Identity is one big issue.
When a good old friend fails to recognize you, you feel hurt. You even begin to wonder: was the friendship worth all that?
Most of the political conflicts between states and nations are somewhere liked to identity.
The current uproar over US customs personnel asking SRK to step aside for a “secondary inspection” is also linked to identity. Why should India’s number one actor be so intensely and intrusively questioned on his entry to the US?
Shah Rukh Khan, known as the "King of Bollywood", was held for two hours at an airport outside New York. The actor has lashed out at airport officials over the episode. (AFP/File/Gianluigi Guercia - For source of photo click on it)
This hue and cry over Shah Rukh Khan’s so called detention is unjustified, I feel. It smacks of a lack of understanding of the way the US works and also of our glorified self-importance. There is nothing unusual about being moved aside for a “second inspection”. It’s done, when credentials of the entrant is not fully clear in the first instance and more details are sought. Such people are moved aside to another area, so that others waiting in the queue aren’t unnecessarily delayed.
It’s too much to expect an ordinary US customs officer to know who Shah Rukh Khan is, when many US citizens aren’t quite aware of what’s happening in their own country. (I recently happened to meet a professor of computer science from a US university, who was visiting India. We were discussing H1N1 infections. Quite surprisingly he wasn’t aware that all the US states had been affected, and close to 550 people had died in the US due to H1N1 virus!)
Generally in the US, processes are system-driven, unlike in India where they are largely person-driven. There could have been some point in SRK’s documentation that needed more clarification. When he had done nothing wrong, where was the need to panic? All Shah Rukh should have done was to sit back and let the process sort itself out. When US congressmen, senators, nobel laureates and other locally important people are similarly moved aside for further questioning, how can one expect an exceptional treatment for Indians.
I appreciate former President Abdul Kalam’s attitude to this. He complied with the security protocol of Continental Airlines, while he was frisked before boarding a flight to Newark in April this year. He didn’t have any complaints at all, and fully understood the procedure. Three months later, it was all others who seemed to have an issue with it.
When Indians prominent in India get stuck in such manner in foreign countries it becomes news. I am sure many ordinary citizens too have to undergo such experiences that no one gets to know.
My experience
Probably such things happen in other countries as well in various degrees. A few years back when I was on an official trip to Malaysia, at the KL customs clearance, the official was quite puzzled at what he thought was the low amount of cash I carried. (I don’t remember exactly the figure.) He became suspicious.
The official asked me how I could spend seven days in Malaysia with that low amount of cash. I told I was on an invitation from the Tourism Board of Malaysia, it was an official, sponsored trip, and that I had an international credit card (which I promptly showed) for my personal purchases. He wasn’t convinced.
He asked me to go to a room nearby and wait. I complied. In the room, I got a feeling that I was being suspected of illegal entry into the country. Since even after waiting for 15 minutes no one called me, I approached an officer and narrated what had happened. I explained the purpose of my visit. He took my passport. I produced documentary evidence for all the claims I made, like invitation card, return ticket, office identity card, details of stay and transportation.
After some 20 minutes, the officer profusely apologized and explained why some people in flights from south India are more intensely scrutinized. I told him I fully understood his concerns. Exchange of a few pleasantries, and that was about it.
Scene in India
Let us accept: many of us have a distorted blown-up image about ourselves. That has become a part of our way of life: what is commonly called ‘VIP culture’. A very good manifestation of that self-importance is on our roads.
Why crib about what’s happening abroad, when what happens in our own country leaves a lot to be desired. A number of us take offence when security guards ask for identity card or ask intrusive questions like “whom do you want to meet?”
So many times I have seen people fighting with security guards over such issues. And many upright officials have paid the price for playing by the rule in India. Probably, the only fault I find in such personnel is that some of them aren’t as polite as they ought to be. Look at the way we behave on the roads, the sort of respect we give for other drivers and for traffic laws.
Discussion on my Twitter page (may be updated):
Me: If SRK refuses to travel to the US in future, will the US be bothered? Will the US lose anything bec of that?
ullasd: It is question of self pride.
rajimuth: Do they care about anything/anyone outside their know? They don’t need us, we do them
ullasd: I was only referring to the arrogance of US officials. Take the case of APJ…
Me: I dont know if we can call it ‘arrogance’ or ‘over-enthusiasm of a customs official to play by rules”. Maybe partly both..!!!
rajimuth: We are going nuts! SRK maybe a film icon, Indians, more fool us, may worship him,cant expect him to be treated like god in other countries.
rajimuth: SRK should take a lesson in grace and dignity from Kalam’s behaviour. He has been spoilt by needless adulation from fans
Some facts about US customs procedure
Here is an extract from The Times of India’s Washington correspondent Chidanand Rajghatta’s despatch on the issue. Towards the end of the story he gives details of the customs procedure in the US. Very informative. Read the article here.
