It's not the Devyani Khobragade case that made Nancy Powell quit

The abounding speculation over the reasons for US ambassador Nancy Powell's exit is unlikely to end with her departure from Delhi. There is nothing to show that she was "removed", asked to resign or eased out by tacit agreement between New Delhi and Washington. Nor is there any evidence to claim that she "had to go" because of the Devyani Khobragade case. Talking to eminent diplomats, including retired foreign secretaries and former ambassadors to the US, what emerges is that it would be "most unkind" to conclude that Powell demitted office because she is to blame for the mess that India-US relations have become. "It is ridiculous to suggest that the Devyani incident, the UPA government's displeasure at her reaching out to Narendra Modi or meeting Modi long after other envoys had opened communication channels with him were reasons for her resignation," said one former ambassador to the US.

These retired officials, some of whom have interacted with Powell during her two years in New Delhi, say the speculation is because her resignation comes at a time when India-US relations are at their lowest since 1998. "The reasons for this have little to do with her capabilities as ambassador". The Devyani case came at a juncture when US business was building up opinion against India on various issues related to telecom, pharma, aviation, retroactive taxation, visa rules etc. This was at the level of economics and commerce. Politically, India did not figure prominently in Obama's scheme of things despite his rhetorical flourishes such as India-US ties being the 21st century's "defining partnership". Developments such as US cyber snooping, Washington's lack of response to requests for "data sharing" and the stonewalling of Indian demands to make Headley available for questioning exacerbated the strains in the relationship.

At the diplomatic level, it is beyond the capacity of any single ambassador to deal with all these at the same time. The situation was not helped with there being a new Foreign Secretary (in India), a new Assistant Secretary of State in the US and a new Indian ambassador on the threshold of taking charge. Powell's professional reputation is that of a "regional specialist" with a good part of her career being in South Asia, including as ambassador to Pakistan, which is a critical posting in the eyes of both Washington and New Delhi. All that said, and though she had no direct hand in the Devyani episode, Powell is responsible for the lack of clarity on issues arising out of the case, such as: Why did US embassy get involved to the extent of issuing visas and arranging the travel of the implicated maid's family members?

Why did the embassy underplay the incident as something minor that would blow over when it was, in fact, a major issue vitiating institutional relations as well as individual interactions? Why did Powell fail to act and ensure compliance with Indian laws by the American embassy's school and club, when charged with visa and tax fraud, false declarations and other violations, including 'profiteering'?

Doubtless, she was caught in a web, not of her making and from which she couldn't have extricated herself without the full backing of her political bosses back home. In the circumstances, Powell had every reason to feel frustrated at not being able to function to form and iron out the irritants that had left both Washington and New Delhi fuming. Washington — along with the embassy spooks (renegades or regulars) who resorted to unsavoury activities — must bear much of the blame for a frustrated Powell finding herself at a dead end. At 67, the only way out for her was to resign and retire.

The author is an independent political and foreign affairs commentator