Maid in USA

A alumni group raised a question on the subject that has been attracting much attention in India and USA - namely the maid and diplomat imbroglio. Rather than respond in detail on the group post I chose to pen down my thoughts here.

Firstly we have this tendency to confuse issues which is convenient for each of us to muddy the waters.

Lets look at the various issues involved.

1. The officer is alleged to have done certain wrongs that would attract attention from American law. How serious and enormous the crime is, is debatable and there are no right answers. 
2. OK lets say a crime in American law and from USA social attitudes has been done but there is a procedure to be followed since the person involved was a diplomat. Global conventions regarding handling diplomats is clear on this. The crime however serious was not something that could not have been handled quietly and with no smoke. Would USA have reacted similarly to other Westerns or Chinese or Russian diplomats similarly ? There have been cases involving these countries in far more serious issues and they were handled with kid gloves.
3. Whether she was treated the way she claims or not is still unclear since to my mind Preet has not as forcefully reacted to the allegation as he has to the alleged crime. While he "screamed" about her crime he "murmured" saying that her allegations were incorrect.
4. USA with retrospective diplomatic status rescued Raymond Davis after the killing in Lahore which to me is a far more serious crime but here USA is baulking and questioning the diplomatic status now conferred on her.
5. So when it comes to the way the alleged crime was handled I think USA has handled it badly and to me this is a fig leaf for something else which we dont know about. Either Preet/USA are stupid (which they are not hopefully) or there is a axe to grind or there is something else for which this action was initiated as a pressure point.

Now lets take the response of the Indian govt. 

1. For a govt that was quiet/pusillanimous over issues like beaheading of soldiers by Pakistan, intrusion into Indian territory by China, frisking/ search of the Indian ambassador to USA/ permanent rep to UN/ ex President Kalam by USA security, they have within minutes reacted so strongly that even security barricades, passes, privileges etc given to US embassy were withdrawn.  Both major political parties cancelled all meetings with a visiting US govt delegation. So much so that many senior politicians even commented that removing security was uncalled for but the govt went ahead and did it. They did everything except declare war.  
2. Apparently a huge and immediate overreaction to what is a crime but not not a earthshaking one. Also she isnt highly  influential but or some first family kind of lady to merit this kind of support. 
3. Either the Indian govt is stupid (which they can be but that's unlikely) or there is again something that we dont know.

To me I believe that there are wheels within wheels and what we are seeing is a symptom of raging fever and pain and screaming but the REAL causes lies elsewhere which we may never know. The original incident and the reaction may not even be connected for real except logically as viewed.

The next issue which is more intriguing is that AFTER the Indian govt revoked the passport of the maid and her family, 2 days before the diplomat was arrested the USA govt spirited away the maid and her entire family to USA. Wow that is amazing isnt it ? When did the USA become so concerned about maids in India that they spirit away whole families even without a passport (Must have used secret service agents). Is she so important ???? If so hey folks in USA can I abuse my maid and ask her to complain to Preet so the USA govt airlifts her to USA on SOS basis ????? She would love to shift to USA I am sure. 

And on a lighter note if as per USA laws and Preet the maid should have been paid 4500 $ per month, then you know what ? even I as a engineer, MBA with 28 years global experience dont earn that kind of money...Preet when are you sending agents to shift me to USA ??? I am being exploited here !!!!!!!!  

This unfortunately has neither been debated nor answered with conviction by anyone on either side since it can well open a can of worms.

The other issue is the treatment of maids etc in India. Helloooooo, when USA outsourced jobs to China, India, Bangladesh etc they didnt do it because they loved us. They did it because the labor rate was low. I have handled millions of dollars of deals with such corporations where when I quoted 5 $ per hour for labour I used to be told that even 2 $ was high. I am talking of semi skilled labor here not maids. Lets do the math - even at 5 $ it comes to 1240 $ per month of 31 days. I never got more than 2 $ in any job we did but mostly got 1.50 $ per hour.

It is nobodys case that many maids and such workers are not treated well and exploited in India and that this is just not acceptable. Lets go take a peek into our own houses, our parents and families who live in India and make a check on what they pay the maid. Each NRI will be emailing Preet to arrest their family and the USA govt will have to charter jumbo dreamliners to help shift these maids.

What we can do to change this situation in India is a different subject and one that merits attention and demands focus. But for USA to use that as a argument in this case is a bit thick to me.

That Indian politicians in general are corrupt, that most in India enjoy the trappings of power, influence and that justice is unable to catch them is old hat. That the powerful demand special privileges is also old hat. That in USA the law treats all the same is also well known.  But to use that as a argument in this case is silly because if Preet were to be so concerned then he has at least 1 billion+ people who want to move to USA since the number of those who wield influence is only in thousands who can stay back in India. So can I apply for a green card or whatever immediately ???

So I come back to my original contention that there is something else brewing which is causing this and this is a side show happening.

Having said this, let me share what some prominent people here are saying.

The week before this incident the USA courts served summons on Sonia Gandhi and that irked the Indian govt.

The maids inlaws, family etc (who incidentally are christians which may also have some factor who knows) have all been khandani servants with USA diplomats in India. They are apparently career servants in USA/India diplomatic circles. Apparently this was some spy ring (where of course the claim is that CIA ran it) which was likely to blow up but was not being handled as a spy case to avoid embarrassment. But the USA panicked and overreacted but just did not expect that India would also react so swiftly and so strongly. Apparently a major screw up and ill advised action all around. 

In short shit hitting the fan and now its the time to clean up and well the VIP's on both sides need to do the cleaning up, no maids can do this job.