In a shocking turn of events, yet another fatal attack has resulted in the death of an Indian student studying at Washington University in the United States. The victim, identified as Amarnath Ghosh was a 34-year-old trained classical dancer from India. According to various media reports, he was shot dead in St. Louis, Missouri. He was pursuing a master's degree in the Department of Performing Arts.
This incident adds to a list of previous attacks and deaths among Indian and Indian-American students residing in the US, raising concerns within the community.
Since the start of 2024, at least half a dozen deaths involving individuals of Indian origin have come to light. Among the victims was Sameer Kamath, a 23-year-old Indian-American student at Purdue University, whose lifeless body was discovered in a nature preserve in Indiana on February 5. Prior to this, Syed Mazahir Ali, another Indian student, fell victim to a robbery-related attack in Chicago.
Additionally, a 25-year-old Indian student Vivek Saini met a fatal end in Georgia State's Lithonia city, where he was viciously attacked by a homeless drug addict. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Shreyas Reddy Beniger, a student at Ohio State's Lindner School of Business, was found dead in Ohio, with signs indicating hypothermia as the cause of death.
Another student Neel Acharya, whose body was discovered on the Purdue University campus in Indiana. Acharya, a student in the field of computer science and data science, had gone missing for several hours before his remains were recovered.
In response to these cases, acknowledging the severity of the situation, US President Joe Biden's administration has promised to take stringent measures to prevent further attacks on Indian students. White House spokesperson John Kirby while talking to the media, said, "The president and this administration have been working very, very hard to make sure we're doing everything we can to work with state and local authorities to try to thwart and disrupt those kinds of attacks and make it clear to anybody who might consider them that they'll be held properly accountable," as reported by PTI.
Additionally, addressing this rising concern during a panel discussion arranged by the Mumbai University, Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs for the United States, Elizabeth Allen said, "The United States is always looking out for the safety and security of any student on their campuses. These incidents that have come to light in recent days don't follow a particular pattern that might pose a threat to the students in the US."
Moreover, the officials of the Indian Embassy in Washington and its consulates in the US recently organized a virtual meeting with Indian students from across the country in response to the frequent deaths and attacks. The purpose of the discussion was to address the well-being of the students and find ways to improve communication within the larger Indian community.
Around 150 Indian Student Association representatives and students from 90 universities in the US took part in the meeting, which was led by Charge d'Affaires Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan and attended by Consul Generals from major cities across the US.
