American Dream turns Horror? Deaths of Indian Students in US in 2024 Point to Safety Concerns, Vulnerability.

The Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. conducted a virtual interaction with Indian students following a series of attacks on Indians and Indian origin persons/students, in the US in recent times. 150 office-bearers and Indian Student Association members from 90 US universities took part in the interaction led by Charge d’affaires, Ambassador Shripriya Ranganathan. Consul Generals of India in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Seattle attended it.

A string of back-to-back deaths of Indian students at colleges across the country has left the South Asian community shaken, sparking anxiety in peers and parents. In 2024 alone, seven students of both Indian and Indian American origin have died. All men 25 years old and under, two died by suicide, two died of overdoses, two were found dead after going missing, and one was beaten to death, according to police records in states ranging from Connecticut to Indiana The alarming rise in the number of attacks had also become a cause of concern among the community.

In March, Amarnath Ghosh, 34, a trained classical dancer from India and a student of Washington University was shot dead in Missouri. Sameer Kamath, 23, an Indian American student at Purdue University was found dead at nature preserve in Indiana on Feb. 5 On Feb. 2, Vivek Taneja, 41, Indian origin IT executive, suffered life-threatening injuries during an assault outside a restaurant in Washington.

A week before, Syed Mazahir Ali, an Indian student was attacked by robbers in Chicago. Earlier, an Indian student, Vivek Saini, 25, was fatally attacked in Georgia State’s Lithonia city by a homeless drug addict. In January, Shreyas Reddy Beniger, 19, a student at Linder School of Business in Ohio State was found dead. Another Indian student Neel Acharya at Purdue University, Indiana was found dead days after he went missing on Jan. 28. An 18-year-old Akul B. Dhawan, studying at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was found dead with signs of hypothermia in February.

It may be mentioned that, an Indian student in Boston, identified as Parchuri Abhijit, 20, died in a tragic incident recently and the initial investigation ruled out any foul play. His parents based in Connecticut are in direct touch with the detectives, according to a post on X by the Consulate General of India in New York. His body was cremated in his native village of Burripalem in Guntur district on March 16.

Indians constitute more than 25% of all international students in the U.S., and it is doubtful headlines like these will lead to any significant drop. But for individual families, especially those who have to sacrifice so much to send their children overseas, America might fall lower on their list.

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We thank you for the concern and gracious support. To further this Campaign and seek strong measures and policies to safeguard Indian students and pursue justice, you can donate via Zelle to +1(703) 725 2680

#Dhanyavaad, 
Thank You Very Much,
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Petition Author: Rajesh Gooty. 
Chair of the Advisory Council, 
The Global Hindu Heritage Foundation.
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