India-US Strategic News and Discussion

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 30 Jan 2014 07:16

TSJones wrote:
Per news reports, ... when DK or her lawyer (along with a few MEA/Consular people) met in person, they offered her a paid ticket to India, along with the passport. SR refused. She wanted DK's help in getting regular passport so she can stay in US..
Why would SR want to go back to India and face trumped up charges arranged by DK et al?

Precisely. This is the way to build up "assets" in any given country.

For example, if Britain wants to build up a politically active body of Indians from Kashmir they identify people with grievances and offer them for free what other people have to work very hard for. Normally an Indian who wants to migrate to the Britain would have to meet stringent requirements, but for a dissident, the act of being a dissident is enough. The same holds true if the US wants to create a body of politically active Indians in the US who can be used to express grievances against India (if the need arises). So the US will gie asylum to homosexuals and other disgruntled people virtually without getting anything in return (unlike the average hardworking Indian engineer who goes to the US). The US then builds up political and intel assets.

But its not that straightforward. there are two confounding factors which can act as spoiler
1. If India has a draconian system where US diplomats and assets are not allowed to have access to Indians - this would be difficult. India simply does not do this, so I believe this can only be changed by improving Indian internal security about how the US (or Britain) are recruiting and spiriting away dissidents to maintain a politically active Indian dissident body withing their countries

2. The second factor is a carefully built of (and decades/centuries) old reputation that the UK (or US) are the same as nirvana -and that getting there means total wealth, total freedom and total happiness. The US and the UK enjoy such a reputation in India. India on the other hand does not enjoy a similar reputation among unhappy people in the US or UK, so India finds it much more difficult to build up assets within India who can be used against the US or Britain. However this can be remedied.

Information is everything. Information is used to criticize recalcitrant and disliked nations. It has been used to build up a negative reputation of for the USSR and China. It is being used to give India a particular reputation (poverty/slavery/bigotry). The same techniques of sharing information can be used to open the eyes of blinkered Indians who are otherwise intelligent, educated and influential. They have been taught to believe that the US (and Britain) are nirvana. Opening their eyes would gradually help in exposing the reality of what is happening in the US and what actually happens to people of various colours and ethnicities who decide to stay long term in the US. In the long term this can only benefit India.

TSJones · Post by **TSJones** » 30 Jan 2014 07:39

shiv wrote: Precisely. This is the way to build up "assets" in any given country.

For example, if Britain wants to build up a politically active body of Indians from Kashmir they identify people with grievances and offer them for free what other people have to work very hard for. Normally an Indian who wants to migrate to the Britain would have to meet stringent requirements, but for a dissident, the act of being a dissident is enough. The same holds true if the US wants to create a body of politically active Indians in the US who can be used to express grievances against India (if the need arises). So the US will gie asylum to homosexuals and other disgruntled people virtually without getting anything in return (unlike the average hardworking Indian engineer who goes to the US). The US then builds up political and intel assets.

But its not that straightforward. there are two confounding factors which can act as spoiler
1. If India has a draconian system where US diplomats and assets are not allowed to have access to Indians - this would be difficult. India simply does not do this, so I believe this can only be changed by improving Indian internal security about how the US (or Britain) are recruiting and spiriting away dissidents to maintain a politically active Indian dissident body withing their countries

2. The second factor is a carefully built of (and decades/centuries) old reputation that the UK (or US) are the same as nirvana -and that getting there means total wealth, total freedom and total happiness. The US and the UK enjoy such a reputation in India. India on the other hand does not enjoy a similar reputation among unhappy people in the US or UK, so India finds it much more difficult to build up assets within India who can be used against the US or Britain. However this can be remedied.

Information is everything. Information is used to criticize recalcitrant and disliked nations. It has been used to build up a negative reputation of for the USSR and China. It is being used to give India a particular reputation (poverty/slavery/bigotry). The same techniques of sharing information can be used to open the eyes of blinkered Indians who are otherwise intelligent, educated and influential. They have been taught to believe that the US (and Britain) are nirvana. Opening their eyes would gradually help in exposing the reality of what is happening in the US and what actually happens to people of various colours and ethnicities who decide to stay long term in the US. In the long term this can only benefit India.