Inspection at a US Port of Entry: What to expect/What do CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) officials do?
- Upon arrival at the POE you must present your passport and other required documents. CBP officers will review these to determine whether to allow you to enter the US.
- Your first encounter with CBP officers will be at a primary inspection station where they ask foreign nationals questions to determine their identity and nationality.
- If they decide to admit you the CBP officer will also determine how long you will be allowed to stay in the US, and in what status you will be admitted.
- CBP officers review passports, visas, and other supporting documents of each and every foreign national arriving at a US POE. The CBP officers also compare fingerprint records and name check databases for recent derogatory information, ask questions about the foreign nationals general qualifications for the visas they have, review the Form I-94 Arrival and Departure Record (or, for Visa Waiver travelers, Form I-94W).
What Kind of questions do the CBP officers ask?
CBP officers at US POEs will ask you questions to determine the true intent of your trip to the US. Inspections Officers are trained, and have the experience to back up their training, to identify if a foreign national has a pre-conceived intent behind their trip to the US, i.e., they are looking to see if you are actually coming to go to school or for a job interview when you say you are coming to visit Disneyland. If an officer is not convinced with your initial statements, they may ask for additional supporting documentation be allowing you to enter the US.
CBP officials – their power and authority – what they can do?
CBP officers have complete power and authority at the POE. It is up to their discretion to conclude whether or not a foreign national is eligible to enter the US. It is only after a CBP officer stamps and dates the I-94 form, places an admission stamp in the foreign national’s passport, and the foreign national passes through the inspection station that the foreign national is admitted to the United States.
Secondary Inspection – what leads you to a secondary inspection?
If the first CBP officer that a foreign national meets feels that the inspection requires additional time for review to determine a foreign national’s eligibility, the officer may refer the foreign national for a “secondary inspection.” This secondary inspection is a much more comprehensive review, and can take several hours to complete. Generally a foreign national referred for secondary inspection is not considered to be “admitted” to the United States.
What generally happens in a secondary inspection?
In secondary inspection, CBP officers will ask a foreign national more detailed questions about their travel plans for the US. Foreign nationals may even be asked to produce additional identification and other documentation in order to determine their actual identity and purpose of their visit to the United States. The foreign national and their belongings may also be searched, and the foreign national may be required to give a full set of fingerprints.
Any person, foreign national or person with a claim to US citizenship and presenting a US passport, may be sent to secondary inspection if the CBP officer has reservations about admitting him to the United States. A person may also be sent to secondary inspection if there is a possibility the person is smuggling contraband or violating any other customs or immigration regulations, or federal law in general.
Aug 16, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Excellent! If I owned a newspaper, I would take this reasoning as the lead story.
Well, the US has decades of experience in handling people who enter its soil under the pretext of a big name or diplomatic immunity, especially the latter. During the Cold War, many bad characters have slipped in and out of the country’s numerous airports through rigid protocols that worked against the US but nonetheless lawful.
Let me speculate. For example, the Ethiopian president may try to pass through NY airport with a gun under his jacket because by convention he’s not supposed to be frisked.
Today, post 9/11, it makes sense for US officials to be extra careful. It’s their country after all and they are free to check anybody. Our Bollywood actor shouldn’t whine too much.
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Does it anyway mean that the detained shouldn’t be allowed to make a phone call? or if he submits some references, why don’t they check the veracity of his claims first rather than troubling him further? Again, Sharukh was identified by some passengers who told the POE that he is a film star from India. If all this is fair, don’t rise a hue and cry if Arnold Shrzngr is detained in India…;-)
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Debby, you have explained my argument much better…!
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Since 9/11 particularly the US and other western countries are paranoid about Muslims. Any common muslim name or a name that remotely has a muslim twang is subject to scrutiny. SRK may be known to the Asians but to the westerners he is Mr. Nobody. Hence this scrutiny.
As for general knowledge its a different kettle of fish in the West. People don’t read the newspaper from page 1 to 46 or listen to news to update themselves on everything under the sun. They only read sections that interest them or they are specialising in, so I’m not surprised by the professors lack of knowledge about H1N1 deaths.
