Kansas shooting: Indians jolted, but American dream alive

Rising racial attacks, coupled with the killing of an Indian engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32), on Wednesday night in Kansas, has left the American dreams of many Indians shattered.

Parents who were keen to send their wards to the US and had already gone through the elaborate procedures, now seem confused and apprehensive. The fear has reached such an extent that Indians in America have circulated a list of dos and don'ts in public places.

"I am concerned about safety and would prefer to stay in a metropolitan society like California. You are bound to feel scared, xenophobia has certainly rose because of Trump and more incidents are likely," said Eshaan, who has applied to various colleges in the US for his MS in Electrical Engineering.

Kuchibhotla and another Indian, Alok Madasani (31), were fired at by a 51-year-old US navy veteran, yelling "get out of my country" on Wednesday night. Madasani suffered critical injuries and an American who tried to intervene was injured.

"Racial attacks are common but this incident was very shocking," said 24-year-old Dheemant Jain, who went to the US three years ago for his MBA. Though racism existed for centuries, once again, the divide between Americans and non-Americans has widened.

"It is very scary! There is a huge polarisation due to ongoing warmongering. There are some people who want immigrants to stay and are standing up for them, and there are some who want to get rid of us. Earlier, even if people had anti-immigrant feelings, they weren't acting upon it in public space, but now they are attacking openly. They feel that somebody at the top level also shares a similar ideology. This thought is harming," said 28-year-old Karan (name changed), who is working in San Francisco.

"Trump is spreading hatred, I have heard several incidents of people being yelled at 'Go back to your country!'," added his fiance, who is also working in the US. She requested not to be named since they are scared of immigrant laws under Trump regime.

Wednesday's incident has particularly received strong reactions from the Telugu community in the US since both the victims hailed from Hyderabad. According to Vinil Kumar, a techie from Hyderabad, who lives in Kansas:

"Some Americans always hated immigrants. Trump's election has emboldened them. To learn that one of us has been killed in a racial attack has saddened us. The wife of one of my friends was scared to take her kid to school today. My wife is worried too."

Wife questions Trump

Sunayana Dumala, widow of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, said that she always had doubts about safety in the US, but was always assured by her husband that "good things happen to good people."

Speaking at a news conference organised by GPS maker Garmin where Srinivas worked, Dumala, demanded an answer.

"I need an answer from the government... What are they going to do to stop this hate crime?" she said.

Situation bad, but no one is coming back

Madasani's father Jaganmohan Reddy, too, blamed the incident on the changing situation in the US. Speaking to DNA, he said; "The situation seems to be different now." He has, however, not asked his children to come back to India.

"He needs rest right now. When he will fully recover, he will decide," he said.

Karan too added that though people are scared, they aren't planning to move back. He, however, added that if similar incidents happened in future, people might consider moving somewhere else.

Racism in schools

Racism is common in schools, mostly in ones which aren't rich in global population. Sharing the incident of her nephew, a 28-year-old journalist, said: "My brother-in-law's son goes to a school that has mostly Americans who maintain a distance from him only because he isn't white. There are only a few families which aren't racist and he is friends with their children. He was a bubbly child but has gone quiet ever since he moved here. The situation is professional at workplace and racism is not prominent there. My brother-in-law occupies a managerial post and promotion is entirely on the basis of merit."

Indians whose children are studying in the US are equally shocked and worried and have advised their children to be extremely careful.

"It is a shattering news for all parents. The US is known for its gun culture. You can buy a gun from a shop without even a licence, and if a person is under the influence of alcohol, it's even more dangerous," said Shobha Bhatt, whose son is pursuing B. Tech from the University of Minnesota.

Embassy demands speedy investigation

Pratik Mathur, First Secretary (Press, Information & Culture), Indian Embassy in the US, informed that the Indian Consulate in Houston is in close contact with the family of Kuchibhotla. The embassy is making arrangements to transport his mortal remains to India. Officials have also met Madasani.

"The government of India has taken up the matter with the US authorities and has sought speedy investigation. The US government, while condemning the attack, assured us that they are conducting a thorough investigation," he said.

Extending condolences to the victims and their families, Microsoft chief Satya Nadella said that there is is no place for senseless violence and bigotry in our society. The first Indian-American woman to be elected to the US House of Representatives, Pramila Jayapal, spoke about a rise in hate crimes since Donald Trump's election as the US president in November.

Cause for concern

Feb 2017: Mamidala Vamsi Reddy, a student from Warangal, Telangana, shot dead near his apartment in California.

Nov 2016: Gurnoor Singh Nahal, a 17-year-old Indian-origin Sikh boy, shot dead when returning home from work. The incident took place at his home in his garage on Kandinsky Way in California

Dec 2016: Aravinda Pillalamarri, an Indian-American woman who has lived in the US for more than 30 years, stopped and asked about her immigration status in Marlyand.