Eric Garcetti urges Indian students to take preventive measures (File)
New Delhi:
Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, has addressed safety concerns of Indian students studying in the United States and urged students to remain vigilant and take appropriate safety measures.
The envoy emphasized that students should stay connected with peers and utilize campus safety resources to increase their awareness and preparedness.
In a recent interview with ANI, Eric Garcetti acknowledged the distressing incidents involving Indian students. He stressed that such incidents could statistically occur in a country of this size and urged students to remain vigilant and take adequate safety measures.
“First of all, all the families, and I’ve talked to some of those families who have experienced tragedy with their own son or daughter. I mean, our hearts go out. perpetrators at, you know, a quarter of a million now per year, statistically this is going to happen. But that is not acceptable for a parent if it happens to your child,” said Eric Garcetti.
He extended his condolences to the affected families and underscored the U.S. government’s commitment to ensuring justice for victims and holding perpetrators accountable.
Eric Garcetti urged Indian students to take preventive measures and advised students to be vigilant and familiarize themselves with safe neighborhoods and follow the advice of travelers around the world.
“The same kind of advice we give to travelers as they travel around the world, including to places like India, is that we know these things can happen, but you can play a role in reducing the risk,” he noted.
The envoy underlined the importance of traveling in groups, staying in touch with peers and avoiding risky behavior, including illegal drug use. Additionally, he encouraged students to take advantage of campus safety resources to increase their awareness and preparedness.
With approximately 2,45,000 Indian students attending college on American campuses every year, safety has become a priority for both students and their families.
Responding to concerns about the perception of safety in American college towns compared to other countries such as Australia and New Zealand, Eric Garcetti assured that while challenges exist, crime rates, especially violent crime, have declined significantly in recent years.
“No, I think there are always only safe things to do, but that’s not the case. I mean, crime has gone down, violent crime, especially in recent years. It’s much safer than in years seventy and eighty,” says Eric Garcetti. confirmed.
He attributed the increased awareness of incidents to the rapid spread of information through social media.
Eric Garcetti asserted that the United States is a safe destination for Indian students, extended a warm welcome and reaffirmed the country’s appreciation for its international student community.
“We encourage Indian students to come. We love our Indian students,” he said.
He stressed that safety measures are essential regardless of the destination, and urged students to prioritize their well-being wherever they choose to pursue their education.
It is notable that several distressing incidents have recently been reported from the US involving Indian nationals or people of Indian origin.
As many as five Indian students were killed in separate incidents in the first two months of 2024.
In March itself, a 25-year-old Indian student went missing in the Cleveland area of the US following which his family has urged the State Department to find their son after receiving a “ransom call”.
Mohammed Abdul Arafat, born in Hyderabad, went to the US for his master’s degree in IT from Cleveland University in May 2023 but has been missing since March 7, 2024.
His father, Mohd Saleem, said that after ten days they received a phone call in which the person said that their son (Abdul Arafat) had been kidnapped and asked for a ransom of $1,200.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)