On Friday night, a doctoral student in the engineering program at Duke University was shot to death in his off-campus apartment (thanks, Zuni123). The parallels of this tragic crime to the LSU murders cannot be ignored; like then, our tip line is the conduit for confusion and frustration over another senseless murder. Via The Raleigh Chronicle:
The victim has been identified as Abhijit Mahato, age 29, a Ph.D. engineering candidate who was from India and was studying in the United States, Duke University officials said on Saturday afternoon.
“He was found by friends who came by the apartment to check on him Friday night,” said Kammie Michaels of the Durham Police Department. Mahato was pronounced dead on the scene when police arrived, say police.
Durham Police said they do not yet have a motive for the shooting. Their investigation is continuing…
Mahato, originally from Tatangar, India, was studying for an engineering doctorate degree focused on computational mechanics at Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering. He was in his second year in the program, says the school.
Larry Moneta, Duke’s vice president for student affairs, said the university has begun “reaching out” to Mahato’s friends and to his family in India, as well as to Indian and other international students on campus. It is offering counseling services and has begun considering appropriate ways of commemorating Mahato’s life.
One way they didn’t commemorate it was by finding it a happy opportunity to test a school safety feature.
Here’s how the victim’s adviser, Tod Laursen described him:
“He made friends very easily and always had a smile on his face,” Laursen said through Duke University. “Our research team was particularly close to Abhijit. He was very well read in both poetry and literature, and enjoyed conversation with others about what they were reading.”
More about a stolen life:
On his website at Duke, Mahato said his hobbies included reading books, playing chess, and photography.
Before coming to Duke, Mahato worked for two years for the GE Global Research Center in Bangalore, India where he focused on finite element analysis, a computer-simulation technique used in engineering.
Mahato earned his mechanical engineering degree from Jadavpur University in India in 2001 and a master of technology degree from the Indian Institute for Technology in Kanpur in 2004.
Mahato was very proud of his Indian heritage and seemed to enjoy talking about his hometown.
“My upbringing was in Kolkata; the City of Joy, the city of intellectuals, and much much more,” said Mahato on his website at Duke. “My native language is bengali. We, Bengalis, have a very distinct and rich culture.”
Mahato’s website is here. May his memory be eternal.
In the words of Ash : “Good. Bad. I’m the guy with the gun.”
113 · louiecypher said
Everybody owes their surrounding community something. No man is an island. Anybody who says they “made it on their own” is either narcissistic to the point of solipsism or a liar or both.
Yay, I finally found people on this thread who have managed to rival my perennial idiocy and threadjacking on all posts
Or to paraphrase:
“I’m funny dammit, nothing can stop my dead-ication to snide jabs.”
BTW, Krav maga locations : http://www.kravmaga.com/schoollocations.asp
Nala,
NYC. Spent a few months in the Bronx by Castle Hill, two years in Elmhurst/Corona and a lot of time in Flushing not far from Lattimer House and the old RKO Keith and then elsewhere….(not necessarily in that order) I also spent much of my formative years riding the NYC transit line to one of those far-flung magnet/specialized schools. (about 3 hours round trip) (does my ghetto pass, pass 😉 )
All in the early to mid 80’s.
I didn’t realize what I had started. My whole point was that DBDs and ABDs could and should take reasonable precautions so that they aren’t an attractive target. Make it difficult for the predator/bully/thug. At the end of the day, options do become limited when faced with numbers or a weapon, turn over the cash and call the cops. As to alleged desi or asian meekness, whether true or not, that perception should spur desi individuals and desi groups to be extra vigilant in defending their legal rights, property, life and pursuit of an American dream so that no one thinks that it will be easy to take advantage of them. Whether that means calling the cops, starting suits, creating neighborhood watches, writing the Durham mayor, learning self defense or seeking Indian consulate intervention to assist in forcing larger organizations to act responsibly.
What I’d really like to see is a bunch of gun toting skinny-ass engineers (DBD or ABD) start robbing those who might prey on them. 🙂
The last line is just a joke. Seriously, don’t get any ideas.
Thanks for that link HMF
Harbeer, I’m not from the Houston area so I wouldn’t know, although I do admire your efforts to read my posts so carefully and provide links to my previous ones. Where can I learn to be such a dedicated cyber warrior like yourself?
Since you are paraphrasing my paraphrase of your comment, I guess you are just describing yourself, which would be appropriate given your using this thread to air your usual racial/regional hatred. And great taste in the pun you used, by the way.
