Devyani Khobragade's maid deserves more sympathy than her

Editor’s note: This comment was published by A Congress supporter , left on the article ‘ Devyani Khobragade’s consular rights don’t include a cut rate nanny'.   The comment has only been edited for grammar and spelling. Examining the case through facts, shows that the case *against* Khobragade, and indeed the entire foreign policy establishment is very strong. Let’s look at the facts. 1. The media says Khobragade earns about $4000 per month. Since this is foreign source income, she doesn’t pay tax on this income, and all of it goes entirely into her pocket. In addition, if her husband is working and earning, then they between then earn about $8000 per month – this is way more than most American families earn in a month, and this includes families in Manhattan. [caption id=“attachment_1293273” align=“alignright” width=“380”]  Did the Indian diplomat err in her actions? Image courtesy: Facebook[/caption] Seen in this light, the $500 they pay the maid in a month is sheer exploitation. 2. The IFS has been howling from the rooftops about how they need domestic servants to serve them in foreign countries, since they need childcare and they need to entertain. This is rubbish. In the N.America, W. Europe, and most other countries, the average people rely on child-care and day care, and the average person doesn’t even earn as much as Khobraghades. Both child-care and day-care are pretty affordable, and there is no reason why the Khobraghades can’t hire such help. With regard to the issue of entertaining, the US has any number of catering companies, who can be hired at reasonable rates if you really are entertaining so regularly. The GOI could even give them an allowance for this, if it doesn’t do so already. Or if it is a small party of friends, the diplomats can do what the rest of us do - cook ourselves for our family and friends. The problem with the IFS is that they are sodding lazy bunch of jerks, who consider themselves the new age Maharajas, and expect to be treated like royalty. They are so used to the VIP culture in India, that it comes as shock to them when a country that follows its laws throws the book at them. Preet Bharara should be congratulated for putting these fake aristocrats in their place, and Indians should be cheering him on. Also, please let’s not forget that the maid is also Indian, and should be more deserving of our sympathy, than Khobragade.