US envoy : ‘Your children are our children’, assures parents after students’ deaths

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti assured the parents that the US “cares deeply” for the well-being of Indian students and that “their children are our children” when they are in the US.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti during an interview with PTI at the American Center, in New Delhi, Friday, April 26, 2024.

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Friday emphasised that the country is safe for Indian students amid reports of violence against Indian nationals.

Speaking to news agency PTI, Garcetti assured the parents that the US “cares deeply” for the well-being of Indian students and that “their children are our children” when they are in the US.

“We care so deeply for the well-being of Indian students in the US. We want parents to know that their children are our children when they are in the United States. And, there is a wealth of resources that can help students prepare…in the US, whether it is mental health… and resources for that being far away for home, parents and families,” the Ambassador said.

Garcetti highlighted that students studying abroad should familiarise themselves, have a network, trusted friends, and should know what to do if there is a dangerous situation, or if there is a mental health issue.

The Ambassador also said that it could just be an issue of common sense public safety, and students might not know which neighbourhood to avoid and at what time.

The US envoy underlined that students coming to study in the country should know that there are campus securities, local law enforcement, and that “all these things sometimes students just don’t know, since it is a new country”.

Garcetti said American universities are “extraordinary places” to come to and offer overwhelming experience to students.

“The United States is a safe country. And, there are a lot of resources to help students feel protected. But if they don’t reach out, we might not know about the incidents before it is too late,” said Garcetti.

Nearly half a dozen Indian and Indian-origin students have died in the US since January this year.

In February, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that there was “no foul play or interconnectedness” in the deaths of five Indian students in the US.

Source: IT