- Title: USA: Supporters of housekeeper hold rally in front of Indian Consulate in NY
- Date: 20th December 2013
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (DECEMBER 20, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF RALLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE INDIAN CONSULATE IN NEW YORK BY VARIOUS GROUPS REPRESENTING THE RIGHTS OF DOMESTIC WORKERS VARIOUS OF SIGNS SUPPORTING THE HOUSEKEEPER SANGEETA RICHARD (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRARTHANA GURUNG, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOR ADHIKAAR, AN ADVOCACY GROUP FOR THE NEPALESE DOMESTIC WORKER COMMUNITY IN NEW YORK, SAYING: "We think people have lost sight of the root cause of this entire situation, which is the fact that an employee, a domestic worker is exploited and she wasn't treated in a way that any other employee or staff member was treated. Instead she was treated as a piece of property. So we were hoping that by coming out here today we could change the conversation a little bit and have people focus a little more on the domestic worker and what she went through and kind of push for justice to be served." VARIOUS OF RALLY PLACARD WITH FISTS ADVOCATE WITH BULLHORN DEMANDING RESPECT FOR THE DOMESTIC WORKER IN THE INDIAN DEPUTY CONSULATE CASE PERSON HOLDING PLACARD CALLING FOR JUSTICE FOR DOMESTIC WORKERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRARTHANA GURUNG, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT FOR ADHIKAAR, SAYING: "So far she's been given shelter here. She's been able to bring her family over and I know that she's found another job. So hopefully, the best case scenario is that finds support here in the U.S. with the immigrant community here and with the domestic community here." VARIOUS OF EXTERIORS OF INDIAN CONSULATE INDIAN FLAG FLYING OUTSIDE INDIAN CONSULATE VARIOUS OF RALLY WITH PROTESTERS CHANTING "SLAVERY HAS GOT TO GO" LEAH OBIAS CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FOR THE DAMAYAN MIGRANT WORKERS ASSOCIATION, LEADING RALLY WITH BULLHORN (SOUNDBITE) (English) LEAH OBIAS CAMPAIGN COORDINATOR FOR THE DAMAYAN MIGRANT WORKERS ASSOCIATION, SAYING: "Trafficking happens around New York, labor trafficking by diplomats. That this is actually not an isolated case but that diplomats, we have seen, are bringing workers over on these A-3 visas and G-5 visas and because of their immunity are able to abuse workers and exploit workers practically with impunity. What we're seeing now happen is the Indian government also protecting the trafficker which is what we don't want to see happen." PROTESTERS MARCHING DOWN STREET VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING AT DOOR TO INDIAN CONSULATE
- Embargoed: 4th January 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA9TZJ3NS0OL4O1Y692SV1N12TP
- Story Text: Domestic workers and and workers rights groups held a rally across from the Indian Consulate in New York on Friday (December 20) to show support for Sangeeta Richard, the housekeeper at the center of the controversy surrounding India's Deputy Consul General and her arrest last week on charges visa fraud.
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was arrested on December 12th and strip-searched after being taken into custody on charges of visa fraud and lying about how much she paid Richard. A senior Indian government source has said the interrogation also included a cavity search, although U.S. officials have denied this.
Holding signs of support for housekeeper and saying they "Have Sangeeta's back", the protesters also said they hoped to take the focus off Khobragade and bring raise awareness to the plight faced by domestic workers across the area.
"We were hoping that by coming out here today we could change the conversation a little bit and have people focus a little more on the domestic worker and what she went through," said Prarthana Gurung of Adhikaar, an advocacy group for the Nepalese domestic worker community in New York.
The arrest of Khobagade has enraged India, which demanded that charges be dropped against the diplomat. New Delhi has also demanded the arrest of Richard, also an Indian national.
In an unusual move, the United States flew the family of the housekeeper out of India. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said attempts had been made in India to "silence" Richard and compel her to return home.
At the rally Gurung said Richard had "found another job" since the incident and said Richard should stay in the U.S. where she will find support.
"The best case scenario is that finds support here in the U.S. with the immigrant community here and with the domestic community here." said Gurung.
The State Department has attempted to calm the furor in India, but U.S. prosecutors have shown no signs they would drop their case against Khobragade. Bharara defended the investigation and treatment of Khobragade in a strongly worded statement on Wednesday (December 18).
"This is actually not an isolated case," said Leah Obias from the organization Damayan, a migrant workers association. Obias said domestic workers are often taken advantage of by foreign diplomats in New York and elsewhere.
"Diplomats, we have seen, are bringing workers over on these A-3 visas and G-5 visas and because of their immunity are able to abuse workers and exploit workers practically with impunity. What we're seeing now happen is the Indian government also protecting the trafficker which is what we don't want to see happen," said Obias.
The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations gives consular staff such as Khobragade limited but not absolute protection against prosecution. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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