Take Away-3: Ambani Vs Aam Admi and Devyani Khobragade Vs Aam Aurat and dollar deal as common thread.

In Part 1&2 of this story which appeared recently in this column, I tried to demystify corruption in India by showing as to how unfair “dollar payments” is a common thread with Jail,bail and FIR in two cases involving Mukesh Ambani-Deyani Khobragade.

Reality Check :

My son who is preparing for his class 8^th.exam wanted me to explain `Equality & Justice` wherein it was difficult to make the term simple and realistic.What adds to the collective shame is the compulsion/ the evil tradition to adopt compromising corrupt solutions. Just like our politicians, our investors and diplomats also live in a parallel bubble world with VIP privileges and birth rights. India has four sets of citizens – Devyani Khobragade vs Sangeeta Richard-a babysitter and Mukesh Ambani vs Common Man, the latter India representing 80% of  Indians. 

Aam Admi tolerates getting cheated as his pocket shrinks each day. Every persons is looking for safe protection from unfair treatment. However, in above story one party is being blamed for taking a courageous stand to speak up while the other has been turned by media-politician nexus into a  heroine/hero, whose honour gets tied up with India’s honour. The story of Ambani brothers displays crony capitalism.Here the weak Government is being commanded by getting its ministers transferred or removed at ease like a game of `musical chairs`. 

The Devyani VIP Saga

Story is new no more.It unfolds with Sangeeta Richard, the Indian national who was employed by Deyyani Khobragade in America as a babysitter and housekeeper between November 2012 and June 2013.

The `diplomat` Devyani did not pay legal wages, submitted false documents and then tried to blackmail the victim’s family by filing a case in the Delhi High Court. If Sangeeta Richard “stole” money and a phone in US  as the Indian embassy press release says, then a police case ought to have been filed in New York and not in Delhi, a city where Ms. Khobragade has connections and influence.

In New Delhi, Deyani lobbied and misused her post and succeeded in filing an IPC Section 420 “cheating” complaint with the police on July 2^nd.-2013, then an FIR on July 5 saying Sangeeta is paid Rs.30000/- This was done to anticipating a response to issue an injunction from Delhi High Court blocking Ms. Richard from initiating legal action against the diplomat on U.S. soil.Devyani also committed a moral blunder by paying Sangeeta less than Rs.25000+5000 overtime, what she promised to pay her verbally. This is precisely what officially the case is all about as `unconfirmed` sources say babysitter Sangeeta was paid only Rs.20,000/- where the written contract as per US law is 4500 usd. 

Devyani Khobragade was picked up in US from outside her daughter’s school for not paying Ms. Richard the legal minimum wage. She was humiliatingly handcuffed and strip-searched (women police) — a violation of the Vienna Convention, which lays down the guidelines for how `diplomats` should be treated. Records later point out that she was a consulate worker and was not a diplomat.

System of protecting lies and more lies :

While India has correctly objected to the treatment of its `diplomat`, it needs to address the fact that she broke the law of the host country she was posted. How much is the salary for `diplomat` can be easily seen via Bank transactions of every Indian consulate and diplomat. This means US government knew in advance the pitfalls controlling the case.

Every Indian diplomat abroad continues to tell the same lie, because none of them can afford to pay the local minimum wage when their own pay, even with the foreign allowance, is barely more than that. The victim and her family are still hiding in fear of retaliation.

Many Indians are working overtime today to expose the Ambani brothers loot behind the discussed gas robbery challenge and Delhi electricity bills. VIP protection continues to damage the `pocket` and the modest survival of a common man.

At the airport or via media awareness can easily spread. It is also the fault of host countries Immigration rules as to why they fail in filtering overseas employees and keep their eyes closed till the whistle blower forcefully appears to spill the beans.Ambassadors and High Commissioners even if honest are found turning their head elsewhere as everyone knows the porous methodology the Indian investors and companies engage in. 

Making Devyani-Sangeeta equation simple: We see both as wives, daughters and caring mothers. Both are concerned about their families. While the government-media nexus is seen expressing concern about the trauma of only one woman, there is only anger against the other. One is Aam aurut, while the other is a well-placed government official and a millionaire.

India has an ethical stand in the world as the country that won Independence from British colonialism through non-violence. Mahatma demonstrated to the world that the means are as important as the end. We can only do so if we stand up for the “weak” and not just for the mighty and the powerful.

Take Away-2: Ambani Vs Aam Admi and Devyani Khobragade Vs Aam Aurat.

In Part-1 of this article links were seen as to how Jail-Bail-re-indictment of Devyani Khobragade has unfair dollar payments.

Second link was the FIR on Mukesh Ambani for the KG Basin gas dollar payments-at the cost of hidden profit which is a media blackout.

