Adarsh Housing Scandal
The US should never have let things get this far and the initial error lies with the US. But this episode highlights how poorly the diplomatic services of both countries perform, at times.
Opinion is not a monolith within either the Indian or American community, and, as yet, I have see no comprehensive surveys of opinion outside of journalists or elite circles.
This diplomat was involved in a scandal involving flats in Mumbai that were intended for Kargil war widows and the like. It became a scandal in India when the flats went instead to connected high level ex-military and Indian government officials.
There is plenty of commentary in the Indian papers about how this official finally got caught out for behavior.
The three main opinions (based on comments to articles in Indian papers) include:
1. She got what she deserved and good for the Americans. Why does India appoint such unqualified people to diplomatic posts? No wonder the Indians get the run around.
2. The Americans are arrogant jerks and they have a habit of treating Indian officials badly, while feting others, including Pakistani officials with dubious histories.
3. She should be tried in India, not the U.S. She is a problem, but our problem.
Bill, what you are seeing is various fault lines within the Indian society and Indians abroad being displayed. India is a complicated place. There are many families with an Indian-American connection (whether in India or the US) that have a buried skeleton in the closet of being scammed for money or marriage matters. The worst stuff is said behind closed doors both in India and the US, and then, once in a while, it gets out to the public. Everyone here has a point because it's a complicated situation.
This "all of India is angry" really refers to the subset of people bothering to pay attention. That this includes officials is an issue but it's a hiccup.
It's good that this happened in one way; we both can have more realistic ideas about one another.
No one looks particular good in this matter.
The anger against the corrupt "babu" Indian class is real and at least some of the election year drama against this stuff is fear of what the Indian public might do to the comfortable life of its more connected officials.
Which doesn't make the US behavior correct. For diplomacy's sake, this should have been handled a different way.
By the way, Preet Bahara is an ambitious guy who has prosecuted lots of high profile cases. This is a better lens than the Brahama Chelleny or MK Bhadrakumar line of "more American than American" that Ray has brought up.
That is dated. The Indian community in the US is pretty comfortable in its skin. It doesn't need to prove anything to anyone, in general. (Naturally a generalization but none of the commentary is based on hard evidence, really, in terms of what general opinion is.
Khobragade is married to a well-to-do Indian American, a wine expert and academic with a good job. The maid apparently has parents that work for someone in the US Embassy in Dehli, I've read (but not sure).
The comments about the diplomat in the Indian papers by commenters is scathing.
You can search for blogs about so-called Indian babus to see this side of the commentary.
All sides are valid here because it is not straightforward on first blush and so many have behaved badly.
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