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Memorandum submitted to The Honorable Vayalar Ravi Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India in Dallas, Texas on the atrocities committed against Indian Students specially on Andhra Students.
The Honorable Vayalar Ravi
Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India
Akbar Bhawan, Chanakya Puri, New Delhi 110 021, India
Tel: 91-11-24197900 Fax: 91-11-24197919
eMail: [email protected]
Subject: Petition to provide necessary support to prevent current spate of crimes against Indian students in USA
Dear Hon. Vayalar Ravi:
We are residents of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Texas and represent the community of more than 100,000 Indians and in particular those originally hailing from the great state of Andhra Pradesh (AP).
As you may be aware, in the last decade there has been an increase in the number of young men and women from India/AP arriving in the United States for higher studies and to work in the software industry. These bright young people come here with big and noble dreams, and most of them go on to realize their dreams in big and small ways, thus contributing greatly to both countries.
Unfortunately, in recent past we have been witnessing a spate of senseless crimes all over the world against students – especially in the United States. We are also concerned that several of them are from Andhra Pradesh. Samples of recent incidents are these:
1. Ms. Aparna Jinaga, a graduate student, was found murdered in Seattle, WA on November 1st 2008.
2. Ms. Soumya Reddy Tummala, a post-graduate student at Southern Illinois University, was killed by an unidentified assailant in Chicago around September 15th 2008.
3. Mr. Vikram Kumar Tummala, cousin of Ms. Soumya Reddy, was killed by an unidentified assailant in Chicago around September 15th 2008.
4. Dr. Srinivas Akkaladevi, a post-graduate medical student was found murdered in Scranton, Pennsylvania in March 2008.
5. Kirankumar Allam and Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma, both PhD students, were shot dead at Louisiana University on December 13th 2007.
6. Abhijeet Mahato, an IIT Kanpur alumnus who was studying at Duke University, North Carolina, was shot to death on January 18th, 2008.
7. Pulluri Shashank (22), an MBA student at University of Middle Tennessee, was fired at near his apartment in the varsity campus and is stated to be out of danger
8. Vemula Sushma (26) Knowledge City, California
What bothers us most is the fact that the incidents are forgotten as soon as they are reported. There does not seem to be a proper closure for the families either of finding out what actually happened or of seeing the criminals brought to justice and punished. These innocent victims of such senseless crimes have no one in the United States to pursue the cases so that the perpetrators are brought to justice. The parents are helpless because they cannot stay here for long, and in the midst of their grief and agony, they are least likely to be thinking of the criminal justice system in America.
We believe that, in the absence of an interested party on behalf of the victim, the local law enforcement authorities, the foreign student offices of the universities and the employers (if the victims were also employed) tend to grow complacent in their due diligence in pursuit of the criminals in a relatively short period of time. Therefore, we as a community wish to seek your support in holding the concerned law enforcement agencies and other involved organizations accountable to do the best that can be done to bring the criminals to justice.
We seek your help in doing the following:
1. Set up an office in the Embassy and other Consulates which will do the following:
a. Work with local, state, federal and academic institutions for an efficient, transparent and expedited investigation into all these unsolved murder cases and bring to justice the culprits.
b. Form a liaison with United States federal agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to ensure full protection to students of Indian origin living and studying at various US universities.
c. Extend help and cooperation to American law enforcement agencies from their counterparts in India. If necessary, a team of crime investigators can be sent to America to help solve the crime and keep the interest level of Americans at a higher level so that the case is allocated proper resources by the American agencies.
d. Work with Universities in America to provide safe, secure and affordable on or off campus housing to international students.
e. Provide advice, guidance, support and care for students from India in the United States. Perhaps a resource booklet be made and given to every student arriving in the United States.
f. Increase safety precautions for the international student community who are particularly vulnerable in their living arrangements in a foreign country.
2. Within Ministry for Overseas Indians in New Delhi do the following:
a. Develop necessary educational and advisory mechanisms to be imparted to all students going overseas.
b. Develop and distribute Handbook to Indian Students Going Overseas for Studies (similar to various excellent booklets you have already published – ex: Handbook to Overseas Indians, Guide to Marriages to Overseas Indians)
c. Develop and maintain a full database of all students with local and home addresses/contacts to reach in case of emergencies.
d. Develop and maintain a full database of all popular overseas university destinations with addresses and contacts of all university administrators, International student bodies, Indian student associations, and local Indian community organizations internationally.
3. Set up an emergency team of counselors who will work with university, local Indian groups as well as with next of kin to help tackle the issues related to medical, legal, financial, grief counseling, and transportation/logistics of body.
Apart from the aforementioned suggestions, we welcome your recommendations for us to implement as a community. The minister assured us that he will take up this issue with the Indian Ambassador and US authorities to take necessary steps to finish the investigations. He also assured us that his ministry will do all the necessary education for the US visa holders and travelers to US about necessary precautions they need to take while they are in USA.
Your timely help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Mr. Gurram Srinivas Reddy
Coordinator, Texas American Telugu Association (ATA)
2810 Brookshire Dr
Southlake, Texas 76092
Mr. MVL Prasad, Director of GDIACC and member of ATA
Mr. Rao Kalvala, Member of ATA
Ms. Syamala Rumalla, Member of ATA
And TANTEX president
Dr. Sudhaker Rumalla, Member of ATA
