Don’t we all have a dream of living abroad, of working in a foreign coutry and build a life far from our homeland, India, to mark our success, to feed our ambition. But do we ever think about the cost that Indians pay for going to a foreign country and start life absolutely afresh, and no, I don’t mean the cost in rupees or in foreign currency. Living abroad, miles away from our family has more cost to pay than some money.
Indian nationals in foreign countres have been experiencing discrimination on the basis of race and nationality for a very long time, however, in the recent years, there has been an increase in the number of deaths of the Indian nationals in various foreign countries with most of them either being shot or stabbed or assaulted to death. To put it simply, a lot of the Indian nationals living abroad have been murdered and the cases seem to have no end.
From the most well known case that took place in Seattle in 2023, where an Indian student, Jaahnavi Kandula, 23 year old, native of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district was killed while crossing the street after she was hit by a police vehicle. The most gruesome part about the incident was that the police officers in the police vehicle, instead of helping, were heard mocking and laughing at the deceased girl in a video that had surfaced post the tragedy. India has demanded a probe in the case ever since, where the officer was heard joking about the woman’s death. The police officer was put under investigation after his body-worn camera captured his phone conversation where he said the deceased woman ‘had limited value. And yet to this date, there has not been criminal charges against the officer due to the alleged lack of sufficient evidence.
To the most recent case where 24 year-old Chirag Antil, who hailed from Sonipat, Haryana had gone to Canada in Sept 2022 to pursue his MBA and had subsequently securing employment in the country after completing his education, was shot dead by unknown perpetrators in a car.
And to another case in Ohio, where a 26 year old, Indian doctoral student, Aaditya Adlakha died after being shot inside a car in the US state of Ohio and the police reports claimed that there were at least three bullet holes visible in the driver’s side window. Adlakha was a fourth-year doctoral student in the molecular and developmental biology programme at the University of Cincinnati Medical School.
In another unfortunate case, Ravi, a software engineer who relocated to the United States in pursuit of career advancement, faced racially motivated attacks and struggled with cultural integration, feeling isolated and unsafe in his new environment. He made eforts to reach out to the local authorities and Indian embassies, his concerns were not adequately addressed, leaving him disillusioned and anxious about his future abroad.
Till this date the attackers of these Indian nationals have not been tracked down and punished for the loss of lives that they are responsible for, Hence the question arises, Do the lives of the Indian nationals living in the foreign countries not matter?
Pacing up with the current situation where prospects of jobs in foreign countrues seem more tempting, Indian students and youth are often seen settling abroad. While on the one hand it is a terrible loss for the country to witness serious brain-drain,on the other it has become terrible to hearb about the life losses. There is an immediate need to work into the safety and security of the Indian nationals who go abroad. The skilled educated individuals decide to go abroad to seek better opportunities. The talented youth are lured with prospects and higher salaries but it is one of the most important concerns for India to look into ensuring their safety.
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All the cases in the past have really posed serious questions about the well being of the young skilled individuals emphasizing the role of the government which urgently is needed. It is imperative to address such critical issues and timely intervention by the Indian diplomats becomes paramount in bringing some relief to the Indian nationals in countries abroad. Consulates and embassies must proactively engage with community organizations and legal experts to provide robust support networks and address grievances effectively.
Over the years, many cases have been reported where no relief seems to have reached the victims thus, it raises a growing concern of the increasing risks. The Indian government has initiated dialogues with partner countries to stregthen bilateral ties and enhance diplomatic cooperation. It is important to prioritize the safety and security of all the skilled individuals overseas to mitigate the adversaries and foster a conducive environment for Indian Nationals to contribute to the growing progress in the global settings.
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