Eric and The Embassy

Further to the seemingly drug fuelled excesses of Eric the Dutchman who hit the local papers yesterday morning. Before he was even allowed out of the room where he was locked up in for the night, his antics and pictures were splashed all over the local newspapers.

One version carried pictures of him throwing sand around at the Subzi Warrior Queens, another paper showed his abject condition on both days of his disgrace.

Since the guy hadn't committed any crime nor was he in immediate life threatening danger, there was little the police could do but to convince the guy next door to take him back at least until the diplomatic office opened and Proper Arrangements could be made. Incredibly, the guy agreed and bought him back to the guest house next door. But he is kept under lock and key at night because I hear him banging on the door every morning calling to be allowed out. Then he wanders around complaining that his money is missing, his food is late, pleading for someone to call the police and other nonsense. Surej the owner mutters and swears about the mad bhaindchord and grudgingly accepts his duty to this pagal guest. Seems that if Surej wants rid of the guy then it is up to him to take him to Delhi and deliver him to the doorstep of the Dutch Embassy. At least that's what the other guesthouse owners do as a matter of course.

In the meantime, Surej feeds him, lets him loose in the market every morning and locks him up at night.

Very quickly Eric has become part of the background, Whether he was mad when he got here and didn't take his medication or whether he was sane when he got here and is in some drug induced psychosis is not debated.

It says something about the local attitude towards madness, temporary or otherwise. 

If a similar situation had gone down in New Zealand, Eric would have been tasered before he even got a chance to hug the cop, In the US he probably would have been shot. It also says something about the Indian attitude towards their responsibilities as a host. Every visitor even Eric could be a god in disguise sent to test you, and as a host your responsibility extends to acting in loco parentis until someone can make Proper Arrangements for your visitor.