Indian diplomatic missions in the United States (US) have reached out to the student community at various universities across the country amid an upswing in attacks against Indian citizens in the last few months.
“All the Indian consulates in the US have reached out to the students to reassure them about all possible help in case they face any issue,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular briefing on Friday.
He said that the Indian diplomatic missions had begun “outreach” programmes across various locations.
Besides the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, New Delhi maintains a diplomatic consulate at five other US cities—Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York and San Francisco.
Reportedly, at least seven Indian-origin students, including citizens, have been found dead, killed or injured in attacks in the US this year, raising concerns about the safety of the Indian student community in the country.
On 27 February, Amarnath Ghosh, an Indian student pursuing PhD from Washington University in St Louis was killed in a gun attack.
On 4 February, Syed Mazahir Ali, an Indian student hailing from southern Telangana state suffered severe injuries to eyes and head after being brutally assaulted by four armed robbers in Chicago in a late-night attack.
Another Indian student, Vivek Saini, was battered to death by a drug addict in another horrendous attack in Atlanta, Georgia last month.
Indian students enrolled at US universities reached an all-time high of over 268,000 in 2022-23, accounting for 25 percent of the overall international student population, according to a report by Open Doors.
Last year, India overtook China as the biggest source of international students to the US for the first time since 2009-10, the report said.
Around 4.2 million people in the US, or nearly 1.2 percent of the population, identify themselves as Indian-American, according to official statistics reported by the media.
Indian Consulate in Touch with Family of Student Killed in Gun Attack in Missouri
Commenting on the fatal gun attack against Masters’ student Amarnath Ghosh, Jaiswal said the consulate was in regular touch with the family and police.
“The police are carrying out an investigation into the matter. Our consulate is in regular touch with them. We will get a clear picture about the reason for the death once the police conclude the investigation,” said Jaiswal.
He said that the Chicago consulate extended assistance to the family in the case.
According to reports, Ghosh was shot “multiple times” near the university on the evening of 27 February.
The Indian Consulate in Chicago has condemned the “reprehensible gun attack”.