Well, I really think this is about Mrs. Richard not wanting to step into Khobragade family power play back in India. Khobragades weren't doing Mrs. Richard any favor by offering a ticket back to India.

devesh · Post by **devesh** » 30 Jan 2014 08:02

so now we have TS Jones spouting nonsense about 'inner motives' of SR. and what he "thinks" about what might "this" be about: which presumably is the entire chain of events set in motion by USSD.

also, TS Jones, while addressing SR as Mrs. Richard, you must do some homework to spell the family name of Dr. Khobragade right. in the previous post, you misspelled it twice. please correct yourself, going forward.

Raja Bose · Post by **Raja Bose** » 30 Jan 2014 08:09

TSJones wrote:
Well, I really think this is about Mrs. Richard not wanting to step into Khabrogade family power play back in India. Khabrogades weren't doing Mrs. Richard any favor by offering a ticket back to India.

Nobody was doing anybody a favor and it was not for the Khobragades to decide whether to offer her a ticket back to India or give her a regular passport...it was the Indian Government's call, period. Since it was the Indian government's call, my basic question is what the Eff was the US government doing by sticking its nose in Indian Government business? Mrs. Richard was not on a regular Indian passport (which is why that was one of her demands) and she was obliged to return back to India even if she wanted a change of status. If Alicia May decided to become an Indian citizen while posted in India as a US diplomat, do you think she could just surrender her diplomatic passport and get Indian citizenship without returning back to the US? Unless of course she claimed that Paco would be deprived of his protein in US, threw away her diplomutt passport (& Paco's) and begged India to grant her asylum.

amit · Post by **amit** » 30 Jan 2014 08:30

You know I'm curious about this demand for a ordinary passport by SR at the meeting organised by Acess Immigration. Suppose DK and the Indian Consulate agreed to this demand and issued an ordinary Indian passport. Then what would have been SR's status in the US? She wouldn't have any visa on the passport, how would that have helped her? The only explanation that I can see is that by that time SR had already got an assurance of getting a T1 visa from SD or did the Acess guys feel confident enough to get her asylum in the US and the fees for that was $10,000?

Incidentally I tried to ask gogal chacha about AI. Interestingly it first took me to a Canadian agency doing the same thing and then to what appears to be a one-person show in Denver. NY was not to be found, maybe gogal chacha does not like me any more.

PS: It's quite possible and indeed nearly certainly probable that the demand for an ordinary passport was a trap to catch DK for further visa fraud and the Indian Consulate would have been implicated as well.

Another question: Why did AI drop the case after this stand-off? Was it because they saw it a waste of time because DK was not going to pay the $10,000?

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2014 08:34

TSJ and others - a few points I think some may have misunderstood.

It was SR's wish, as she said, (at least that's what her statement still is) was to go back to India..(see the quote from her lawyers I posted above.. So it was a good faith effort by DK to offer her that chance)

Also, when the offer of the ticket (return ticket to India for SR) was made, there was NO case in India, or threat of any difficulty for SR in India. (The warrant against her were issued moths later - after people realized that SR's demand was extortion etc and DK filed the police report in US for that).

You know very well that DK or her parents did not mis-use their power in India... If they wanted to, think about it, threatening SR' or SR's family they gain nothing... OTOH, if they used the power to have Mays arrested (if nothing else, say tax fraud as they did not pay taxes on the ticket bought for a non-diplomatic person) before Dec 10 ..,, I think you will agree DK's arrest would not have happened.... If DK's parents were all that powerful (and India lawless country), don't you think, a few US diplomats who got cited for traffic violation, could easily be subjected to the same type of "SOP's" as DK. We both know, the officer who, say, stops you for a minor traffic violation, can easily arrest you, (and even charge you for resisting arrest), at least for a short while without much difficulty ... so let us not try to advance absurd theories..

Think about it.

No, all this talk about DK's parents power, or trumped up charges against SR is red herring..

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2014 08:47

Amitji - If you are really curious, try contacting (David Beasley, PR Manager at david dot beasley at safehorizon dot org (T 212.577.7709)..

For AI, try: Access Immigration Consulting Inc
370 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 760-0202
(It has no web page but the company profile says: "Categorized under Business Consultants. established in 2011 and incorporated in New York .. Revenue something like $51000 and employs a staff of approximately 1

)

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 30 Jan 2014 08:52

amit wrote:You know I'm curious about this demand for a ordinary passport by SR at the meeting organised by Acess Immigration.