But in case this was another of your misfires and you intended to describe me, there is nothing snide about my jabs. I thought I have been pretty direct in calling you a bigot and an idiot, and I apologize if I haven’t been clear about it.
It seems that the intern is busy with his/her day job, which has led to the thread going in the directions it has. Anyways, thank you to HMF, JGandhi, Amitabh, and all those people who have contributed to the train wreck of this thread with their diverse contemptuous/patronizing stereotypes, and I am sorry for my contributions by trying to engage them on these issues on this thread.
On a personal level, all I can hope Abhijit’s loved ones are able to recover from such a shattering loss.
thought I have been pretty direct in calling you a bigot and an idiot, and I apologize if I haven’t been clear about it.
Yes you have, what you haven’t been clear about is why. I apologize for repeatedly exposing your lack of will power in refraining from engaging in sarcastic jabs, while simultaenously sh*tting yourself as you attempt to inject some seriousness to your commentary.
I hadn’t realized websters was amended:
bigot – n. whoever rahul deems as one.
I am sorry for my contributions by trying to engage them on these issues on this thread
You’re sorry for being yourself? Guess I would be too.
And great taste in the pun you used, by the way.
You’re the one continuing on that brazen path, don’t blame me for pointing it out.
On a personal level, all I can hope Abhijit’s loved ones are able to recover from such a shattering loss.
And I hope they feel as much pain as humanely possible, and maybe double it by the nights end.. That’s what a bigot and idiot is supposed to say, right?
I also lived in the Elmhurst/Corona area for a few years… But that was in the 90s, the 80s must have been a lot tougher. And three hours?? You’re such a nerd, even for an ABD martial Punjabi. 😛
306 · Johnny Valker said
You can start by bowing to your master. Pwned!
307 · Rahul said
I can’t wait for a Mutineer to put up a new post that will start another tangential flame-war.
And Get Well Soon to the SM Intern…
Some opinions are best left unspoken, or saved for a better time. I apologize for my contribution to this. Which is not say that you don’t have your obnoxious moments, Rahul.
Amitabh, I get your point but at the same time it’s almost like saying those two NRI women on New Year’s Eve attracted the mob towards them with their own attitude and demeanor. In fact, that argument has already been made regarding that case, and it continues to be made about other women. So then what stand should we take when it’s a man being targeted?
Yes, bring out the word “bigot” from the liberal bag of tricks, dont leave out the other word “racist”, or is that played out? When everything fails the liberal brings out the old “who you going to believe me or your lying eyes?”.
Amitabh, I respect you, because you are honest about and reasonably consistent in your beliefs, even though I don’t usually agree with you. Its not a question of whether the opinions are unacceptable / not PC (actually how lame DBDs are is a fairly common topic on SM), but this was certainly not the best time.
Keep posting.
I’m sure I do, and I also know that I have been sharper-edged of late, but do call me out on it if it is unjustified. Sometimes, things spill over between commenters when they shouldn’t.
(Also, I disagree not just with the timing, but also the correctness of your DBD stereotype, much as it is conveniently positively reinforced by observation bias, but I am sure there will be other threads we can discuss that.)
Yeah, I didn’t mean to say that your opinion is correct, just that you are entitled to your opinions.
By you I meant Amitabh. Way too many posts to finish one thought. Anyway, I am done here.
By the way, I will just speak for myself because I have made some statements that might be lumped with similar statements but not quite the same. I feel really bad for the victim and I do not think he deserved it in any aspect. I span both the ABD and DBD communities having been born here but lived in India too. Hell, I had glasses not too different from Abhijit’s when I lived in India(long time ago when thin lenses were not common yet). But I do know that a guy with even a gun will more likely try to pick on someone with meek body language over someone who looks like he will do something about it either during or after the act. I bring up these points not to pile on the misery of the victim’s family but to highlight some hard realities that future potential victims need to be aware of. Perception can lead to reality. If thugs perceive that we are weak, it doesn’t matter if the individual person targeted is really not that weak. They will go after him or her. This is why I get a little impatient when I see stories like this and the aftermath of the Satendar Singh’s case. I wish some of the more experienced Indian students help out the newer Indian students in such matters.
Protection money is not uncommon in the desh and many DBD students dont get too worked up over it. Does anyone know if DBD students can legally buy guns outside of Walmart. As someone said ‘god did not make all men equal, mr colt did’. If one has to die why not die fighting. Hey, that is the slum dweller in me talking. If the word on the street is ‘Indians shoot first and ask questions later’, it might stop the small time crims from shaking desis down.
