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Maid case casts a shadow on IAF chief's visit to France

Ranvir Nayar in Paris

The controversy over the alleged torture of a maidservant employed by an Indian diplomat in Paris has cast a shadow on the visit of the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal Anil Yashwant Tipnis.

ACM Tipnis arrived in the French capital last week, when the issue was reaching boiling point with the Indian embassy in Paris and the French Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres (the foreign ministry) exchanging heated words through the media.

ACM Tipnis is in Paris at the invitation of the French government and has been holding talks with his counterpart as well as the whole range of the French defence industry.

He was supposed to have led a high-level delegation during the Paris Air Show in June, but was unable to do so on account of the outbreak of hostilities in Kargil.

Besides meeting French defence ministry officials, the IAF chief has been taken to several air bases and manufacturing facilities of various aircraft companies and has had prolonged discussions with Dassault, which is keen to sell the Mirage 2000-5 fighter-bomber to India.

But the very public handling of the Lalita Oraon case by the French authorities has vitiated the atmosphere.

The Indian government is very upset about the denial of consular access to Oraon, especially as the entire French media has had a field day interviewing her.

The Indian mission in Paris has conveyed to the French government its unhappiness with the way the issue has been handled.

India has also reportedly told France that the present atmosphere is hardly conducive to business negotiations, especially of such a sensitive nature as defence purchases.

"If they want to sell weapons and technology, they also have to be careful about how they handle this issue. They just cannot keep piling us with mud in the face and then pretend that nothing has happened and continue to talk business," remarked an observer of the Indo-French political and business relations.

He said if India were to sign any major contracts at this juncture, it would send wrong signals to the world. "It would mean that anyone can insult us or play with our reputation and expect us to toe the line when it comes to business," the observer said.

Though the IAF chief is in any case not expected to sign the final deal on the Mirage, his visit is crucial for Dassault since it will bring the final contract a step closer. But the Oraon case has slowed down the negotiations.

A senior official at Dassault refused to comment on the visit or the impact of the Oraon case, but a French foreign ministry official ruled out any fallout of the case on ACM Tipnis's visit.

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