You cannot perform any kind of non-official activity on an official passport, including but not restricted to even soliciting efforts to work in the receiving state, or worse, attempt to gain permanent residence. To do so, she would first need to return to India, apply and receive a regular passport, and then apply for permanent residence. Without an ordinary passport she cannot properly renounce citizenship and gain OCI/PIO status either.

You cannot receive any kind of unauthorized visas, like B (business) , H1 (skilled worker), F/J (student) etc on an official passport. They check this at Indian border posts. All you can receive are visas for official activities, or as adjunct to an official's primary visa. The latter applied to SR; DK held the primary visa.

She knew US residence would impossible to accomplish once she returned to India - she could not do so on work or family quotas. So, she pursued the victim approach, readily motivated by the hyooman rights industry.

amit · Post by **amit** » 30 Jan 2014 08:56

^^^^

To add to Amber's point:

How difficult would it have been for DK's "all powerful" parents to pick up SR's husband and children and put them in a lock-up as an insurance to ensure SR didn't act nasty? Instead they were allowed to roam free and was even ex-filtrated by the May's without anyone raising a hand.

But I have question of ethics for TSJ and his ilk. How ethical was it for Alicia May to have bought the tickets for the Richards family and then claim tax benefit for a scheme which the Indian government generously allows diplomats to use when buying tickets for family members?

Is this normal behavioural ethics among Americans? I think not, since I've a lot of American friends and colleagues but it would be nice to hear from our resident long time American on this forum. You know you don't have to wear your flag on the sleeve all the time. A lot of folks here, me included I guess, have a positive view about America and Americans. However, that doesn't mean we become MUTUs and whitewash everything.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 30 Jan 2014 09:10

PS: It's quite possible and indeed nearly certainly probable that the demand for an ordinary passport was a trap to catch DK for further visa fraud and the Indian Consulate would have been implicated as well.
Another question: Why did AI drop the case after this stand-off? Was it because they saw it a waste of time because DK was not going to pay the $10,000?

That's what I would think... Unless SR wanted a passport where she could get tickled every time she went through airport security..

The question of ethics at AES is indeed interesting. So they charge $20K tuition - and employ a staff composed mostly of spouses of American diplomats. Not a single one of the "faculty" felt that they should protest a system where they were specifically instructed to break the law?

And you ask about ETHICS at such a place? Of course they taught Ethical Behavior. As practised by the SD of GOTUS.

For those who wonder why SR should return to India.. great point. That's what the Statue of Liberty stands for, per her Frogistani makers:

Give me your poor, your huddled, your fraudulent masses, $10,000, and a bogus passport..

Anand K · Post by **Anand K** » 30 Jan 2014 09:19

I think I pooched this before but doesn't T-2/T-3 visa applicants book their own tickets? The websites specifically instruct them not to book tickets before they actually get the visa IIRC! How come an embassy official paid for them in her official capacity?

saip · Post by **saip** » 30 Jan 2014 09:23

As far as i know, teachers pay is tax free in india, they still have to pay us taxes. So by combining two incomes in one they r not paying FICA and Medicare. Tax fraud in USA too.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 30 Jan 2014 09:26

It does't matter if India doesn't tax teacher's pay. Diplomatic passport holders cannot do local work because they don't have a work visa. Applies to Indian official and diplomatic passport holders in US as well.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 30 Jan 2014 09:33

One thing is striking in the episode.The utter incompetence of Shiv Shankar Menon and Nirupama Menon/Rao in allowing SR to be evacuated but allowing DK to be arrested.Nirupama Rao,if she has any shame must resign from Brown University or is it a chankian response by GOI to ensure India and US are at arms length to escape the deadly embrace from US.

There are maharathis,Ayotullahs of BRF who are Indian Americans,NRIs who seem to be so agitated by US agencies behaviour.In India,neither Congress nor BJP has made a big issue of this incident after initial statements.It has gone off the radar of Indian media.

