By Tomy Jacob
Miami: The New York Times on February 28 carried an article titled, “Indians Used to Dream of America. No Longer.” It speaks of new alarms over increasing hostility toward foreigners in the United States, especially after President Donald Trump began cracking on immigrants with his “America first” agenda.
The article by Sandip Roy, the author of the novel, “Don’t Let Him Know,” was published a week after Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, two immigrants from India, were attacked at a bar in Kansas City.
Adam W Purinton, the white attacker, had earlier made ethnic slurs at the two Indians and suggesting they did not belong in the United States. The bar threw out the American out after patrons complained.
Purinton returned a short time later and fired on the two men. Kuchibhotla was killed, and Madasani was wounded, along with a 24-year-old man who had tried to apprehend the gunman, who fled.
Purinton, 51, was charged with premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder.
Later Madasani’s father appealed to all Indians not to send their children to the US “in the present circumstances.”
I really like the irony in the appeal.
It’s like saying, “Don’t send girls to Kerala because a cine artist there got abducted and sexually assaulted in Kochi. So the entire country is not fit for girls.”
The artist was on her way to a dubbing studio in Kochi in her car driven by her driver when a criminal gang waylaid her on the night of February 18. It became apparent later that she became the victim of a quotation team hired by some unknown persons. However, the mystery continues. Every such incident has an untold background history. The real truth may be different from what the media reports.
The situation in America remains the same for Indians and others. I came to this country mid 2000s and I see no reason to be worried.
Life here goes as usual. Indians, like all others from all over the world, live as we had lived in our own countries. We have our Indian or even South Indian grocery stores, prayer centers, gatherings, cultural programs, chenda melam for processions and what not. We dress the way we feel comfortable in the street and even spit on the footpath (if no one watches). We eat or drink what we want. No one sets any special rules. In short, we are free to do what we want as long as it is within the laws of this country.
The Americans give us the right to select their president. It made us one among them. We have all opportunities to live, work, enjoy life as they do. But at the same time, we live as Indians; think like Indians; work like Indians; send money to India as if that’s the place we belong. Some of us have even reserved our cemeteries over there. There is no government restriction over such actions. After our vacation in India, we return with spices, groceries, dresses, home decorations from there. We enjoy all facilities America provides and live as if we are in our own native country. And yet we complain.
This does not mean we have no tension. Of course, there are. They have begun to enforce the law a bit stringently now. Such situations occur time to time. If one is clean and clear then there is no reason to worry.
In fact, Indians should worry more about what is happening in their country. It is becoming increasingly intolerant about what people eat, drink, dress or even think. How long will can Indians enjoy the freedom won by their forefathers with so much sacrifice? Let us worry about India’s future as a land of opportunities for all.
Indians should stop worrying about what is happening in America and send their children to this land of dreams.
(Tomy Jacob is an Agent with Atlantic Realty & Investment Corp residing in Miami, Florida. https://www.trulia.com/profile/tomy-jacob-agent-n-miami-fl-zgbpwsnf/overview)