Sari-clad Indian envoy in US faces pat-down search

In the season of bonhomie between India and the US, this comes as a serious irritant. Meera Shankar, the Indian ambassador to the US, was subjected to a pat-down search by security personnel at an airport despite her travelling on a diplomatic passport. According to agency reports, Shankar was singled out for wearing a sari, which probably made her appear bulky.

Taking umbrage at the incident, minister for foreign affairs SM Krishna said the incident was “unfortunate” and “unacceptable”. The Indian mission in Washington, too, has protested strongly.

“I am rather surprised at the way the Indian ambassador has been treated for the second time in the last three months. It is unacceptable to India. We will take this up with the US government and hope things could be resolved so that such unpleasant incidents do not recur in the future,” Krishna said.

The minister added that there are well-established conventions and practices as to how members of the diplomatic community should be treated.  

It is learnt that the Indian government has sought a report from the embassy in the US on the incident.

According to agency reports, Shankar was pulled from an airport security line on December 4 and patted down by an American security agent in Mississippi despite being told of her diplomatic status.

The incident took place at the Jackson-Evers International Airport where a sari-clad Shankar was about to board a flight to Baltimore after attending a programme at the Mississippi state university.
Shankar presented her diplomatic papers to officers and was escorted by a Mississippi development authority representative and an airport security officer, but witnesses said she was still subjected to the hands-on search.

A Jackson police officer escorted Shankar to Jackson Evers International Airport on Saturday for a flight to Baltimore, and she was taken to a VIP waiting room. The officer informed airport police that Shankar was an ambassador, but she was later pulled from a security line and patted down by a woman Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent. Newspaper reports said that Shankar was told she was singled out for additional screening because of her dress.

In the past, several Indians, including film stars and politicians have faced such uncomfortable moments at US airports. Shah Rukh Khan, Praful Patel, George Fernandes, SM Krishna, Pranab Mukherjee and APJ Abdul Kalam are the high profile personalities to have suffered the humiliation.

Humiliated in US
* In September 2010, civil aviation minister Praful Patel was quizzed by US immigration authorities at the O’Hare airport in Chicago after his name and date of birth matched with that of another Praful Patel, who is on the US’s watch-list
* In April 2010, former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam was frisked at the Delhi international airport by employees of an American airline when he was traveling to the New York
*In 2008, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee was forced to undergo security checks at the ceremonial lounge in the Moscow airport while he was on his way back to India
* In August 2009, actor Shah Rukh Khan was reportedly detained by US immigration officials at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey because his name came up on a computer alert list
* Former defence minister George Fernandes had claimed that he was strip-searched twice at Washington’s Dulles international airport, in 2002 and 2003