Last week, when our dear newspapers and twitter folks, Indian and global alike, raged on over the scandal involving a diplomat of Saudi Arabia posted in India, many a naive souls would have thought: ' This is the last straw! All the values of democracy are at stake! Human rights so horribly violated, terrible crime committed, by the very person who was expected to behave as an example of solidarity of nations for the cause of global peace and wellbeing?! No, we are not taking it anymore.This is the end. We are going to see a major revision in Vienna Convention or such stupid treaties on 'Diplomatic Immunity' very soon. We can not just let rapists and murderers go on committing, well, rape,murders and other horrible things....'
Here is Ms. Naive Person, in conversation with Mr.Saudi,Mr.America and Mr.India. Of course, all characters are imaginary. All the usual disclaimers apply.
(Mr. Saudi, the self-assured, rich and powerful gentleman, basking in sun, heard Ms. Naive rambling on about Mr.#SaudiDiplomat)
Mr. Saudi : Hey,stop that crap, okay? Our diplomat is dragged into this mess by those lying women and the ignorant Indian police. It is all false. Nothing is proven. And how dare India, disrespecting our diplomat, disrespecting us, by violating into our diplomat's residence? How come they forget all about Diplomatic Immunity?
Ms. Naive: But sir, if some reliable source, ( Nepali Embassy?) alerted police about a grievous crime being committed under their nose, shouldn't they act on it? If they didn't raid the diplomat's residence, how could they have find and rescue the victims? How else could they have done their duty? There were two other earlier instances,I believe, in two different countries, involving victims of two totally different countries, where two other ( There can be more, I dunno) diplomats of the same Saudi Arabia committed similar-
Mr.Saudi: Stop! I just told you it is all fabrication and lies. Women are generally wile, it is known. About police procedures and things... Don't ask me such technical questions. Mr.America has covered all those issues well in Vienna convention. And don't ask me what is that!
Ms. Naive Person: All right,Sir. ( And turns to Mr. America)
Mr.America, if you are obliging, will you tell us how come this Vienna convention protects criminals?
Mr.America: Let me correct you. It doesn't protect criminals.--( Ms. Naive is very hopeful now...) It protects our diplomats.
Ms.Naive: 'Your' diplomats, is it, sir? Forgive me,sir,but, is that how you rescued a Raymond Davis from Pakistan, who wasn't even a diplomat? He killed two men and you got him back! And our poor diplomat, Devyani Khobragade! When her maid filed a case against her, you arrested our diplomat, insulted her and held her in a prison cell! Then you told us she didn't have full immunity becoz she was a consular staff, not an embassy staff at the time.
Mr.America: Consular staff have limited immunity, and are not immune from arrest in case of grave crimes. And please do not start on Davis again. Just get some lessons on international lessons. Coming to your outburst about 'You got him back!', well, you got your Devayani back, too. Didn't you?
Also, three years ago, when one of your diplomat in UK, Mr. Anil Verma, was booked for assaulting his wife, you got him back too, hale and hearty, still in service, I believe. Come on,my dear lady, do not be so naive.
Ms. Naive: Oh... But do you think that just because Indian diplomats too have gotten away with crimes in foreign countries we should just forget all about this? I had thought we all believe in equality, justice and democracy!
Mr.America: ( Amused) Go ask Mr. India what he thinks of it.
Mr. India: India is the largest, greatest and best democracy in the world, and has a age old culture of equality, and we have always stood up to justice for all people, and blah blah blah... We will never hang our head in front of anyone.We will bring justice to those poor women. We will never stop until we get the guilty punished. In the meanwhile, for our prosperity and growth, we want our oil too. All for greater good.
Ms. Naive: But murders, rapes and slavery... yes, those big people are right. I am too ignorant to think about such big issues. I need to get some lessons on those stuff before I can allow myself to think it all unfair. Common sense is just not enough!
Just as Ms. Naive started back towards her own simple life, letting big people deal with the complex matters between them an image flashed across her mind : Of Mr.#SaudiDiplomat, hale and hearty, rich and powerful, happy and at home, in his grand apartment of his home country, wondering where will be he posted next, and how soon he could arrange for maids to aid his Diplomatic Family there.
'For greater good?' She asked herself.The,she shook her head, disgusted.
That's my take on diplomatic immunity(with apologies for my ignorance)... What is yours?
Update: Looks like yesterday's editorial of The Hindu agrees with Ms.Naive! And they say that Mr.#SaudiDiplomat had actually had a name. That is: Majed Hassan Asoor - Jijnasa, on 20.9.15
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