India has a million problems and has taken the incident in the stride.There seems to relief that that the nonsense about Indo-US dance of democracies and natural al-lies has been put to rest.One can hear the sigh that we will not be arm twisted by US on human rights,minorities etc.Also the fundamental hatred towards hindus and the US cultivation of muslims and christians as assests in India has been exposed.Their manipulation and leverage will never be the same again.We will have a decent transactional relationship with them.

A few here want to believe a)Indian Americans can influence US policy on Indian sub continent b)US is a benign-rational player from an Indian perspective.

I think both of these assumptions are wrong.The US is a rational-malicious player from Indian perspective.The DK incident was not an aberration.It was a hatchet job aimed at showing the 'aukaat' of hindoos.The hate and rant was from the other side.Good luck to those who want to make the US establishment see the positive light.

The US will change from a malicious player to a neutral player when India becomes strong enough and only when India becomes strong enough.IMHO,Indian Americans have zero influence on Indo-US strategic relationship.We saw this in how Nisha Biswal was made to go through the rite of passage to prove her credentials aginst her SDRE ancestral land.PB is not even a foot soldier,more a footman.

Not meant to belittle,which any way I cannot,the efforts of maharathis and ayotullahs of BRF,but a not so gentle reminder from a pure SDRE perspective.imho,etc ....

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 30 Jan 2014 09:36

saip wrote:As far as i know, teachers pay is tax free in india, they still have to pay us taxes. So by combining two incomes in one they r not paying FICA and Medicare. Tax fraud in USA too.

Not all teachers, only 16 teachers allowed as per agreement of 1973. The rest of US citizens are tax cheaters, encouraged to cheat by the US ambassador!

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 30 Jan 2014 10:00

svenkat wrote:We saw this in how Nisha Biswal was made to go through the rite of passage to prove her credentials aginst her SDRE ancestral land

What is this rite of passage that Nisha Biswal had to go through? Not sure what you are referring to.

svenkat · Post by **svenkat** » 30 Jan 2014 10:14

I use it in a figurative sense.A few here have high expectations from US law makers.Nisha Biswal was Asst Secy of State for sooth asia.She could do nothing but be a house ni**ah supporting her masters on lynching the field workers.That was her rite of passage.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 30 Jan 2014 10:21

Nirupama Menon/Rao appears to have been bought and paid for. Why would she resign her cushy brown position? SSM's incompetence has been proven on more than one occasion before so there's nothing new in that.

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 30 Jan 2014 10:37

Amber G. wrote: Per news reports, ... when DK or her lawyer (along with a few MEA/Consular people) met in person, they offered her a paid ticket to India, along with the passport. SR refused. She wanted DK's help in getting regular passport so she can stay in US..

Ok, I generally stayed out of this thread because of high noise ratio, but that last sentence has got me curious. Why did SR think that DK has the miraculous power to grant an American work visa to her?? She's an Indian diplomat, not an American one. Did SR assume that DK can call in a favor on some rich Indian-American who owns a large company, that can make the required visa application? Or did she want DK's husband to make the application for her, since he's an American citizen. Either way, that would have involved the applying party lying on the visa application (e.g. lying that she's a highly qualified person for the job and no American citizen can be found with equivalent skills).

Inquiring minds would like to know exactly what was going on in SR's head when she made those demands.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 30 Jan 2014 10:38

saip wrote:As far as i know, teachers pay is tax free in india, they still have to pay us taxes. So by combining two incomes in one they r not paying FICA and Medicare. Tax fraud in USA too.

That is incorrect. If income is below threshold income for taxation then no taxes for the person else taxable at slab rates. Diplomats and their family members can't do commercial activities unless permitted by the host country for the family members and will get covered by local laws then. India granted exemption to 16 staff in AES for tax purposes based on Inter Governmental agreement and Exchange of Notes, effectively treating them on par with diplomats for tax purposes and permitting them to work. Others in AES are not exempted and if they are doing commercial activities that is , again, a violation of VCCR and visa fraud etc besides tax avoidance. Since this Visa fraud is advised by AES ,which is run by the US Amby in India, it was termed as Institutionalised fraud by someone in MEA.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2014 10:50

ArmenT wrote:
Amber G. wrote: Per news reports, ... when DK or her lawyer (along with a few MEA/Consular people) met in person, they offered her a paid ticket to India, along with the passport. SR refused. She wanted DK's help in getting regular passport so she can stay in US..
Ok, I generally stayed out of this thread because of high noise ratio, but that last sentence has got me curious. Why did SR think that DK has the miraculous power to grant an American work visa to her?? She's an Indian diplomat, not an American one. Did SR assume that DK can call in a favor on some rich Indian-American who owns a large company, that can make the required visa application? .

