Another Indian becomes target of hate crime in US

A 39-year-old Sikh man, identified as Deep Rai, was shot at by a partially masked gunman in Kent, Washington. This is third attack on an Indian origin in the US within a fortnight and comes close on the heels of the Donald Trump administration signalling a temporary relief for New Delhi by assuring that the new work visa regime will be part of a broader immigration overhaul.

Official sources here said that Rai described the shooter as a six-foot-tall white man, wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.

Last month in Kansas, a 32-year-old Indian engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, was killed when a 51-year-old US Navy veteran, Adam Purinton, opened fire at him and his friend Alok Madasani, yelling "get out of my country". Earlier this week, an Indian-origin convenience store owner, Harnish Patel, 43, of Lancaster in South Carolina, was found dead of gunshot wounds.

Reports said that Rai was working on his vehicle outside his home on Friday when a stranger walked up to his home's driveway. The Kent police said an argument broke out between the two men, with Rai saying that the suspect made statements to the effect of "go back to your own country".

The unidentified man then shot Rai in the arm. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed sorrow at the attack. "I have spoken to Sardar Harpal Singh, father of the victim. He told me that his son had a bullet injury on his arm. He is out of danger and is recovering in a private hospital," she tweeted. Swaraj also extended her condolences to the family of Harnish Patel, assuring that the investigation of the case is in progress.

The spate of attacks has raised fears of a revival of the 19th and 20th century Ku Klux Klan (KKK) movement, which advocated white supremacy, white nationalism and anti-immigration, using physical assault and murder, to terrorise individuals.

On the attack on Rai, MaryKay L Carlson, Charge d' Affaires, US Embassy here, said that she was saddened by the shooting. "Wishes for quick and full recovery. As @POTUS said we condemn 'hate and evil in all its forms'," she tweeted.

The US authorities have conveyed to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that the police were looking for the gunman. "They have told us that while the Sikh man sustained non life-threatening injuries, they are treating this as a very serious incident," an official said.

In the wake of such attacks, the state governments of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have written to the MEA, explaining the fears of parents of techies and students in the US over their wards' safety and security. The MEA is learnt to have assured the states that enough steps are being taken to communicate the matter to the US. Around 35,000 students pursuing different courses in the US and 1.5 lakh techies have been shaken by the Kansas killing. They are gripped not just by the physical threats to their lives, but also by the uncertain stay in the US due to the upcoming changes in the H1B visa norms.

An official said that the government was ready to offer all assistance to Rai. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco is in touch with local authorities, he said. "With the recent unrest and concerns throughout the nation, this can get people emotionally involved, especially when (the crime) is directed at a person for how they live, how they look," Kent Police Commander Jarod Kasner said.

Jasmit Singh, a Sikh leader in Washington, said that his community has reported a rise in incidents of verbal abuse, "a kind of prejudice, a kind of xenophobia that is nothing that we've seen in the recent past." He said that the climate of hate is not distinguishing anyone, reminding a spate of attacks against his community in the aftermath of the September 11 terror attacks.

"At that time, it felt like the (presidential) administration was actively working to allay those fears," Singh said. "Now, it's a very different dimension," he said. India Civil Watch, a collective of Indian-American activists and professionals, called on Indian-Americans to not succumb to fears in the wake of incidents like Kuchibhotla's murder.

The community must get organised in broad coalitions with others who intend to defend immigrant and minority rights, it said. "This is also a moment for Indian communities in the US to reflect, take stock, and prepare for the oncoming weeks and months of struggle against a rising tide of racism and xenophobia," it added.