By Kawalpreet Kaur
The row is not yet over and the dust unsettled. Khobragades return brings an end to an episode which threatened to disrupt the entire spectrum of the bilateral relations between US and India. Her return brings little joy as US has refused to drop all the charges against her.
What began with the public handcuffing and humiliation faced by Ms. Devyani Khobragade during her arrest on Dec 12, on the charges of underpaying her maid and violating the visa laws, has led to a month long standoff between the two countries.
In order to give Ms. Khobragade full immunity which she didnt have as a counsel, India transferred her from Indian consulate-General in New York to its permanent mission in the UN. Her new diplomatic status being granted by the US state department to which the UN had forwarded the request, would have saved her from arrest and from appearing in court cases.
With the G1 visa in hand, Ms. Khobragate was able to get her passport back from the courts custody and a safe passage back to her country. The US government requested the Govt of India to waive the immunity of the diplomat and on 9th January India refused to do so and called her back.
Both the US secretary of state, John Kerry, and US ambassador to India, Nancy Powell, had expressed regret over circumstances that led to her arrest. The future seems bleak for Ms. Khobragate as an arrest warrant might be issued against her if she enters the US without immunity.
The INDO-US relations will take time to recover from this saga, which saw India withdrawing special privileges to US, diplomats and postponing of US energy secretary scheduled meet. US and India need to reconcile with each other and bridge the gap to mark a new stage in their friendship.
A student of psychological sciences in IP College, DU. Kawalpreet is passionate about politics. She sees herself as a politician of principles in future. A feminist, awarded debater, ardent reader and an art lover. She has written extensively in the past about social issues, women and politics for various organisations. Writing for her comes with responsibility as it shapes various opinions and is one of the advocates for honest and sincere journalism. Interested in politics, ancient history, literature, womens and social issues. She believes in leading by example and is working with various nongovernmental organisations. You can connect with her by leaving a mail at kawalpreet303@yahoo.in.