Mr. Sushil is still grieving over the passing of fellow pupil Amarnath Ghosh, an Indian classical dancer who was 34 years old, in February. It is being looked into as a homicide by the local police.
Before learning of Ghosh’s passing, Mr. Sushil claims to have received word from a friend in India rather than his institution.
Others observe that the students’ experiences during their stay abroad differ since they come from a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds.
“When they leave their support systems and navigate a new culture, international students face unique stressors,” explains CSU executive director of communications Reena Arora-Sanchez.
“After two days, they informed us. Students are not overly pleased with the response as a whole. Who gives a damn about how Indians feel, really?
Ghosh was shot and killed on a city street just off campus. The institution made it clear that it only notifies the next of kin of a deceased student after law enforcement verifies the identity, which is a lengthy procedure.
VC of Marketing and Communications at Washington University in St. Louis, Julie Flory, described the incident as a “horrible tragedy” and stated, “We shared this sad news with members of our community as soon as we could and according to the wishes of Amarnath’s closest contacts.”
According to the St. Louis Police Department, identifying the deceased “takes 48 hours to establish identity” and “in many cases, much longer”.
Ghosh is one of the 11 Indian or students of Indian descent who have passed away in the US this year, raising concerns about community members’ personal safety.
There have been a range of causes of death, including shootings, suicide, and hypothermia. According to experts, there is no obvious connection between these unconnected instances. Every tragedy reverberates throughout campuses, yet students continue their daily lives, managing their anxieties in the face of academic pressure.
“We stay indoors after dark. We’ve determined which areas of the city are dangerous after dark. What more are we capable of doing?” Mr. Sushil queries.
Co-presidents of the Association of South Asians at Tufts University in Massachusetts, Anushka Madan and Ishika Gupta, say they have a set of standard safety guidelines that include avoiding going alone on campus after dark.
According to Ms. Gupta, “Boston is generally pretty safe.” “But we stay a bit more cautious right now, more aware of our surroundings.”
Universities are conscious of the psychological effects on students in addition to physical safety.
The psychological toll of being hundreds of miles away from home is enormous.
“It’s become clear that international students are increasingly facing mental health issues which are a combination of immense financial pressure and academic pressure to keep up their level so that their visa status is not affected,” says Ms. Bhandari, an educator.
The psychological toll of being hundreds of miles away from home is enormous.”
