The murder of an Indian engineer, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, in Kansas city in an apparent act of racial violence on Wednesday is an isolated incident, according to a community organiser living there for the past 16 years.
Bindulatha Cheedella, coordinator for the Telugu Association of North America (TANA) in Kansas, came to the city in 2000 and never left despite having several options, she told The Hindu by phone. “This is the place I call home.” She and her husband run companies and travel all over the U.S for work. “But we believe this is the best place for our children,” said the mother of two. The older one is in high school and the younger in middle school.
Ms. Cheedella was with Kuchibhotla’s wife, Sunayana Dumala, until she left with the body on Saturday.
Ms. Dumala, who has been working on an H-4 visa, may not be able return to the U.S. immediately as her visa was linked to Kuchibhotla’s H-1B visa. Kuchibhotla’s application for a permanent residency or green card was under process. Ms. Dumala’s lawyers are exploring avenues available for her to return to the U.S. The couple had bought a house recently. As the outpouring of public sympathy continues, a GoFundMe page has raised more than $600,000 for the family, until Monday.
An estimated 4,000 people of Indian-origin live in the Midwestern State of Kansas according to a recent mapping, said the Indian Consul-General in Huston, Anupam Ray. The Kansas Governor and other officials had taken the incident very seriously and were disturbed by it, he said. Mr. Ray said he would be meeting the Governor, along with Indian-American community leaders, within two weeks.
Out of politics
Ms. Cheedella said the community mostly mingled among themselves along linguistic lines and took little interest in politics. “But we have links with the local Congressman. He has always been helpful,” she said. Social life was mostly around dinner gatherings at one another’s place, but the younger ones also went out to restaurants and bars. “I move around in all parts of the city and have never felt threatened,” she said.
TANA has decided to honour Ian Grillot, the white American who tried to stop the shooter. “In this tragedy, Mr. Grillot is a shining example of humanity,” Satish Vemana, president-elect of TANA, told The Hindu .