As u said, Pradeep, the immigration is process-laden but the officer could have hit the google to verify his colleagues advice and it would have made the process much simpler.
All this hue and cry is because its SRK but there are many unsung heroes who go through this rigmarole without a whimper.
My cousins Hari and Malika are business school professors in Canada. They are often invited by US business schools for lectures and they too face it. My cousin’s husband Hari (they think he is harry) gets through the POE but my cousin Malika gets questioned because she thinks her name has a muslim tingle to it.
I read recently that even Bob Dylan was questioned by the cops in the US when he was caught loitering in the suburbs. The cops were young and Bob was not cool for them.
So I think SRK’s questioning is just a run of the mill situation and I’m sure the hue and cry will not stir a leaf in their security books.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:32 pm
all you said is fine. only if a George is also questioned at the ‘POE’ along with say his accompanying friend … say a Shah Rukh Khan. Now we have to admit he was asked to step aside only because of this religion.
(a theory: an SRK movie with a similar theme is coming up, i heard. may be it could be a promotion. our actors can do anything. Let that not be the case)
i am not advocating for any special treatment for VIP Indians or any Indians. But they should not be asked to step aside because of their religion. That’s not acceptable.
And the US is notorious for bias. Post 9/11, That is in 2004, Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam), [* i have to add he is my fav] was deported to the UK by the “all powerful” US officers. What is all this? I am sure, if cat stevens had remained Cat Stevens, this would not have happened. And, and, the UK did intervene. In diplomatic terms, registered their complaint.
There are more such cases. Within US only, racism is rampant. i have read stories of black students being detained, shot dead or humiliated by campus cops. i see what happened with SRK as an extension of that. AND NOT any following of fucking procedure (if tats not a promo stunt).
but i have to add: today i read in TOI that Bob Dylan was asked for his ID card by two officers who “have not heard of Dylan’s complete body of work”. yeah in the US itself. but he was roaming around a minority area. so that connection is still there.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Sreejan, I am all for massively tightening security in India. Not just Arnold, I don’t mind if Amitabh or my favourite starlets are detained. If there is valid ground we should detain them. We live in age when CEOs of big companies and heads of state are criminals.
When that US customs official (over-enthusiastic to play by rules) didn’t listen to his own colleagues who identified SRK, how will he ever go by some passenger’s attestation?
The US is paranoid about its security. We may not like it. But that doesn’t matter to them. We must understand and accept that. If we look at the larger picture, the US is quite open to other cultures. In a way, much of the nation is run by the best people from all countries.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 16, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Nalini and George… You are right.. The point is that the US has reasons to be paranoid. When a group of people has launched a war against the US in the name of religion, it’s only natural that the US paranoid.
It’s very similar to we in India being paranoid about Pakistan.
Also it is the duty of security forces to plug all loopholes. They are there to provide security. They are paid to suspect everyone. For them, all are criminals in the garb of innocent people. One instance of lapse in security is enough to bring about a big catastrophe.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 16, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Good post Pradeep. Therefore it merits a response.
You say:
“It’s done, when credentials of the entrant is not fully clear in the first instance and more details are sought.”
and
“Generally in the US, processes are system-driven..”
Well, anyone who has gone through the proceses to get a US visa knows the extent of intrusive verification and cross checking that’s done to establish your credentials, financial means and intent.
Further checks on arrival implies either the low level chaps at the US immigration counter(compared to the ranks of people at the consulates) don’t trust their own people in the country of issue, or they are prone to be like the apocryphal poojari who tries to be more godly than the god he serves.
If a consulate in a country where the visa is issued after due process — meaning they have determined somebody is good enough to go to the US for the stated purpose — it is the consulate’s word that the cops at the immigration points at the airport are doubting.
[Why do you think the US Ambassador in Delhi Timothy Roemer promptly apologised and stated that SRK is a welcome guest in his country? He is the head of all the US consular staff in India which found SRK fit to enter USA. That's why. Not because he is in awe of SRK the star or cricket nut.]
If the cop at the Newark immigration counter (these are intelligence-trained people) feels someone whom the US consulate in India, presumably Mumbai, has found suitable is not suitable, it is his own officials that he has to discreetly query first and not harass the passenger.
