The Telegraph reported earlier this morning of charges against India's consul general in New York and his family of having treated their former maid "like a slave, paying her $300 a month, confiscating her passport and sexually harassing her".
(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/8593427/Indian-diplomat-treated-maid-like-a-slave.html)
How socio-political leanings and awareness change! At the age of fourteen or so, I would (probably) have automatically assumed that a honest, hard-working diplomat is being cozened out of his money by a scheming, vulgar domestic servant. Now, I find it altogether plausible that this bureaucrat has abused a defenseless, poor lady.
Irrespective of the facts of the case (i.e. of the so-called ultimate truth), it is unacceptable what his lawyer states:
"This fraudster of a woman, seeing dollar signs, has hit on a 'get rich quick' scheme after a year and a half of illegally staying and working in New York" -- attorney Ravi Batra.
Fraudster? And how do you know that? Because your client told you so? Given that the charge is that of slavery, and of contempt for human dignity, what does it matter whether she was illegally staying in the USA? Perhaps she was also illegally selling fake Ray-Bans in alleys? Perhaps also guilty of drinking alcohol in public in Texas. Perhaps also of Blasphemy. How is any of that relevant to this case?
The sooner Indian bureaucrats, and those of other developing countries as well as the rest of the powerful elite, realize that they are not beyond the reach of the law, the better it is for us all. Not just a large army, nuclear weapons or astounding GDP growth, but also human rights, equality before law, due process and the dignity of the individual.
The official reaction of the External Affairs Ministry of the Government of India (http://meaindia.nic.in/mystart.php?id=190017768):
"We are disappointed and surprised at the allegations against Consul General (CG) of India in New York, Mr. Prabhu Dayal, by his former employee, which appear to be motivated and baseless."
Motivated and baseless? How do you know that, how could you possibly know that? Good thing they chucked in the word "appear" there, so as to let them off the hook. How dare they suggest that an Indian citizen, especially one in a vulnerable position, who has allegedly undergone very shabby treatment, is in it for the money, without having listened to her? How dare they side – automatically – with their protégé, one who has access to the power structure and (one assumes, given that he belongs to the maid-hiring class and is a top civil-servant) personal wealth?
The statement, dated from yesterday, the 22 Jun 2011, continues:
"Mr. Prabhu Dayal is a senior diplomat of impeccable personal and professional integrity. We are disappointed and deeply concerned that Indian diplomats and their family members, should be targetted (sic) in such a manner in a friendly country like USA."
What does the friendliness of the US have to do with this? The man is accused of playing with the human rights and dignity of a woman – how is he being targeted? One can be accused of a crime – this is how the justice system functions, even in the most liberal and free of countries. Even, come to think of it, in India.
It is, of course, possible that the victim in this case is lying and driven by lucre or a desire for personal revenge, but we must allow the voices of the underprivileged to be heard. We cannot accept that they be dismissed out-of-hand.