Hello Armen T,
You can look it up in the references given here, but basically, per lawyers - the demand was "DK will help to get/convert regular passport for SR (which AI believed that NYC consul can issue if they wish to)"

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2014 10:59

Amit - BTW I was curious, BBB (Better Business Bureau of NY) rates Access Immigration as F (from scale of A+ to F).
http://www.bbb.org/new-york-city/busine ... ny-132613/

. ...

Factors that lowered the rating for Access Immigration include:

BBB does not have sufficient information to determine how long this business has been operating
Failure to respond to 1 complaint filed against business
BBB does not have sufficient background information on this business

BTW, In the time line, AI was out of the picture.. In July..

July 2013 - Dana Sussman, staff attorney with Safe Horizon, a group that fights human trafficking, is contacted by an unidentified community organization seeking "immediate services" for Richard, the lawyer told Reuters. She meets with Richard, contacts US State Department officials and soon is speaking to the US Department of Justice (DOJ). The Khobragade criminal investigation begins.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/timeline ... ef_article

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 30 Jan 2014 11:05

Amber G. wrote:
ArmenT wrote: Ok, I generally stayed out of this thread because of high noise ratio, but that last sentence has got me curious. Why did SR think that DK has the miraculous power to grant an American work visa to her?? She's an Indian diplomat, not an American one. Did SR assume that DK can call in a favor on some rich Indian-American who owns a large company, that can make the required visa application? .
Hello Armen T,
You can look it up in the references given here, but basically, per lawyers - the demand was "DK will help to get/convert regular passport for SR (which AI believed that NYC consul can issue if they wish to)"

Thanks for the info, will poke around and read the references. But, before that, I have another question. Even if the NYC consulate could have issued SR a regular Indian passport, she still couldn't have got a work-visa that permits her to work elsewhere in the US, without an American entity getting involved, correct? So did she assume that DK could pull strings to get this done somehow too?

Also, who or what is AI? Thanks in advance

.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 30 Jan 2014 11:11

^^^Access Immigration the Law firm representing SR which met DK. The firm stopped working for SR when the demand was rejected by DK.

g.sarkar · Post by **g.sarkar** » 30 Jan 2014 11:32

ArmenT wrote: Even if the NYC consulate could have issued SR a regular Indian passport, she still couldn't have got a work-visa that permits her to work elsewhere in the US, without an American entity getting involved, correct? So did she assume that DK could pull strings to get this done somehow too?

Things become clear, if you first assume that SR was trying to settle in the US with a green card. Whatever she did, had this aim in view. She was given a passport that allowed her to work only as a maid with Dr. K. This limited her aspirations. She could not work anywhere else. Also, the passport expired when she stopped her work with Dr. K. She had then to return back to India. She may have been under the impression that it was within Dr. K's power or some one else at the consulate's power to issue her a blue passport. With a blue passport she could have got a work permit/visa, claiming to be a victim. Also, if Dr. K issued her a blue passport, it would have been illegal act. She (Dr. K) could have been open to black mail later on for doing some thing illegal. I think an American entity was involved right from the beginning. I can not believe a maid, with about one year's stay in the US would know all the legal ins and outs. Someone was advising her from the beginning.
Gautam

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 30 Jan 2014 11:53

Amber G. wrote:^^^Access Immigration the Law firm representing SR which met DK. The firm stopped working for SR when the demand was rejected by DK.

