American slaves cuffed during 18th century (left) Indian students cuffed during 21st century
NEW DELHI: Radio collars are used to track animals. In the 18th century US, such treatment was reserved for Blacks when their feet were cuffed to restrict their movement. After three hundred years, the US is using similar practices to curb the movement of Indian students who happened to have enrolled themselves to study in a US university in Pleasanton, California.
The incident has caused huge furor in India though the Indian government has been lukewarm in its reaction. Throughout the week, Indian TV channels telecast visuals of Indian students with radio trackers around one ankle, apparently to monitor their movements. External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has condemned the incident and demanded severe action against those responsible for the “inhuman act. Indian students are not criminals. The radio collars should immediately be removed,” he said in Bangalore.
To add salt to injury, Juliet Wur, the Public Affairs Officer at the US Consulate in Hyderabad, remarked that these “anklets are very hip and happening. Many of our movie stars…choose the anklets than sitting in orange suit in a prison.”
There were demands from agitating students in Hyderabad that the lady be disqualified from serving and asked to leave India. Remarks like these harm Indo-American relations.
Sukhbir Singh Badal, President Shiromani Akali Dal and Deputy Chief Minister Punjab, said it was matter of great concern that the oldest democracy of the world “that fought the relentless battle against slavery, has resorted to modern day shackles of radio tags, normally used to keep track of animals in the jungle. By treating the lawful immigrants from India worse than animals, the US government has committed worst kind of human right violation besides denigrating India as a country.”
CPI-M’s Bengali mouthpiece Ganashakti said in an editorial, “Radio collars are used to track animals and now they are using such kind of devices to keep a track on Indian students in the US. It’s an insult. The use of these devices is making Indian students vulnerable in that country.”
Many Indian Americans in US are also aghast at this US move. Dr Romesh Japra, President, Federation of Indo-American Associations of Northern California, in a statement condemned “the radio-tagging and other ill-treatment being meted out to Indian students of the now closed Tri-Valley University in Pleasanton, California.”
He said, “We feel all these students are innocent. Tri Valley University conned them into becoming students. The University is rightfully closed but it is no fault of these innocent students, who are threatened with deportation thus ruining careers, ruining families. Their lives will be devastated.
We Indian Americans are working very hard with Congressmen and Senators to press the State Department and President of United States to exercise leniency and provide these students a second chance to stay on in US. All the students who qualify for different courses should be allowed to apply to different universities in the US itself and should be given student visa. None of them should be deported.
“Their plight has evoked sympathy of Congressmen. We have been in touch with Congressman Pete Stark (D-California 13th district); Mike Honda (D-California 15th district) and other leaders and they have all echoed similar sentiments.
“The Indian government also needs to put pressure on the State Department on the same lines. India’s Indian External Ministry should make out a case for granting these students amnesty in the US. Lot of refugees, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and more recently Nepal, are being taken care of by USA. These intelligent students now being victimized can contribute a lot to America. They should be welcomed with open arms.”
India Post News Service
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