Chandigarh 18 : A large number of youth and other activists gathered today at the Students Centre of Panjab University, Chandigarh under the banner of Lok Awaaz, constituted of various oganisations, to protest against the humiliation of India’s Deputy Consul General Devyani Khobragade who was not only arrested and handcuffed in public view on the alleged visa fraud charges but also put through strip and cavity searches in the police station at New York, a procedure normally used for criminals.
Reports have also claimed that Devyani was kept in a lockup with common criminals and drug addicts, and all this was done by the US government in the name of following law of the land. Addressing the gathering Inder Singh of All India Save Education Committee said that the action of American government smacks of not only arrogance but also racial mentality.
“If the similar flaw would have been found with any European diplomat, would US still have acted in the same fashion”, asked Inder Singh. Prof. Manjit Singh, convener Lok Awaaz appreciated the action taken of the Indian government by refusing to meet American government officials on the pre-scheduled meetings. He said that till the people responsible for disrespecting an Indian woman diplomat publically apologize their misdeed, Indian government should not entertain any obligation towards the American staff of the consulate at Delhi. Sh P.L. Garg, former registrar, Baba Farid University, condemned the act of cavity searching of the government of USA whereby Devyani was put to severe humiliation. What strip or cavity searching has to do with the alleged Visa fraud, asked Mr Garg.
“It was a clear act of heaping insult on Indian culture and letting down India” he added. Arishdeep of Students for Society condemned the arrogance of American administration and demanded that Indian government should make Americans accountable for their high headedness. H.S. Nagra advocate of Punjab and Haryana Hight Court said that it is blatant violation of Vienna convention. Loveneet Thakur of Students Federation of India, speaking at the rally said that USA has a long history of human rights violation and it is simply a new addition to the same.
People of India should rise to the occasion and rebut the insulting and obdurate attitude of the American government. Speaker after speaker, while condemning the attack on the dignity of a diplomat woman, demanded that nothing short of public apology by the concerned American official should be acceptable to the government of India.