A month after Indian consular officer/diplomat Devyani Khobragade was arrested on visa fraud charges on the application of her domestic servant and subjected to strip search, India will return the favor, or not (hopefully!)
The predominant charge against Devyani was that of Visa fraud where she declared the salary for her maid as $4500 (her compensation was $4200/month) and the maid was paid less than the New York state minimum wages.
New York Times is now reporting a significant visa 'fraud' by American citizens who are teachers in the American Embassy School run in New Delhi:
The female spouse should not state that she will be working,” the handout states, instructing spouses to list their occupation on visa applications as “housewife,” adding that “no sexism is intended on our part.
The handout notes that India has placed restrictions on the number of tax-free visas available to school employees. “So, if you are a teaching couple,” the handout says, “we usually have the male spouse apply for the ‘employment’ visa and the female spouse be noted as ‘housewife’ on the visa application.”
In addition
Syed Akbaruddin, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said the visa instructions listed on the teachers’ handout were “clearly a violation of tax law.”
So, i have this question for Kossacks -
Should the Indian government raid the school and arrest the 16 teachers in New Delhi (and more in the other 2 branches in Mumbai & Chennai) who have committed visa fraud, conduct strip search (as part of the 'standard operating procedure') and deport them? (
I don't recommend that approach at all. Mine was a rhetorical question.)
The sooner America steps of its 'moral high grounds' and apologizes to India for the strip search (but not for the charges), the faster the relationship will heal. News coverage from India and UK is painting the picture of a vigilante US embassy officer orchestrating the indictment, arrest and the evacuation of the maid's family. The earlier America accepts the reality and turns the page, the better.
I am sure that there are a lot of folks who disagree with me. What did i get wrong here?