What was defined as a strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, US-India ties seems to have suffered a major blow. On December 12th, 2013, Indian Foreign Service officer Devyani Khobragade was arrested by U.S. authorities after dropping off her children to school on charges of committing visa fraud and providing false statements in getting her maid, Sangeeta Richard, entry to the United States. The most pressing point about the charge was about the low salary she was paying her maid, a salary that below US standards. Khobragade and her supporters claim that she was sexually harassed by the American authorities and should have given diplomatic immunity. In a statement submitted by Khoragade to the Indian authorities, she mentioned that she was subjected to strip searches, cavity searches, swabbing, and repeated handcuffing. As news reached India, members of the Indian parliament refused to meet with a visiting US delegation, protesters took to the streets demanding that the government take action, and security barriers outside the American embassy in New Delhi were removed. The prime minister denounced the incident as "deplorable". On January 9th, 2014, Khoragade left by plane for India the same day she was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charges mentioned previously.
The incident exemplifies a breakdown of US-India relations, a relationship that has for the most part been a positive. While both parties are trying to put the incident behind them, it will take some time for relations to normalize. India is set to conduct general elections next month and candidates vying for the prime minister's seat are doing their best to look "tough"and stand their ground against the United States as an attempt to appeal to voters.
Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his regret over the incident. Today, the Indian government announced that they see the United States an as important economic partner and both parties have something to gain from this relationship.
The incident exemplifies a breakdown of US-India relations, a relationship that has for the most part been a positive. While both parties are trying to put the incident behind them, it will take some time for relations to normalize. India is set to conduct general elections next month and candidates vying for the prime minister's seat are doing their best to look "tough"and stand their ground against the United States as an attempt to appeal to voters.
Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his regret over the incident. Today, the Indian government announced that they see the United States an as important economic partner and both parties have something to gain from this relationship.
Another source of this cooling down is a perception on the part of the Indians that the American foreign policy institution is neglecting India. They are too pre-occupied with other parts of the world. My point is a re-iteration of a cliche but an important one: America's parabellum (or war-focused) foreign policy culture, a product of the Cold War (which is the event that really forced America to create a foreign policy in the first place) is starting to fail the United States. There is no reason that India should be anything but a friend of the United States.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you know the answer to this question, I was wondering why India unilaterally supported Russia's annexation of Crimea. Apparently India is alone in its support of Russia's move which makes it all the more bizarre.