An Outrageous Pat Down- will this be America's Draupadi-gate?

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Long time readers of this blog will remember that we had no illusions about Obama. In fact, we preferred George Bush.

The recent incident at Mississippi airport, where the Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar was subjected to a humiliating pat-down, proves our fears right. Not that we expect the Airport Authorities to grant our ambassador any special priveleges- our babus enjoy far too much already. It is just that this is not the right thing to do, not to any person, least of all a woman.

What happened is that, though according to regulations, the lady is entitled to for a private screening (ick!), her request was rejected, and she was subjected to the pat down in " a clear box where two officers searched her in clear view," reports Sepia Mutiny.

And what does a pat-down entail? When you read it, you understand why Ambassador Meera Shankar felt so humiliated, she said, "I will never come back here."

According to Aclum.org,

"TSA says that during the new standard pat-down, a screener of the same sex will examine your head, shirt collar area, and waistband, and may use either the front or back of his or her hands to feel your body, including buttocks, around breasts, and between the legs, feeling up to the top of the thigh. Women in tight skirts that don't allow an agent to feel the thigh area may be asked to remove the skirt in a private screening area and will be given a gown or towel to put on."

(Thanks, Tory, for the link)

We don't know how far they got ahead with the pat-down, but ambassador or not, this is plain humiliation for no reason. I think this is a proof, if we ever needed one, that the legislative authorities in US have lost their head.

It is a sad state of affairs, given the constitution of that nation, and the ideals enshrined by its founding fathers.

Related articles

• Meera Shankar, Indian Ambassador To The U.S., Frisked At Mississippi Airport (huffingtonpost.com)