FIIDS releases survey on concerns targeted at Indian American students (representative)
Washington:
Prominent Indian expatriate organizations have called on various US government agencies, universities and student organizations to address the sharp rise in deaths of Indian students in the US in recent months.
According to an analysis by the Foundation for Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), the causes of these incidents include suspicious shootings, kidnappings, environmental deaths due to lack of safety knowledge (monoxide poisoning, hypothermia), and suicide triggers. It turned out that there were a wide range of issues, including psychological problems and even suspicious incidents. From accidents to violent crimes.
FIIDS said authorities need to strengthen safety training, improve search and rescue procedures and introduce stricter rules against fraternity riots. Raise risk and safety awareness and provide mental health support.
Since the beginning of 2024, there have been at least six deaths of Indians and students of Indian descent in the United States.
A 25-year-old Indian student who had been missing since last month was found dead in Cleveland this week.
Police are investigating the death of Uma Sathya Sai Gadde, an Indian student from Ohio last week.
Last month, Amarnath Ghosh, 34, a trained classical dancer from India, was shot and killed in St. Louis, Missouri.
Last month, the consulate posted on X about the death of Abhijith Palchul, a 20-year-old Indian student living in Boston. Paltschul's parents, who are based in Connecticut, were in direct contact with detectives, and an initial investigation into his death ruled out any criminal activity.
Sameer Kamath, 23, an Indian-American student at Purdue University, was found dead on February 5th at a nature preserve in Indiana.
On February 2, Vivek Taneja, a 41-year-old IT executive from India, was assaulted outside a restaurant in Washington, D.C., leaving him with life-threatening injuries. In another tragedy, 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini was beaten to death by a homeless drug addict in Georgia.
The sudden spike in tragic deaths of Indian students in the United States has raised serious concerns not only among Indian citizens but also among the Indian American community.
“The sudden spike in deaths among Indian students is alarming and suspicious,” said Dr. Lakshmi Taranki of Boston, who collected data on more than 10 student deaths.
On Tuesday, FIIDS submitted various recommendations to the Department of State, Department of Justice, Department of Education, universities, student organizations, and the Indian American community.
Since the sudden increase in suspicious deaths, the potential for hate crimes has been raised in the Indian American community, especially as many deaths are concentrated around universities in the eastern and midwestern states of Cleveland, Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. There are rumors going around about it.
According to FIIDS, some are concerned that hate crimes are being fueled by negative propaganda against the community.
“While FIIDS has not found any conclusive facts to support the rumors, an investigation may be necessary to address the concerns in a timely manner,” the media release said.
“According to the Open Doors Report (ODR), there are 275,000 students from India, accounting for 25% of all international students and contributing $9 billion annually in tuition and fees.” said the paper.
“However, the recent increase in deaths is alarming and, if not addressed, could impact colleges' confidence in the safety of U.S. colleges and universities and further impact student influx.” said Khanderao Khand, head of policy and strategy at FIIDS.
FIIDS also announced it would launch a survey regarding concerns and safety among Indian American students.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
