Congress MP KC Venugopal on Tuesday (February 6), expressed concerns over the death of Indian students abroad and asked the government to launch an investigation if there were any “hate crime” angle to the incidents. Raising a "matter of serious concern" during the Zero Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Venugopal said that according to recent information shared by the External Affairs Minister in the Lok Sabha, a staggering 403 Indian students have lost their lives in foreign countries since 2018.
"Sir (Chair), this is not a number...families devastated, dreams shattered and futures extinguished," he said.
Vanugopal cited the information provided by the minister, and said that Canada topped the list with 91 incidents, followed by the United Kingdom with 48 cases.
In the United States, four Indian or Indian-origin students lost their lives in January this year.
What did Venugopal say?
"This number demands our immediate attention and collective efforts to ensure the safety of Indian students those who are studying abroad. We must ask whether some of these cases in fact (are) hate crimes. I urge the government to conduct a thorough investigation into each case to determine if hate crimes are a contributing factor. It is essential to address the root causes of this rise in violence,” he said.
“The government must engage in robust diplomatic efforts with the countries where our students are studying,” Venugopal added.
The Congress leader also made a case for establishing a comprehensive records system to accurately track and report incidents involving Indian students overseas.
(With PTI inputs)
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