Mind you, at the point of embarkation, the country’s intelligence folks do a check (which is why you fill the embarkation form) and there is intelligence sharing with the destination country also. The airlines are obliged to provide the passenger manifest to the immigration at the point of disembarkation. On top of that there is the disembarkation form which you fill and give the US immigration. So all these things are well and properly done to make it “system driven” as you say.
So what we see in instances like what SRK went through is the demonstration plain arrogance stemming out of ignorance of their own “system”. Being Khan (SRK’s credentials) do not change from the time of issue of visa to the time of arrival. What’s on his person can, which is why security frisking is not seen in the same light.)
These kind of official aberrations can well and truly be taken up between governments through diplomatic channels.
Time was when Indian diplomatic officials suffered low esteem before the foreign sahebs. That was also because a lot of us Indians did indeed make it difficult for our officials to stand on their hind legs and bark back because of the shenanigans we were up to. (I’ve had the unenviable task as a foreign correspondent of Indian nationality of reporting cases involving my compatriots in trouble with the law in some of these foreign countries and having to hear what our red-faced consular officials say. That’s why I say this with feeling.)
Today one does not have to go the extent that Ambika Soni has. But surely we can tell off anyone misbehaving with our citizens. Star status is no object here. We have to return to the sense of pride we had when the legendary king though vanquished in war told the conquering Porus to step aside and not block the sun.
Whether it is idiocy or arrogance (one feeds the other), we have to diplomatically show such people where they get off.
Aug 16, 2009 at 7:12 pm
What happened is unfortunate. Just because there is a lot of hue and cry because it was SRK, does not justify the act. As you said, this might be happening to a lot more people, who are not so famous. So going by merely the fact, and not to whom it happened:
1. Detention for two hours, if that’s true, is not reasonable by any standards. Especially when the authorities have failed to come out with a reasonable explanation for why it took so long!
2. Not being allowed to make calls, merely for want of proper credentials or on a suspicion, is a violation of human rights, whether it is SRK’s or anyone else’s.
3. Suspicion simply on the basis of a person’s religion is sick. This is the kind of biased mindset that leads to violence. American policy should have nothing to do with religion, if it wants to be called secular. If this is what happened, the policy should be internationally condemned.
Aug 16, 2009 at 7:25 pm
The US is fighting a war and on the battlefield there is no place human rights, political correctness and democracy. U must realise that during the II World War all the japanese living in the US were put in conc camps and during the I WW people of German origin were kept under close watch.
War demands extraordinary measures as lives and the security of the nation are at risk.
Aug 16, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I too wonder. Just because he is SRK !!
Aug 16, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Well reasoned out post.
Aug 16, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Excellent post.
I totally agree with Pradeep.
Aug 17, 2009 at 4:28 am
In the U.S. as of July 17, the number of confirmed infections was 40,617, with 263 deaths, according to the CDC.
If SRK felt hurt… it is sad, because he is a person who travels extensively, and also because he is considered a reasonable person otherwise.
The fact is in the USA, not just officials, even the “aaam nagarik”… common citizen is very conscientious. For that matter even our brothers and sisters adapt quickly.
The enforcement wings are extremely courteous as a rule… however exceptions do occur… after all, under the skin all are human beings and weaknesses surface, rarely though.
Every official will address a citizen as sir… for proof, view some of President Obama’s recent town-hall meetings on healthcare. Often he responds to people as sir / ma’am.
We have to experience the civility of people in the USA, to believe it. If you approach a door, 9 out of 10 times people will hold the door open for you to pass. If you open the door for somebody they will definitely thank you. If you approach a sales person, he/she will invariably wish you, ask you how you are doing and then inquire if they could help in any way.
We, in India, are changing, but we are to evolve much more into a generally law-respecting, abiding and respectful of all our citizens evenly. I’m sorry to say, we still tend to look at the face, dress, footwear, and the people surrounding a person to determine the attitude we adopt in transactions. We at times tend to be subservient to some, and at times tend to be arrogant to others… based on this perception.
The flip-side is that, our authorities and people in influential positions, exploit (extort) situations, by taking short-cuts, taking undue liberties / favours. The sad part is that a lowly official who impartially implements the law may land himself in deep trouble, if he is not submissive to these so-called “VIPs’”.
Just imagine, the perpetrators of 9/11 were undergoing flying training in various cities in the USA. Till then they trusted. The PanAm mid-air bomb-explosion killing 279 innocent lives, was caused because security was much slack then. Till then they trusted.