Thank you much for clearing that up ma'am.

g.sarkar wrote:
ArmenT wrote: Even if the NYC consulate could have issued SR a regular Indian passport, she still couldn't have got a work-visa that permits her to work elsewhere in the US, without an American entity getting involved, correct? So did she assume that DK could pull strings to get this done somehow too?
Things become clear, if you first assume that SR was trying to settle in the US with a green card. Whatever she did, had this aim in view. She was given a passport that allowed her to work only as a maid with Dr. K. This limited her aspirations. She could not work anywhere else. Also, the passport expired when she stopped her work with Dr. K. She had then to return back to India. She may have been under the impression that it was within Dr. K's power or some one else at the consulate's power to issue her a blue passport. With a blue passport she could have got a work permit/visa, claiming to be a victim. Also, if Dr. K issued her a blue passport, it would have been illegal act. She (Dr. K) could have been open to black mail later on for doing some thing illegal. I think an American entity was involved right from the beginning. I can not believe a maid, with about one year's stay in the US would know all the legal ins and outs. Someone was advising her from the beginning.
Gautam

Thanks much sir. I'm not up to my paperwork knowledge, but when you say "blue passport", does that mean the ordinary Indian passport or it this some other type of passport? Also, I should clarify that when I said "American entity", it was in the sense that someone would have to be a sponsor for SR's green card and that someone would have to be an American citizen or company, by law. Did SR believe that Dr. DK had connections to make this happen as well (e.g. through her husband who's an American, or perhaps through some other Indian-American who happens to head up a large company). Without an American person or company sponsoring SR, she wouldn't have been able to work in the US irrespective of the type of passport she held and I assume SR knew this.

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 30 Jan 2014 12:16

Yes, blue passport is the regular Indian passport. Official passports are white covered, and diplomatic passports are maroon.

vic · Post by **vic** » 30 Jan 2014 12:57

svenkat wrote:I use it in a figurative sense.A few here have high expectations from US law makers.Nisha Biswal was Asst Secy of State for sooth asia.She could do nothing but be a house nigger supporting her masters on lynching the field workers.That was her rite of passage.

She was even worse, she had to see and approve her junior white field workers rape another black one with approval of white master. She was not even capable of exercising any power on her subordinates as she is a nigger while they are WASPs.

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 30 Jan 2014 13:29

If you ever talk to the ones who are MUTU, you will know that they genuinely believe that India is a thurd rate country and
US is a benign power and everything in US is nice and sweet and Indians deserve "THIS" <Fill in the issue at that time>.
Engaging them in discussion doesn't help. I tried it post DK incidence and all I could hear was ,"PB is following the law of the land, you Injuns can't prosecute people in power"
Funny that in the end most of them end up becoming Uncle Tom who are useful as long as they don't ask questions or go against the white wishes lest there loyalty be doubted.

Anand K · Post by **Anand K** » 30 Jan 2014 13:40

Amber G wrote:Access Immigration the Law firm representing SR which met DK. The firm stopped working for SR when the demand was rejected by DK.

Then what about the story of SR wandering around the streets after fleeing from DK house, helped by a Gurdwara volunteer and then aided by Safe Horizons? There was another agency involved?

habal · Post by **habal** » 30 Jan 2014 15:07

VikasRaina wrote:If you ever talk to the ones who are MUTU, you will know that they genuinely believe that India is a thurd rate country and
US is a benign power and everything in US is nice and sweet and Indians deserve "THIS" <Fill in the issue at that time>.
Engaging them in discussion doesn't help. I tried it post DK incidence and all I could hear was ,"PB is following the law of the land, you Injuns can't prosecute people in power"
Funny that in the end most of them end up becoming Uncle Tom who are useful as long as they don't ask questions or go against the white wishes lest there loyalty be doubted.

Good thing about this is, that now everyone will have to take sides. No more fence sitting MUTU uncle Tom business.

Either you are with them or you are with us. Thank you DK from saving humanity from a lot of hypocrisy.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 30 Jan 2014 15:47

All this reawakening of enlightened ones on this forum is throwing up interesting tidbits of information and possible mechanisms in USA exploited by interested parties including SR to teach a lesson to India and DK. However, with DK safely back in India , next two dates to watch out for are 31.1.2014 when Preet Bharara files his response in US Court and 7.2.2014 when Lawyers of Dk files their response on PB. If charges are not dropped things could be revved up in India, meanwhile we will pretend business as usual with reduced immunity and reciprocity. Also , allow Sri Jaishankar to do his bit and watch the outcome.

In the meantime Americans in India will continue to be reminded of the incident in all possible and low key manner.,.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 30 Jan 2014 16:02

Correlation? Promises and m.o. seem to have much in common.

