THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE)
(a) to (h) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (H) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 7
REGARDING “ SAFEGUARDING INDIANS FROM RACIAL DISCRIMINATION†TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.06.
According to the enquiries made by the Government from the concerned Ministries/
Departments and the Indian Missions abroad, there have been no cases of racial
discrimination against the Indian students in St. Petersburg or in any other country
during the last two years. Similarly, no case of racial discrimination against any
Indian IT entrepreneur working in the United Kingdom or the Netherlands or any other
country has come to the attention of the Government so far.
There were, however, two unfortunate incidents of attack against Indian
students at St. Petersburg in Russia a few months earlier. Shri Nitesh Kumar Singh,
a 6th year student of I.I. Mechnikov St. Petersburg State Medical Academy was attacked
on a road by some masked persons on September 24, 2006 in the evening hours when he
was returning from a nearby grocery store. Despite the seven stab wounds on his spine,
Shri Singh could walk to the hostel. An ambulance was called by other students and
he was taken to the hospital where, unfortunately, he died.
The officials of our Consulate in St. Petersburg immediately contacted the
police and hospital authorities and asked them to take urgent action to probe this
incident. The second incident relates to Shri Kishore Kumar Anjangi, a 5th year
student of the same Academy who was stabbed in the throat on April 19, 2006 in front
of his hostel. Fortunately, he survived the attack.
Our Embassy in Moscow and the Consulate in St. Petersburg have taken up
the matter with the Russian authorities. They have initiated a criminal case in
connection with the above murder of Shri Singh and arrested one suspect who is
being investigated. As a result of the intervention of our Mission, the Russian
authorities have taken several measures – posting round the clock guards, police
patrol cars, mounting surveillance cameras and emergency alarm systems - to enhance
security in and around the university and hostels where Indian students study and live.
In addition, our Mission in Moscow has posted an advisory on their website
highlighting security risk for Indian students in Russia and advising them to be
vigilant and exercise due caution and prudence in their movements. Ministry of External Affairs has requested our Ministries of Health and
Human Resource Development and the Russian Embassy in New Delhi to ensure that Indian
students planning to study in Russia are adequately briefed on the security risks they
are likely to encounter in Russia to enable them to make an informed choice.
It should be added that the above attacks are not directed against Indian
students only; such attacks have also occurred against foreign students from other
Asian, African and Latin American countries in St. Petersburg. Though some media
reports describe these attacks as racially motivated, the local authorities refuse
to call them as racist and consider these as acts of hooliganism.
As per Russian law, it is mandatory for all foreign students to have medical
insurance. The insurance cover depends on the kind of policy obtained by each student.
However, enquiries made by our Mission in Moscow indicate that most students have
medical insurance coverage that includes transportation of the body to India in the
event of death. The body of late Shri Nitesh Kumar Singh was sent to India. The
insurance company bore the expenses.
Indian commercial banks are extending education loans to students for studies
in India and abroad. Some of these banks have offered different insurance coverage
along with the education loans in association with insurance companies.