It is not possible for any official to assess the intention of any person easily. For that matter, I heard that well-known Malayalam film-actor Mammoootty was also detained for questioning this year. This is only hearsay. It is believed that his called-name and official name differed.
In the USA, even in domestic flights, prior to boarding, every single piece of item carried on one’s person is removed, kept in a tray, including belt, glasses, keys, ornaments, purse, wallet and scanned. For that matter, even the shoe has to be removed. Till recently, liquids – shampoos, gels, creams could not be carried as part of cabin luggage. Now, it seems to have been relaxed. I observed such practices being observed even at Mumbai.
These steps are at times uncomfortable, and at times may make us feel a bit awkward. We need to understand, educate ourselves and get over our hangups. It is common practice in the USA, and everybody goes through these without exception, and SRK or others should not make it a big issue. And, more often than not it may not be these VIPs’… the others around them may be the ones’ making this noise. Security cannot be compromised.
Aug 17, 2009 at 11:12 am
A nice post Pradeep. I really could not understand the harassment part.He has been quarantined for two hours and asked a couple of questions which our King Khan found it irrelevant.He was not intimidated nor was he booted around.He is a film star …so what,just another human entering the US with the surname Khan.In us parlance, the surname is suspect perse,….period. Hon APJ Kalam went thru frisking in India with not a word from his side…Differences between Class and Crass is there for all to see.
As George put it it could also be a gimmick for his forthcoming film.
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:15 pm
@ John: That was a new point of view actually. I didn’t think on those lines at all.
@ Atul: Ya, one can’t label some one on the basis of religion. In fact, some criminal could sneak in using a non-Muslim name. The profiling part is disgusting.
@ Rajeev: No country that is at war will take a chance.
@ U Chandran: Being SRK is just one small bit in the whole picture.
@ Raji: Thanks.
@ Debo: Thanks.
@ C Abraham: That’s the point of contrasting cultures. The irony is that so much of the virtues and value systems that our great civilization and religious believes bequethed us, are no where to be seen on the ground.
@ Ravichandran: Publicity stunt? Hmmm.. who knows probably… the great actor that he is.
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:29 pm
True Pradeep. Why this hue and cry at all? This ‘I’ word is too senstitive, I supppose…
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Pradeep I don’t know if you saw that news, but I think the very same day there was news how Bob Dylan was not recognized and picked up by a policeman.
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:31 pm
U bet pradeep. Just because it’s SRK! In fact, I am a die-hard fan of Shah Rukh, honestly he shouldn’t crib coz it’s for his own safety.
All this coz stars r sooo used to being given preferential treatment in India and made to feel like Gods that even the slightest denial of the privilege irritates them. VIPs visiting temples, historic monuments and even while they r on road causes enough hassles for commoners, now they expect in the same in airport too?C’mon!
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Agreed. Many people get into such situation here and is not limited to non-US citizens. They have a “name database” that has listed all names from FBI list of culprits, victims and witnesses.
The current name match system is very old and need replacement, everyone agrees, but as long as this remains this issue exists. Remember a similar episode with George Fernandez when he as the cabinet minister.
When you travel to a country you should accept their rules and respect them too. Do not demand they should know you and appreciate your value.
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:33 pm
I agree with Riyaz, every country has its rules and values and better respect them.
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Pradeep, how very true.. Most of the world’s conflict boils down to identity. The Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen wrote on this issue in his book Identity and Violence. Very interesting read…
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:35 pm
i feel all of these is just a media hype… they are tired of flu thing.. we know our media very well… it is the question of viewership and nothing else.. this much of hype was not generated when APJ was frisked.. shame on us!!! as an indian i am not hurt at all…
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:43 pm
@ Saumyadipta: Exaggerated self-importance and too much of hype around personalities… that’s a part of our culture.
@ Mohsin — Yes, I did see the news. And it was carried. Today’s TOI has a story on how very well-known Americans like Al Gore have been subjected to frisking…
@ Reshmi: It was good on part of Chidambaram to have got a ticket for the World Badminton tournament and come unannounced. That’s the way it should be.
@ Susan: I have always felt so. Even ego stems from that.
@ Mukesh: Media did play it up, with a purpose. In the process it has generated a debate that has gone on to bring out the root issue. Suppose the media had ignored it, none of this debate would have happened; and another round of conspiracy theories would have surfaced on why the media ignored it!
