(New York City) — The North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS) is deeply disappointed with the disturbing news of a police officer laughing at the death of a 23-year-old Indian graduate student by a Seattle Police Department officer.
“We, as advocates for the Indian student community, are disheartened to see the reaction of a police officer, meant to protect us, laughing at the gruesome death caused by their own department. Who do we trust?” said Sudhanshu Kaushik, Executive Director of NAAIS. “As extensively documented by civil society and the State Department, the international student demographic has been increasing every year and a large contributor to the United States economy. In this context, we feel deep disappointment that the of the Seattle Police Department have chosen to turn a blind eye and to protect members of their department for joking about the death of a 23-year-old graduate student.”
From hate crimes against students by random strangers to acts of violence in dorm rooms, Indian students have been a victim of senseless violence and the frequency of those attacks continue to grow since 2016. With over 100,000 international Indian students, it is important to take steps at a local, state, and national level to protect Indian students.
“NAAIS is deeply appreciative of those looking to hold the officers accountable, but it is a learning moment for us all to not minimize and ridicule the struggle of the Indian student community. We look forward to hearing strict actions against the officers in question to demonstrate that the values of our lives are of equal value,” continued Kaushik.
