Historically high unemployment has taken a toll on Indian community in Georgia in the US which is home for about 96,000 Indians. The targeted attacks and robberies taking place on Indians have fueled apprehensions and insecurity among Indians in Georgia and community leaders have come forward to safeguard them.
Tony Patel, state committee member, Democratic Party of Georgia and treasurer, North Fulton Democrats and State Representative Candidate District 47 (2008), said, “We are concerned about the rise in targeted attack on Indians and have met the authorities over this issue. Unfortunately, the current economy has resulted in historically high unemployment rate. The situation has increased the socio-economic divide among many Georgians and is the root cause of an increase in crimes. While it is true that several Indian families were affected in Georgia, the same situation can occur among the Indian population in other states as well.”
As Indian-Americans belong to the affluent class of immigrant population, they are becoming target of robberies and attacks due to rising unemployment and recession in the US. In the wake of rising targeted attacks and robberies taking place on Indians in Georgia, the community leaders have come out with a set of recommendations for Indians to be alert and aware. The leaders have met the local police departments which in turn are assisting some Indians to learn to use weapons for security reasons. “Based on my discussions with the Alpharetta Police Department, they have increased police surveillance in and around the areas where these crimes occurred,” said Patel.
Reportedly, Indian-American communities in other parts of the US like Virginia and New York too have been target of robberies. Indian-Americans are among the fastest growing immigrant groups in the US. According to the 2010 Census results, the Indian population in the US has increased exponentially over the past few years to become the second largest population group after China with 2,846,914 Indian-Americans.
With an average annual growth rate of 10.5%, Indian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the US. “We have recommended to Indian families to be aware of their surroundings, be watchful of unknown persons and report any suspicious vehicles or activity to the authorities with pertinent information,” said Patel.
Reportedly, Indian-Americans living in Roswell, a suburb of northern Atlanta, are being helped by the local police in receiving gun training, which they believe would help protect them from robberies.
