INDIAN STUDENTS RADIO-TAGGED?

February 6th, 2011 by Ravi Matah | Posted in News   Comments Off on INDIAN STUDENTS RADIO-TAGGED?
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India has still not beeen able to settle the issue of attacks on Indian students in Australia and is now facing similar humiliation in the United States. The US authorities have confiscated the passports of Indian students of the Tri-Valley University, California and have now radio-tagged them for exposing that the University is a fake. Indian authorities have condemned this inhumane act and the MEA has asked that stern action be taken against the erring officials.

The Tri-valley University in the US has been found to be dud then how can the Indian students be penalised for no wrong-doing on their part? They have been radio-tagged like criminals on parole. These people had gone to US on valid visas and had the status of a ‘student’ and suddenly they are being termed as ‘illegal visitors’ for  no fault? Actually it is the racket conducted by the Americans who are running a fake uaniversity and the Indians are being held to take over the responsibility for this mess. Why?

India has condemned US authorities for tagging Indian students who, it says, were duped by a fake university. The Embassy of India in Washington, DC has taken up with the US State Department the issue of Tri Valley University in California, so as to ensure that Indian students are not subjected to any kind of discrimination or victimisation.

When the MEA approached their counterpart in the US, they (MEA) have been told that radio-tagging of students is ‘as per the law of their land’.  

The United States (USA) has justified the use of radio ankle monitors on some students of a sham university in California, 95 percent of them from India, saying it takes charges of visa fraud “very seriously”.

Justifying the use of ankle bracelets that track a wearer’s movements with radio frequency signals on a few students, Crowley said: “Those who are involved in this investigation have been issued ankle monitors.”

The students who have been in touch with the Embassy and the Consulate General in San Francisco and New York have requested that they be permitted to apply for transfer to other university and be given sufficient time for this. Alternatively they may be permitted to go back to India, without prejudice, and not be deported and also be allowed in normal course to reapply for studies in the US at authorised universities.

External Affairs Minister SM Krishan said Indian students were “not criminals” and that radio collars put around their ankles must be removed.

US authorities have shut down the Tri-Valley University near San Francisco, accusing it of an immigration fraud. .

“We take these allegations of immigration and visa fraud very seriously,” State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters on Monday when asked about India’s objection to the use of ankle bracelets on the duped students of Tri Valley University.

It’s correct, the visa and immigration laws should take their own course but radio-tagging students like criminals? No, not done. What would Obama government have done if similar incident would have occured with Americans in India?

Valayar Ravi, the Minister of Indian Affairs has said the students should not be radio tagged as they are heavy and are difficult to carry? What? It is  not a question of whether they are heavy or light, the point here is that radio-tagging is done of criminals who are on parole and not of students who are there to study on legal visas.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has told media that a criminal investigation is underway into visa fraud at Tri-Valley University. ICE says all visa holders will be treated fairly under the laws of the United States, with a full range of procedural protections.

The best tha US government can do in this situation to maintain harmonious relations with India is to send the students back here and ask the University to refund their fees as the fault lies purely with their Education system.

Ravi Matah

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