1st victim of Trump’s ban on immigrants, it’s not an Arab, but an Indian

The killing of an Indian engineer in the US has brought into focus the controversial assertion of Donald Trump administration to ban entry of immigrants to the country.

New York, Feb 24: On social media, the unfortunate death of an Indian-origin man after an American went on a shooting spree at a bar in Olathe, Kansas State, US, on Wednesday night, has been described as 'hate crime' and 'homegrown terror attack'.

In the same incident, another Indian and an American sustained bullet injuries. They are said to be 'out of danger' after they were admitted in a hospital. Srinivas Kuchibhotla (32) died and Alok Madasani (32) was injured when Adam W Purinton shot them. While Ian Grillot, 24, was injured when he tried to intervene to save the Indians, stated media reports.

Both Srinivas and Alok worked as engineers at an American company. The shooting episode is not a 'regular' attack by a gunman in America. Adam (51), an US Navy veteran, opened fire as he mistook both the Indians as 'Arabs or Middle Easterners'. Before shooting, Adam apparently yelled, "Get out of my country."

Adam made a 'strong statement' before committing the crime. His remark echoes in what the American administration has been repeatedly saying, 'banning Muslims immigrants entering the country' in recent times. While the ban has not come into effect, after the intervention of judiciary in the US, however, President Donald Trump administration is adamant to bring strict laws to restrict entry of immigrants into American soil.

In this context, if on one hand the State is planning of punitive actions against immigrants and few US nationals like Adam are ready to kill immigrants, neither Arabs nor Indians are safe in the country.

The Hindu American Foundation has called the attack a hate crime. But officials had not classified it a hate crime, saying they were investigating the angle. "It was a tragic and senseless act of violence," Olathe Police chief Steven Menke said.

Back in India, the family of Kuchibhotla in Hyderabad, Telangana, was shocked over the incident and has sought help from the state and central governments in bringing his body back home.

On Friday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed shock over the shooting incident. Expressing her 'heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family', the minister tweeted that she has spoken to Indian Ambassador in the US Navtej Sarna and that 'two Indian embassy officials have rushed to Kansas'. "Consul RD Joshi is rushing from Houston to Kansas to render all possible assistance. Vice Consul Harpal Singh is also proceeding from Dallas to Kansas," she said.

OneIndia News