never ensures that critic to be the better batsman than the one on the field. Giving the new comer (or any opposition in that matter) the chair is like giving the bat to the best of the commentators and hoping to win”. The fresher have already been recognized as ‘real good commentators’.

With the composition of the party being bud fresh, it’s highly prone to the fragility, (a fundamental in any team) and the unclear roles and responsibilities with one man (mind) leading the show reminds me of a military coup but here it’s more a “democratic coup” as I would like to name it after.

It’s the audience who is watching this glamorous “dirty picture” to decide. With the swing being highly possible either ways if they are entrusted with a re-election, the fresher now should really crush its grey matter either to swallow the power pill and die or to die throwing it off.

But for me swallowing is the better option as it leaves some room to live for a while and fight back until death as the entire country is closely watching its fate so as to accept or think of trying this unprecedented political model in the elections to come…


Jai Hind!!!

Friday, 20 December 2013

Introduction

Dear All,


With this blog i intend to share my views and opinions with that of the entire community on any social, political,economical fronts both inland and global which impacts the common livelihood of my fellow citizens. I have named it after "Red Eyes" so as to literally represent my empathy, anger, joy and  frustrations... as we go with our eyes turning red, undergoing any strong emotional tide with all the emotions stated earlier.


I expect my friends and readers to take my posts as  impersonal and act with rationale and logic making this blog a socially applauded platform to bring in the changes we aspire in and around our society..


In my words"wanna change the world??? then try and influence the way people think".


Meet you soon... Welcome you all... lets blog....


Bye...

Karthik.B