Who is Victim In Davyani Episode?

A Hysterical Media

Indian media behaved like third-grade soap on the tube whipping up victimhood frenzy. Clearly a law was broken and the host country had every reason to act. When a person signs two agreements clearly the intent is to break the law therefore Devyani Khobragade broke law of a host nation. The media did nothing to highlight this aspect of the incidence, all the time pointing out how nice Ms Devyani’s track record is blah blah….   Contrast this with Tarun Tejpal case, when he himself offered to repent by offering to stay away from job for six month this same media and rightly so, went to town shouting hoarse, 'repenting isn’t substitute for punishment by law.'

A Shameful government

It appears that this dubious double agreement practice was in full knowledge of the Indian government and been in practice for a long time. So the government of India had been a party willy-nilly allowing breaking of law of a host country. If this government thinks its diplomats need maids then it should raise salary of its diplomats else let them fend for themselves like diplomats of other countries. There is absolutely no justification for the Indian government to play coy and pontificate.

Rambo law Enforcement

American law enforcement is truly barbaric. Nobody is buying the argument that standard procedures were applied in her case. If no common sense is to be applied then why do we have human officers, we may as well leave the standard procedure to Robots. It is just not possible that these same procedures would have been followed if the case involved a European Union diplomat or even a Chinese or Japanese diplomat. If the same treatment is meted out to an American diplomat in India or any third world country all hell would have been raised.

A Smug Bureaucracy

More than the government it is Indian bureaucracy that makes the government bend rules for themselves and when caught in a corner cries foul. Devyani too is victim of circumstances in the sense she merely followed a tradition her peers so brazenly practiced for a long time. But this does not absolves her from having committed a crime just that Indian government should have been put on dock

A trigger happy Counselor

Can’t blame Bharara for not missing the opportunity for grandstanding; it is human nature. But in this case everything was known before hand, like FIR in India, several notifications to US authorities regarding missing of maid etc clearly knowing the severe penalty for trafficking involved he should rather have tried for giving justice to maid rather than punish Devyani by ambushing her clandestinely whisking away maids husband and children to US etc.

If anybody should have been punished in this case, it is Indian Government.

Don Quixote in AAP

I just viewed 18 demands AAP has placed on BJP and Congress to acquiesce before they would deign to form government. I can’t but agree with the Congress and BJP that this is appalling arrogance. Somehow I get the impression that these fellows are now developing cold feet. The nitty-gritty of governance is complex where linear logic doesn’t work. Small steps first, gather some confidence and then think about making bold changes. Those well entrenched would not surrender their turf without fight so some cajoling, some stick and some innovative tricks and tact will be needed to handle the obstinate bureaucracy. The dynamics of working of society is dicey to say the least therefore idealistic stance and reality are divergent trajectories.

They should focus on limited purpose and that is the mandate they have received. Focus on smoothening administration and public interface(the cause of inefficiency and public harassment), hold public servants accountable, limit corruption to minimum and make the administration look like it is punishing offenders; if they can do this, three quarter of the battle is over. Anything beyond this will be bonus but some of the demands they put forward are sure recipe for disaster like free houses for slum dwellers (Even if they succeed in building houses they will be sold for profit the very next day), 30% reduction electricity tariff makes no sense unless theft is reduced to zero. If economic policies make no sense then there will be no investment, we have West Bengal a glaring example of turning into ghost state during Marxist rule. 

Emperor Ashok and Nelson Mandela

There are many similarities and dissimilarities between these two historical figures. Ashok was a violent man so was Mandela; while Mandela chose to be violent to gain freedom for his people, Ashok chose to be violent to satisfy his beastly ambition. Ashok gave up violence after succeeding in a brutal and bloody battle, Mandela steadfastly refused to give up violence for his personal freedom but when freedom was given to him not only voluntarily gave up violence but saved a nation from certain disaster by not being vengeful. A man incarcerated for 23 years so effortlessly shed bitterness and guided a nascent nation without rancor and with a sense of reconciliation is unimaginable greatness.