David, Goliath and the edit writers

BY Darius Nakhoonwala| IN Opinion | 20/12/2013

You don’t say!
Darius Nakhoonwala

It is always great spectator sport when David takes on Goliath, especially after Goliath has slapped David’s wrists for some misdemeanour. So yours truly was not at all surprised to see the reaction to Ms D Khobragade’s arrest. 

The Indian Foreign Service mafia, which treats ordinary Indian citizens in trouble abroad like shit, closed ranks because one of theirs had been touched. And then it proceeded to convert it into a major Indo-US crisis of 1971 dimensions when America sent the Seventh Fleet into the Bay of Bengal to show that it cared about Pakistan. 

One expects leader writers to be sensible and present both sides to the reader. But, except for The Indian Express and Business Standard (BS), which was first off the mark with its edit a week ago, others merely got up on their hind legs and brayed like demented donkeys. 

The Indian Express said it all in its strap itself: “Flag raising theatrics in the Khobragade matter speak poorly of politicians and officials in Delhi... …the political establishment is only too eager to be enticed into flag-raising theatrics in the diplomat's defence… To allow American pursuit of the rule of law on their territory to spiral into a diplomatic standoff speaks very poorly of India's foreign service and the politicians and officials in Delhi happy to play into notions of outraged national honour.” 

BS wrote, rightly, “Clearly, Indian diplomats can no longer maltreat their domestic workers in the US. The US has worker-friendly laws, and it is to India's shame if its officials are not following them. This incident cannot be allowed to cast a shadow on India-US relations, and the ministry of external affairs should end its policy of supporting the use of domestic workers for its officials abroad.” 

The Pioneer, however, let out the loudest wail after clapping gleefully at the Indian response. “It is both refreshing and pleasantly surprising that the Congress-led UPA Government should have developed some spine on an external affairs issue. The major diplomatic offensive launched by New Delhi is a fitting response to the US authorities' mistreatment of an Indian diplomat. The issue can be contained if the US expresses deep regret over its action and frees the diplomat of the flimsy allegations.” 

The Times of India tried to be balanced but didn’t quite succeed. “…US authorities would not have flouted protocol similarly if the accused had been Chinese or British. For that matter, what would US reaction have been if their diplomats had been subjected to similar treatment abroad for alleged minor transgressions of local legislation?...New Delhi must mount a calibrated and proportionate response, designed to convey its outrage and extract an apology from the US…” 

The Hindu was its waffling best. “While some of this outrage is justified and rightly seeks to establish that the international diplomatic community lives and works in a world of reciprocal terms and conditions, in the current atmosphere of nationalist fury, it is all too easy to take it too far…Never known for taking on the U.S on substantive policy issues, the government’s unusually aggressive reactions — and those of political parties too — on behalf of a diplomat, smell of political considerations ahead of an election.” 

Sometimes I wonder how many people write one edit at The Hindu. 

The Hindustan Times took its time before writing the edit and offered this pearl of wisdom.

“India suddenly reacted with a ferocity not in keeping with its normal lukewarm responses…if the Khobragade incident is a turning point, it must be welcomed.” Then it discussed the Togo-Sunil James incident! 

Its last para was “while India does not want to be unduly aggressive, it cannot be pushed around without justification.” 

The Telegraph woke up after a week. “One of the great delusions enjoyed by the United States of America is that because it is the world’s only superpower it can get away with anything it wants. Every now and then the swollen head of the US needs to be pricked to bring the superpower down to reality. The Indian government has proceeded to do exactly this…” 

Wow!