Jaishankar expresses concerns over rising deaths of Indian students in US

EXPRESSING concern over the frequent deaths of Indian students in the United States, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said that all the cases are not interlinked. At the same time, he stressed that the issue is a big concern for the Indian government. 

“Obviously, in every case, wherever anything unfortunate has happened to the students, it is of great tragedy for the family, and a big concern for us but...our embassy or consulate has looked at every case and they're unconnected," S Jaishankar told reporters on Monday. 

Expressing his concern over incidents of killings of Indian students in the US, Jaishankar stated that though the incidents are unconnected, he does share the worry of the kin.

Answering a question on murders of Indian students in the US in the last three and half months, 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 actually 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 have to tell people that they should not go and also to convey not to take foolish risks. We have presently 11 to 12 lakh students studying abroad in different countries,” he said.

“Every Indian going out you have Modi’s guarantee. The student welfare is particularly important for us and we are working on it.”

Answering a question on handling the changing scenarios of the world, the Minister said: “We are very cognizant. There are going to be difficult years. Actually. India is an oasis of stability. If you look at any part of the world, few can say that they are better off today compared to the last five or 10 years. We have progressed, secured ourselves and built capacities.”

“But, it should not blind us. We have big challenges. For this, you need an experienced, courageous Prime Minister as well as a team in which he has confidence,” he added.

Asked about whether India will ever get Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka like how Ram Mandir was built and Article 370 abolished, Minister Jaishankar maintained that they are different issues and can’t be compared.

“We take our manifesto seriously. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh headed the committee and Prime Minister Modi sat through the process of preparing the manifesto. Our promises are real. What you see in the manifesto, you will get it,” he said.