130 Vedic pandits go missing in U.S.

The Iowa-based institutions of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi have confirmed that at least 130 Indian “Vedic pandits” have gone missing in recent years after arriving in the U.S. to pursue programmes of religious learning.
Meanwhile, one of the institutions’ officials described media reports alleging ill-treatment as “replete with falsehoods” and “defamatory.”
In an email to The Hindu, William Goldstein, Dean of Global Development and General Counsel to the Maharishi University of Management, based in Fairfield, Iowa, said the Global Country of World Peace (GCWP), the U.S. organisation sponsoring the pandits’ R-1 visas and their stay in this country, had not received any communication from the scholars before they went “AWOL” (Absence Without Leave) and it could be that “someone is misinforming them about the financial opportunities and the legal implications, and their prime motive appears to be to generate more money for their families.” There could be an “organised racket brokering the operation.”

Only 5% pandits missing: Maharishi vedic university

"Only a small number of the over 2,600 pandits, about five per cent, who have come on this unprecedented vedic programme to the US have gone AWOL (absent without leave)," Goldstein said in an email.
"For the first four years of this programme, it was a very small number. In recent months this number has been unfortunately increasing," he said.
He alleged that they appear to have been induced by individuals providing false and bad information of high earnings, or by unscrupulous employers taking advantage of them.
He also denied allegations of mistreatment of the priests, including giving them low wages.
In an investigative report, Chicago-based ethnic weekly newspaper Hi India alleged that 163 vedic pandits brought to the US lived in pathetic conditions and were paid less than 75 cents an hour.
Goldstein claimed that these pandits come to the US under R-1 visas and thus are not subject to the minimum wage rules.
"They are on R-1 visas. They are not in possession of a visa to be day labourers nor are they equipped to be such. Their visa only entitles them, and they are solely qualified to engage in, their spiritual vocation of meditation and vedic performances," he said.
"They are not subject to minimum wage laws in this spiritual or ministerial vocation, like monks in a monastery," said the official from Maharishi University of Management. The Iowa campus has been specifically inspected and approved for this precise purpose by USCIS, for use as a site for R-1 pandits," he said.
Denying allegations that pandits brought to the US are underage, he said, "No pandit has ever come on the programme under 18 years of age."
He said that it has been agreed with the pandits that of the USD 200 per month base cash compensation, USD 150 will be transmitted to their families in India.
All the pandits, contrary to the allegations, reside in modern, fully heated and air-conditioned comfortable modular homes, with an indoor and outdoor athletic facility and a large organic vegetarian kitchen and cafeteria, along with their meditation halls, classrooms, and Vedic performance halls, he said.

US group denies media report on missing pandits

"The Hi India report was replete with falsehood and ignored several pages of information provided them. It should not be relied upon in any form. It is defamatory and very injurious to the reputation of GCWP and the Indian organisations," the GCWP said in a press release.

The newspaper said that the children enrolled in the programme at the tender age of five were rarely provided education beyond fifth standard.

The Vedic pandits were brought to the US from India and were kept in makeshift trailer homes to be guarded by round-the-clock guards, the report said.

It said a contract is drafted in English but the copy is neither given to the pandits nor is it translated or explained to the fifth-grader migrants who do not even understand English.

"No pandit has ever come on the programme under 18 years of age. Their average age is approximately 25, with the ages of those leaving ranging from 20-42," the GCWP said.

"It has been agreed with the pandits that of the $200 per month base cash compensation, $150 will be transmitted to their families in India. It has been paid."

It said the pandits are provided with modern, fully heated and air-conditioned comfortable modular homes, with an indoor and outdoor athletic facility and a large organic vegetarian kitchen and cafeteria, along with meditation halls, classrooms and Vedic performance halls.

At minimum, they are leaving themselves open to ISI(i.e., Al Qaeda) usage of this fine avenue to the US, implicating India.

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 30 Jan 2014 16:41

Wonder if there is a way to determine how many "seminary", "born again" or "madarssa" students have been brought to the US by the respective organizations, and how many of them have gone AWOL?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 30 Jan 2014 17:17

I should point out again, the grand jury indictment of DK
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1 ... 3600801454
(emphasis added)

42. Beginning in or about February 2013, the Victim told KHOBRAGADE on several occasions that the Victim wished to end the Victim's employment and return to India because the Victim felt she was being mistreated. KHOBRAGADE denied her requests.

