Jaishankar Tells Indian Media Student Deaths In US Not Connected

BENGALURU, (IANS) – Expressing his concern over incidents of killings of Indian students in the US, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on April 15 stated that though the incidents are unconnected, he does share the worry of the kin.

The Indian media has been publishing reports that make it seem like a spate of deaths have happened and it somehow means that the tragic events point to a trend where the community is being targeted. In the US itself, while the community has mourned and rallied to give any help and support required to deal with the unfortunate situations, there has been no alarm at the larger well being of Indian Americans. 

He said, “If anything happens to the students, it is a great tragedy to the family, a big concern for us. Our embassy and consulates have looked at every case. They are unconnected. Some had personal issues, some had an accident, and somebody was unfortunately murdered. So, each case has been different.”

The External Affairs Minister said that people today are more aware, and the number of Indian students is also strong enough.

“I do share the worry. Even if they are unconnected, we have told embassies to keep in close touch with them. Whenever new students come, they should talk to them. In new cities, there are some pockets where you must tell people that they should not go and to convey not to take foolish risks. We have presently 11 to 12 lakh students studying abroad in different countries,” he said.