Shah Rukh Khan has a good sense of humour, else he would have been a nervous wreck. When you are arriving to give a speech and receive an important fellowship, a sigficant honour, and immigration officials detain Khan but let off fellow travellers (why? Because of their Hindu names), blood boils. His blood must have. But then you cannot shout at Immigration officials can you? That would be seen as an attack on the United States of America. It's like there is a dangerous alien species (Muslim, Arab or brown) out there in the rest of the world sniping at America.
This whole business of profiling is sickening. I travelled to the US recently and to my greatest displeasure on an american airline. There are two things I do to minimise the inconveniences that I am involuntarily imposed when I travel west. One, I do not transit through London, not since the time they imposed the racial and discriminatory practice of requiring a transit visa for South Asians, Chinese and some African nationals merely to pass through their airports. One is exempted only if the final destination is Canada or USA (they trust them, and thus by implication none else, not even fellow European governments). Not sure what they fear, that dark skinned nationals will dart out of high security Heathrow? And what into? Jobless UK?
Second, I never choose any american airline. Khan may have the money power to arrive in a private jet, I don't. I can barely afford 'cattle class' (thanks Tharoor), so I try and avoid further involuntary indignities. Since the hyper-paranoia influenced Patriot Act was passed, every american airline has been required by US law to deploy sufficient staff to question fully legal passengers arriving into the US on the purpose of their travel, etc., and have the power to refuse them permission to travel. Mind you these are not Immigration officials who probably have the right to examine your credentials. These are airline staff, mostly young kids, just out of college, who make the decision as you board he plane in your country. And they have enormous power to decide your future. Some of their questions are quite probing. Who are you seeing? How do you know her? I have been asked such, even when that 'her' could well be an old Professor.
At the gates of the US empire, be prepared for the real stuff. When I arrived in Logan Airport of Boston a week after the WTC attacks, I was pulled aside, my passport put into a red jacket, I was marched off the immigration line publicly, and made to stand in front of burly uniformed officials like in a Criminal Court room. And as I waited tired from 24 hours of flying, the officer was chewing on a chicken nugget. I must have been there close to an hour before I was summoned and some questions thrown at me. Finally satisfied with my answers, the officer allowed me to march off to collect my bags.
Since then, every time I go to the US, I am selected out. It happened on the recent visit as well. Out of about 350 passengers boarding the plane, it was apparently mathematically random that two Indians visible in the line were selected out for the thorough deal: bomb scan and all. I have had to go through this so many times now, that I have grown so comfortable and begun to research into this randomness and how so specifically the system is homing in on me. Random? Or Racial? Disturbing thoughts these.
But this is not the treatment only if you are arriving from abroad. Such indignifying experiences are part of the feature every time you fly within the US as well. Once I was to fly from Washington DC to New York for an important meeting, and return later in the day. When I arrived at Reagan National Airport, uncomfortably close to the Pentagon, I expected to suffer the indignifying treatment. So I arrived early. As I passed through security check, I was selected out for the full treatment. This takes a while. Finally when I got through and went to the boarding gate, the plane had taken off. Not making it to the flight was not my mistake, so I was reassigned the next flight.
To get the new boarding pass I had to go out of the security area and had to run as the next flight was leaving in half hour. I managed this gasping for breath, got in line and much against my wishes was selected out for the thorough. Consequence, second flight missed. Back to the desk of the airline, who are now shocked to see me again. They quickly issue me a boarding pass for the next flight leaving in half hour. I run to security, praying mathematically that I am actually a subject of randomness. Not at all. I am absolutely the target of this attack on my dignity. On finding me again in line, the official who had scanned me earlier is aghast. I explain. Out of sheer humaneness he promotes me for the thorough scan so I can make it to this flight at least. I just manage to.
I am not sure if this kind of a 'random' system helps build security. Surely there must be better mathematicians in USA than the one's who have built the current systems used by US security agencies. I do know though that such profiling is absolutely inhuman. If India were to institute such measures, would this be tolerated? Think of it, India's Defense Minister George Fernandes, former President Kalam, and several others dignitaries have suffered this indignity at the hands of US Immigration – in their case more than to their mere person, it is the office that they represent that is insulted as well.
Well Shah Rukh may have tried to lighten up everyone's spirits when he quipped "I was detained at the airport as always for an hour and a half, which was nice. Whenever I start feeling too arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America. The immigration guys kick the star our of stardom." The as always part is rather disconcerting.
Grow up America. Go watch “My name is Khan”!