43. In or about June 2013, the Victim went to KHOBRAGADE's office and said....wanted to go home. .....The Victim......could not return home to India without KHOBRAGADE's consent.

And note,

6. .....Following the Victim's decision to leave KHOBRAGADE's employ, KHOBRAGADE caused..... in an attempt to persuade the Victim to return to India and not report her experience with KHOBRAGADE.

Such is the story of the prosecution.

TKiran · Post by **TKiran** » 30 Jan 2014 17:31

The most likely scene on 31st would be that PB would argue that, DK was on A1 visa and not on G1 visa. So she dis not have immunity on 12th Dec. The judge will grant 7 days to reply to DK's lawyer.

Technically, even if DK was UN advisor, she was in that role temporarily, for PM's visit in Sept 13. She did not ask US to issue different visa, nor did UN ask GOTUS change her status to UN advisor. So the immunity does not accrew for her role as UN Advisor, as she was only dealing with Indian Consulate Business on the day of her arrest. So they followed the book for her arrest. So the dropping of charges does not arise, let the case be hanginng till DK becomes 55 years old and lands in US, so that she can be strip searched again

UlanBatori · Post by **UlanBatori** » 30 Jan 2014 17:53

JFYI, her ties to the US may not be so permanent as one might believe. Is her hubby a USC? He is not a "professor" at U. Penn: I saw him listed as "Visiting scholar" (not "Visiting Professor" either) in some report (may be Wikipedia). That's a temp appt meaning "post-doc". Apparently he becomes a visiting scholar where she is posted. All praise to him for that, I am just saying that our assumptions of her ties to US may be presumptions.

I think the charges SHOULD be dismissed if any sensible judge thinks and judges on the merits of the charges, which is the proper end to this case, not a dismissal based on Immunity. The right end is where a Judge strips and cavity searches PB (figuratively speaking of course) for wasting everyone's time and for sheer incompetence and malice in their so-called "indictment". But that may take quite some time.

Hitesh · Post by **Hitesh** » 30 Jan 2014 18:05

TSJones wrote:
Per news reports, ... when DK or her lawyer (along with a few MEA/Consular people) met in person, they offered her a paid ticket to India, along with the passport. SR refused. She wanted DK's help in getting regular passport so she can stay in US..
Why would SR want to go back to India and face turmped up charges arranged by DK et al?

In that case, why would Snowden want to go back to US and face trumped up charges arranged by NSA et al?

Gus · Post by **Gus** » 30 Jan 2014 18:33

Anand K wrote:
Then what about the story of SR wandering around the streets after fleeing from DK house, helped by a Gurdwara volunteer and then aided by Safe Horizons? There was another agency involved?

So where all did SR stay for the 6 months since she left DK and to now where she is presumably in witness protection?

Gurudwara for all this time?

TKiran · Post by **TKiran** » 30 Jan 2014 18:35

UlanBatori wrote:JFYI, her ties to the US may not be so permanent as one might believe. Is her hubby a USC? He is not a "professor" at U. Penn: I saw him listed as "Visiting scholar" (not "Visiting Professor" either) in some report (may be Wikipedia). That's a temp appt meaning "post-doc". Apparently he becomes a visiting scholar where she is posted. All praise to him for that, I am just saying that our assumptions of her ties to US may be presumptions.

I think the charges SHOULD be dismissed if any sensible judge thinks and judges on the merits of the charges, which is the proper end to this case, not a dismissal based on Immunity. The right end is where a Judge strips and cavity searches PB (figuratively speaking of course) for wasting everyone's time and for sheer incompetence and malice in their so-called "indictment". But that may take quite some time.

UBji what u said is correct, but DK can't contest the charges as she is not present in US. That is why her lawyer is contesting the case siting her immunity at the time of her arrest. I think it would be ideal if she wins her case based on merits, but for that there should be non threatening environment, ie no strip searches, no DNA swabs, no arrests etc. But all those avenues were permanently closed by PB. I just cant digest the fact that PB is still manipulating the system and usko akal nahin aa rahee hai. Even Duryodhan did not get akal when Sri Krishna tried his diplomacy by offering 'sandhi' It had ultimately resulted in complete loss for him. As ramanaji said ' Vinaash Kaalw Vipreet Buddhi'