(Crossposted from Facebook)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:53 pm
It’s all very fine to say that this is much a do about nothing. But surely even the most conscientious and scrupulously objective among you will admit that this incident (if it happened and I believe it did) reeks of gratuitous devotion to duty on part of the immigration officer in question.
Sure it has only garnered attention because of who SRK is but it throws light on the plight of many travellers from the sub continent or the middle east to the US. We Indians don’t know the half of it. Ask the pakistanis.
A friend of mine here, a young pakistani Australian was only 18 when he was pulled aside while on a transit flight through the US, detained for hours with recourse not even to that single phone call he is entitled to.
He has no complaints; just a resignation to being open game for humiliation and suspicion because of his name and where he comes from. Not surprisingly he never went back, nor will he ever again.
Security is paramount. I don’t dispute this. But security measures and scrutiny should be applied to everyone equally. Racial profiling is abhorrent. When Obama remarked on racial profiling in the wake of the Professor Gates incident, he left out one group that has since 9/11 been unashamedly profiled in the US – muslim males.
Reasonable in the wake of 9/11? Probably. But right? I’m not so sure.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Incidentally SRK has issued a statement saying he accepts this was procedure that had to be done, no matter how unfortunate such procedure may be. Probably trying to cool things down on second thought before they get out of hand.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I am amused by the fact that a movie actor’s case is generating this much noise. Abdul Kalam was searched by Continental in India and I thought that deserved a lot more attention.
Has that happened in India too.
and from what i hear SRK has completely overshadowed other things in the media, mundane things like Independence Day and stuff. (hearsay, I admit).
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I don’t think there is such thing as democracy or human rights anymore worldover. There are undercurrents of racial profiling whether we are Indians,Africans, Asians or Muslims all over the world.
The 9/11 has only exasperated the paranoia especially for muslims. Some of us can keep away from such regions as the Pakistani-student did but for some travel to such regions is imperative.
And in such circumstances we just learn to swallow the disgust and resign to the truth that we are still living in an unequal world.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Must say that this is in a hurry..so my apologies if I am missing the gist.
In the US, SRK, Amitabh or Tom Cruise or Beckham, for that matter, are only as important as any other ordinary citizen in the eyes of the law. If the officer feels that an individual needs to be checked, he is within all his rights to do so and no one is going to challenge his decision.
This is also a country where even mayors and senators get routinely pulled over by cops here for traffic violations, including for drunken driving. And quite unlike India, officers here do not have to fear that the “VIP” is going to call someone and get the officer transferred or demoted or what not.
So the law gets applied evenly, in the majority of cases, and the criminals do get punished – even if they are billionaires and zillionaires like Madoff and Sanford and their ilk.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 2:04 pm
@ Anji — I fully agree. Labeling under whatever head, is simply not done… Other than the fact that it is abominable, in a way it’s also a bit foolish to do that as part of security drill. A criminal will only avoid the Muslim name, to get his act done!
@ Hari — Yes, it’s the name SRK that has got the incident so much publicity. The media overplay has also helped generate a huge discussion esp on the web.
@Nalini — What’s is disappointing is that a country as so evolved as the US hasn’t been able to perfect a better method to get around such problems.
@ Korula — The point you make about mayors and other officials being pulled over by cops is an eyeopener for people for here in India. We got to go a long way here.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 17, 2009 at 4:08 pm
You are right in a way…
Nd India can learn a lot from US instead of cribbing.. US takes their security issues seriously and hence they have been successful in thwarting more terrorists activities..
as for India, we are told that there were warnings before the Mumbai blasts but nothing was done..we dont care much do we? and later there was much rumblings and lamenting but are we still secure? Our VIP’s still enjoy exclusive privilege even when some of them are criminals…
but then US needs to stop being paranoid about Muslims alone… if the same was done by India wont they create a ruckus?
Aug 18, 2009 at 10:40 pm
i really dont know how to react to such news…it wasnt long ago wen emran hashmi was making news for not being able to buy an apartment in Mumbai ‘for being a Muslim’ and now SRK for being questioned in the US. I, being a hijabi Muslim and a Pakistani (enough to be labeled a terrorist?
), have often been stopped at airports for ‘random checking’ but I know and understand that the paranoia against the Muslims has been on the rise after 9/11. I guess SRK was just another victim….if he wasnt the superstar that he is, it wouldnt have made news even if he was, God forbid, detained in the Guantamo Bay.
