Extracting multiple apologies from the US for the purported slight to Shah Rukh Khan,
the ''internationally renowned film star,'' arising from his extended
questioning at a small American airport, isn't enough. To forestall
similar hassles for its many discomforted VVVVVIPS, the Indian
government, through its embassy in Washington, on Saturday sought the
state department's intervention ''to institute appropriate measures to
avoid recurrence of such an incident in the future.''
The services of the thinly-manned Indian diplomatic corps, not easily available to ordinary Indian travelers, were pressed into action over the weekend to assuage the pique of the country's elite. The Indian embassy in Washington said in a statement that ''in order to convey the deep concern that has been expressed nationwide in India over this incident,'' the embassy had taken up the matter with the US state department to ensure it is not repeated.
Providing details of how the Indian diplomatic corps acted with alacrity to the plight of King Khan, an embassy statement said he had arrived at the White Plains airport in a private jet on the afternoon of April 12. Approximately half-an-hour after his arrival, the consulate general of India in New York received information that he had not been cleared by the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) at the Airport.
''The consulate general immediately intervened with the concerned authorities for his early clearance, which was done within 75 minutes of his arrival. Mr Khan thereafter left the airport,'' the statement said, adding that ''the same evening, USCBP authorities, through an email to the consulate general conveyed their profound apology for the incident.''
While most Indians would be delighted to leave an airport within 75 minutes after arrival, a recent issue of the Economist described the paucity of diplomats in India's foreign office to carry out the serious mission of advancing India's strategic goals, providing a counterpoint to what its officials were tasked with this week. India's diplomatic corps is one of the thinnest in the world, with fewer diplomats in service than in New Zealand and Singapore. While missions abroad are routinely pilloried for being unhelpful to (non VIP) Indian nationals abroad, some officials agreed ruefully that the film star and his political and business associates belong to a different category.
Meanwhile, apologies poured forth from various US quarters including from the state department, where a spokesman expressed ''utmost respect for Mr Khan and his work both as an artist and a humanitarian'' and regretted ''any discomfort or inconvenience he may have suffered as a result of this incident.''
While maintaining that Khan was ''simply delayed'' by the questioning rather than ''detained'' (as described in sections of the media), spokesman Mark Toner denied there was any racial profiling involved considering there are tens of thousands of Muslims who travel to the US every day without being detained or delayed. He said the delay was ''airplane related'' indicating that Khan was not even allowed to disembark from the private plane even though his travel associates including Nita Ambani were allowed to disembark.
Toner also indicated that the incident could have been avoided had Khan alerted the US Embassy in New Delhi about his status and his program before leaving for the US. One explanation being offered for the incident is that Khan may have been on a wrong visa for his purported mission - to receive a fellowship and deliver a lecture - and US Customs and Border Patrol delayed his disembarkation which seeking to clarify this, triggering off panic calls from his Indian associates and hosts who were waiting for him in Yale on a tight program schedule.
The fact that he travelled on a private jet and landed in a small airport did not help either.
The services of the thinly-manned Indian diplomatic corps, not easily available to ordinary Indian travelers, were pressed into action over the weekend to assuage the pique of the country's elite. The Indian embassy in Washington said in a statement that ''in order to convey the deep concern that has been expressed nationwide in India over this incident,'' the embassy had taken up the matter with the US state department to ensure it is not repeated.
Providing details of how the Indian diplomatic corps acted with alacrity to the plight of King Khan, an embassy statement said he had arrived at the White Plains airport in a private jet on the afternoon of April 12. Approximately half-an-hour after his arrival, the consulate general of India in New York received information that he had not been cleared by the US Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) at the Airport.
''The consulate general immediately intervened with the concerned authorities for his early clearance, which was done within 75 minutes of his arrival. Mr Khan thereafter left the airport,'' the statement said, adding that ''the same evening, USCBP authorities, through an email to the consulate general conveyed their profound apology for the incident.''
While most Indians would be delighted to leave an airport within 75 minutes after arrival, a recent issue of the Economist described the paucity of diplomats in India's foreign office to carry out the serious mission of advancing India's strategic goals, providing a counterpoint to what its officials were tasked with this week. India's diplomatic corps is one of the thinnest in the world, with fewer diplomats in service than in New Zealand and Singapore. While missions abroad are routinely pilloried for being unhelpful to (non VIP) Indian nationals abroad, some officials agreed ruefully that the film star and his political and business associates belong to a different category.
Meanwhile, apologies poured forth from various US quarters including from the state department, where a spokesman expressed ''utmost respect for Mr Khan and his work both as an artist and a humanitarian'' and regretted ''any discomfort or inconvenience he may have suffered as a result of this incident.''
While maintaining that Khan was ''simply delayed'' by the questioning rather than ''detained'' (as described in sections of the media), spokesman Mark Toner denied there was any racial profiling involved considering there are tens of thousands of Muslims who travel to the US every day without being detained or delayed. He said the delay was ''airplane related'' indicating that Khan was not even allowed to disembark from the private plane even though his travel associates including Nita Ambani were allowed to disembark.
Toner also indicated that the incident could have been avoided had Khan alerted the US Embassy in New Delhi about his status and his program before leaving for the US. One explanation being offered for the incident is that Khan may have been on a wrong visa for his purported mission - to receive a fellowship and deliver a lecture - and US Customs and Border Patrol delayed his disembarkation which seeking to clarify this, triggering off panic calls from his Indian associates and hosts who were waiting for him in Yale on a tight program schedule.
The fact that he travelled on a private jet and landed in a small airport did not help either.