If I were in aamchi Devyani Khobragade’s stilettos…

If I were in aamchi Devyani Khobragade’s stilettos…
This is going to sound disgustingly parochial, but I am going ahead and saying it regardless: chatting with Devyani Khobragade (yup, same one), offers a big bonus - we converse in Marathi - her mother tongue, and mine. Devyani’s Marathi is far, far superior, but we manage. After Ms Khobragade broke her long silence (December 13 marks a year of our diplomat’s disgrace in America), and gave an exclusive interview to Times Now, her life has once again been turned upside down.

This time, her critics are pouncing on her for being an “elitist brute” as she amusingly described it to Megha, her earnest interviewer. That reference made me wonder how different an elitist brute is from a garden variety specimen. Does this special category of brute suffer less or more? Are there special privileges attached to posh brutes? Were the US marshals who picked up Devyani from outside the school gates (when she went to drop off her kids), handcuffed and marched off the petite lady for a ‘cavity search’ aware of how ‘elite’ she was? Or is this the treatment that is reserved for ‘brutes’ from India, accused of committing crimes against absconding domestic help?

Going by Devyani’s candid account of what she endured and continues to battle nearly a year later (she faces arrest if she returns to America), this is a strange case indeed. By speaking up on television, Devyani now has to deal with an additional problem from her ministry (MEA) involving conduct rules.

Despite the fact she was treated like a federal criminal in America, that she still stands indicted, and there is a criminal case pending against her, which remains unresolved. So, what was Devyani supposed to do while crucial decisions remain in cold storage? As of now, she is cooling her heels in Delhi, waiting for Modi’s government to take more interest in the case. That explains the timing of her interview.

She is aware she won’t get another foreign posting till this messy business is sorted out. She could be kept on ice for the next five years, doing very little real work. If she opts out of the service, she could get into politics, like her father. Or, she could dig in her heels and demand justice. Her anguish, anxiety and frustration were pretty evident during the interview, even as she tried hard to coolly stick to a prepared narrative about her ordeal.

Her two daughters are back in India with her while her husband shuttles between America and India. The stand-off continues between the two governments, and perhaps Devyani is rightfully concerned her case will soon be relegated to the back burner, now that the love affair between our two great democracies is on, post- Madison Square Garden.

But is the case as simple as it appears?

The answer to that is obvious: This was not about an Indian diplomat underpaying a nanny, at all. It may not even be about ambitious Preet Bharara seeking instant headlines by going after a fellow desi. In the dark and secretive world of international diplomacy, many mysterious factors come into play. Devyani could well have been caught in a complex situation that went out of control. How do you think espionage thrillers get written? If that is true, Devyani’s troubles are not likely to end any time soon.

What would I have done in her place? Kept mum? Or gone public? Tough call. I would have raised hell, provided I was in the right. Is she? Devyani has gone public and is dealing with the consequences of her decision. She is being massacred on social media platforms, while living with uncertainty about her future.

Will the MEA take action against this bright and beautiful diplomat? She insists she has not broken a single conduct rule, one of which specifies a person in her position cannot indulge in “adverse criticism of any current or recent policy or action of the central or state government.” All she wants is a resolution to ‘residual issues’. If you watched the interview, you would have noted how cleverly she avoided accusing any party of wrong doing, and went out of her way to thank her ‘countrymen and women’ for standing by her during the crisis.

Chances are, we will be seeing a lot more of this feisty diplomat in the media. She is being chased by star anchors from rival channels for a follow up interview. Devyani has dropped a bombshell. It’s possible she is a lady who knows too much. Will the Modi government ‘do the needful’? Ms Khobragade is certainly hoping Modi and Obama will go beyond ‘Kem Chho?’ with this one. For, in her case, the answer to that greeting is definitely not “Majama!”

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's own. The opinions and facts expressed here do not reflect the views of Mirror and Mirror does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.