Aug 19, 2009 at 9:38 am
Well so many extra bytes spent on the subject. And the latest twist – that his laest film ‘My name is Khan’ may have got enough publicity.
[And I like this name for any media anchor whose larynx works at levels disproportionate to worth of the news item - "screamers".]
Having said that, I am amazed at the kind of personal experiences that ordinary citizens have had to put up with, in the US and elsewhere.
Aug 19, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Points that strike exactly where it should. Well written!
SRK just wants a good curtain raiser for his next movie. And look at the sheer volume of coincidences that has preceded this movie.. The name of the movie, the theme of the movie, the actor.. It all looked like a well depicted screenplay to me, only thing which proved it wasn’t was that it happened in the Us.
The media boys found it a good way to increase their TAM ratings and look who all are speaking about this on blogspace, twitter and co.. What more do you want for a promo?
I think God loves Shah Rukh for some reason
Aug 21, 2009 at 11:49 am
Hi,
Really, I don’t understand what the hue and cry about SRK is all about. He was detained for questioning only for an hour(My reading). Agree it is a ’second questioning’ but at a port of entry, that is not a lot of time.
I, personally, am happy somebody is doing his job. It is a real pain to go through all the security checks? Yes.
My six- year- old daughter was body searched separately (in a US airport) because the alarm went off when she passed through the metal detector. I don’t remember what she was wearing to set it off. Ridiculous? Yes. Is it needed in these crazy times? Yes. (Ever remember seeing an internet picture of a child with a bomb strapped on.)
I support the officer. When Arnold schwarzeneger comes to India by all means detain him if there is something suspicious about him. Use the standard procedure instead of kowtowing to him.
My problem? I didn’t feel safe enough travelling back from India because the security check ups are not adequate.
Terrorism is unlike anything we have known. Our country itself is a terror victim.
We really have to be alert. There is no point being egotistical about it.
I also don’t like the argument that ” We don”t do this to you in India. So don’t do this to us when we come there.” A psychologist I suppose would call it co-dependency. Not a good thing to have.
Right now we are discussing airport security. Not the time to mix racism with it.
And we Indians are an extremely racist people, except that we call it casteism. I have more to write. But I have a feeling some of you may throw your computers at me. I would rather stop here. Discretion is the better part of valour…. etc.
Libby
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 21, 2009 at 11:49 am
Hi,
If I remember correctly, Mamootty too was detained last year at a US airport for questioning.
Libby
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 21, 2009 at 11:51 am
Pradeep
thats exactly the point. SRK generates that much copy cos he is a media darling. I dont remember that much hue and cry for the more justifiable anger when Cat Stevens was deported back. despite the parochialism of the UK tabloids. thats why i was wondering why that much of debate was not there when Kalam was searched by Continental in India itself.
this is the media following the glare of tv lights. even when it is a non event.
of course the US officer could have shown more common sense and avoided all this. but maybe he is just not a bright officer, huh? If he was that bright he wouldnt be doing this job, right? but at no point can he said to have violated the law or did something wrong.
then comes the racial profiling. yes, it sadly exists in every sphere of our world in one form or another. but if this was a case of real consequence, the media should fight all the way. this is just nonsense. and i am sure after a few days this will be dead and forgotten and no one will care.
the smartest guy in this whole thins is srk. he has got enuff publicity for his upcoming movie free, thanks to the media. and he never said anything accusing either.
oh yes, in a lot of countries, the rich and powerful get pulled up when they cross the line. that may be the reason why we find it unusual. Khan is King for the media but not for everyone.
and Libby, agree with you completely. i would rather have a srk questioned for 2 hours than a bin Laden let in without checking.
and pradeep, the real story might be to find out what kind of guidelines we use to screen visitors to the country. and how effective they are
Hari
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 21, 2009 at 11:52 am
Well both CNN and USA today carried items on the Bollywood star’s detainment. Interestingly, based on the news that the actor was here to promote his upcoming movie “My name is Khan”, a script about racial profiling after 911, I wonder whether Khan and his entourage may have actually engendered the negative reaction from the INS officer to get all this free publicity. It is not too hard to act and behave in a suspicious manner… more difficult is for the innocent man to not look suspicious.
(Crossposted from Multiply)
Aug 21, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Interesting story in TOI by its Washington Correspondent, Chidanand Rajghatta,,, Apparently some of the American contacts of SRK were under the immigration security scanner. That was what held up SRK. This is something close to what Korula speculated. This is the link …. http://bit.ly/OSOiV