It seems to be a tale of history repeating itself; Bollywood film star Shahrukh Khan was detained yet again at yet another airport in the U.S. Deemed as an unfortunate situation, Indian Foreign Minister, Mr.  SM Krishna expressed disdain by saying that the ‘policy of detention and apology by the U.S. cannot continue’. He added, “Apologies from America have become mechanical.” This statement perhaps opens a can of ugly truths. While the U.S. customs and border protection authorities profusely apologized later, it still leaves several questions unanswered. In the past, Indian President, Dr. Abdul Kalam and former Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Meera Shankar were frisked at airports in the U.S., while protocol excludes former state dignitaries from such searches. It reveals a side of a lackadaisical or indifferent attitude towards adherence to standard protocol.

There lies the irony after all the brouhaha about social assimilation and respect for human dignity. This entire detention episode of Shahrukh Khan’s could have been avoided by the authorities at the click of a button if they had wanted to match the relevant information to his profile. It has set a feeling of uncertainty underneath the hypocritical garb of strengthening ties and the gamut. Despite all the apologies and the regret from the American end, it is about time to live up and act instead of harping on mere hackneyed rhetoric. The world needs something beyond this to thrive on to avoid ire, confusion, and chaos.