In Mukesh Ambani`s gas scam all political parties except the left and AAP are silent and hiding from any uncomfortable questions. Sample the only media hush hush report you may find is on recent court proceedings:

Hearing of two PILs seeking the junking of the government decision to increase the gas price from $4.2 mmbtu to $8.4 mmbtu is in slow progress.This includes NGO Common Cause seeking an SIT/CBI probe into the increase of gas prices, gifting tax benefits and not insisting on the relinquishment of gas blocks in KG Basin by Reliance Industries.

Why another Indian company is used to export gas to Bangladesh at a favourable 2.34 dollars per unit ?

Dollar Payment against Constitutional Norms :

When all Indian gas produced is used in India and almost all major inputs including Human capital and experts are `desi`-indigenous then why India is gifting away payments in dollar to Reliance in KG Basin `ghotalla` ? 

Will any other Swadeshi gas producer in India get such VIP protection ? 

Imagine hiring of a plumber asked to transfer and monitor water from a ground level tank to the higher floor tank by a flat owner for 17 years.

Will the flat owner allow the plumber to breach the contract, corrupt the managers and then start charging water as per the market rate whereas the water ownership belongs never to the plumber ?

In reliance case the ownership of oil wells belongs to India and Indian people wherein the skill, technique and labour risk belongs to Reliance. 

Devyani Arrest warrant in US reads :

“Khobragade’s decision to manufacture a fraudulent employment agreement that complied with the requirements of US laws demonstrated clearly her knowledge of the applicable legal requirements.”

“Because it was created by Khobragade solely to deceive the US embassy during the victim’s (visa) interview,” the employment contract “included false statements” that made it seem as if the diplomat’s arrangement with the “victim would comply with applicable US laws”.

Government does not wake up on stories of double standards and poor service to overseas Indians which is the core issue for millions. If there is a group of forty Indians in Zimbabwe who are there without their families and they want to have a `desi` Indian cook then the Diplomacy suggests to declare a false contract not as cook but as a factory technician which gets rejected.

Why should immunity be not given in such cases to millions of Aam (common) immigrants who are send overseas on false promises. Mrs.Pratibha Patil ex- President in her lavish aprox.213 crores visit to Europe countries took 61 persons with her with 8 skilled cooks. When few Indian investors in Africa request for cook visa permit the Indian embassy with double standard fails to protect the human rights.

Should Ministry of External Affairs tell why under Indian immigration law fails to stop companies in exporting employees without written contract which is illegal? 

Can MEA share how many co. they have caught & penalized & generated punishment revenue to stop this inhuman trafficking ? 

Standing by the weak or safeguarding business of a strong ?

It is high time that the Indian government declares the code of conduct of investors and workers. Patriotism is not just about standing by the rich and powerful but about standing by Gandhi’s “last” (the poorest and weakest) individual or Ambedkar’s Dalit (oppressed) person.

Parliament Noises :BJP leader Arun Jaitley asks the government to take action U.S. diplomats, Samajwadi Party’s Azam Khan offers a seat in his constituency to Ms. Khobragade and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati says that the Indian government was slow in reacting to Ms. Khobragade’s arrest because she was a Dalit, they are ignoring the very ethos of equal rights on which our nation rests.

BJP failed in the past to take action against the business companies of its ex- President Mr.Gadkari where he declared his driver, his pundit ji, and his `bakerywala` all as Directors of his company.For more details see the srticle which appeared on 28^th. Feb-2014 in this column title: Nitin Gadkari Model `insults` Honest Business Houses. 

India’s policy if really interested to include concerns of 99% workers has to be holistic to safeguard people`s needs. and not the business need and greed of few. Buck of greed does not stop abroad but while bouncing back home in Delhi we find the AAP exposing how the contract culture in MCD. Arvind Kejriwal while explaining the 18 conditions of his voters on Channels exposed the exploitation as to how millions of workers sign on monthly wage of Rs.10,000/- but in actual they receive only Rs.4000/- aaprox. per month. Extortion saga by contract system does not end on the unskilled workers and there are reports of even how doctors and nurses and signing on higher salary but receive petty deducted amount at the end of the month. 

We need to formulate a single policy that deals with the concerns of Indians indigenous and abroad and — not just of diplomats but of investors, workers, sailors, businesspersons, cooks, factory fitters, fishermen and others like babysitter. Usually the foreign country immigration refuses the common investor or worker outside. The host country usually discourages cooks and babysitter as they are easily available locally . As the global and business profile of India increases, it is only natural that more Indians find themselves in legal and diplomatic crosshairs around the world. Resolving the  concerns of majority 99% Indians send abroad on verbal commitment needs to be restored instead of demanding apology from US government.

The fundamental error in Government `Desi`- Foreign service hides a short circuit in name of a tradition or `parampara`. Core issue is an economic gap: between a servant and a diplomat and between a small company and a crony capitalist like Ambani. Indian window in shape of Indian voice needs a wake up call to protect the common man and not the privileged VIP groups for justice on Indian-foreign soil as we see in Mukesh Ambani- Devyani case.