But I am surprised that sepia/ANNA hasn’t yet blogged about 2nd murder
Stop attacking ANNA, there are more then one blogger on this website, yet they all attack ANNA for some reason.
Only GC holders & citizens can legally buy guns in the US. The irony will be that the DBD students will be arrested by the police for illegally buying guns to protect themselves from the people the police should have been protecting them from in the first place. And most ABDs who are politically active tend to be anti-gun ownership.
Why most ABDs. Bloody shame that there guns are mostly illegal in Australia. Damn lil Johnny.
can they get a special exemption on the grounds of apprehended violence.
You are wrong. There are a lot of conservative Indian Americans. I am on the liberal side and even I am not against gun ownership. Do not confuse wanting strict background checks with anti gun ownership. I do not see how a background check will prevent a DBD from getting a gun.
louciecypher, you would enjoy the clinical programs at the B-schools and law schools of Yale, Stanford, and Berkeley, then 🙂 While I love community & econ. development clinics, I do think it helps for specific kinds of universities to consider throwing some of their CDC-funds towards the communities they occupy.
Roger, I’ve really appreciated and enjoyed your posts. I don’t think many of the posters here are anti-academic; oftentimes our comments re: Yengineers, i-bankers, lawyers and doctors are tongue-in-cheek. Not that those professions are “academic” 😉
Amitabh, I second sakshi (#315) — please keep posting.
This thread is actually really interesting and thought-provoking if you just ignore all the HMF posts & responses. I’m glad that it’s still open.
The thread is actually really interesting and enjoyable
Camille – CDC? Center for Disease Control??
Sorry, nala, I was being wonky. CDC = Community Development Corporation.
320 · melbourne desi said
clearly, as this story shows, easily available guns for all is the answer.
I know it’s a lot to hope for– too much, perhaps–that you might attempt to demonstrate civility and perhaps step up from time to time to moderate your selves, if you see– as you did— that we are unavailable, but after four years of Sepia Mutiny, on a thread about a murdered student, I stupidly assumed that such a desire for successful, unsupervised discussion could be an expectation rather than an experiment in wistfulness.
I agree there are conservative/pro gun ownership desis. The NRA’s Director of Public Affairs is of Sri Lankan origin I believe. However it has been my experience based on the ABDs that I had queried on the subject of gun ownership that most are on the side of outright bans, especially handguns. Anyway I doubt that DBDs arming themselves is going to help in these situations. One would need to carry the gun at all times and not all states permit concealed weapons to be legally carried.
Some DBDs, on the other hand, are known for their love of guns.
Try this (non youtube) page for a change.
Some ABD’s too, like the Gov.
330 · Vikram said
I disagree. I for one favor gun ownership and would support laws that allowed the right to carry arms. The best defense is to let the criminals know you are prepared. If everyone had gun crimes would plummet.
I think these DBD students should be packing. If word got out that desi=armed than crimes against desis would plummet.
Thanks, didn’t know those existed. Even ignoring the silly claims that guns can help defend against terrorist attacks, and even could have protected the Jews from Hitler, I wonder how the self-defense argument applies to the fact that a disproportionate number of gun related deaths in the US are in gang violence, where all participants are armed.
No mere laws needed, we’ve got the Constitution! 😉
Seriously, though, I don’t think that arming ourselves is the best solution–most of this goes to university/local gov’t needs to protect vulnerable populations. Street-level violence is way down in NYC, w/out everyone packing heat.
This isn’t very logical… not that guns kill people, but if everyone had guns, the rate of violent death would increase as every physical altercation would end with a bullet in someone’s head.
Wow, this Krav Maga stuff seems pretty “hardcore”:
Krav Maga generally assumes a no quarter situation; the attacks and defenses are intended for potentially lethal threat situations, and aim to neutralize these and escape via maximum pain or damage to opponents, as rapidly and safely as possible. Crippling attacks to vulnerable body parts, including groin and eye strikes, headbutts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks, improvised use of any objects available, and maximizing personal safety in a fight, are emphasized. However, it must be stressed that instructors can and do demonstrate how to moderate the techniques to fit the circumstances. While no limits are placed on techniques to be used in life-threatening situations, the legal need to inflict the appropriate minimal damage in other circumstances is recognised and stressed.
I’m glad that there are people who know how to do this stuff, but asking everyone to master it is way too Hobbesian for me–I prefer a specialization of labor, where I can securely pursue my brain-over-brawn focussed activities, leaving the hard-core stuff to the cops.
May Abhijit’s family find strength to overcome this tragedy.
Thanks to brown/Umber Desi, WGIIA, amaun, Sakshi and others for helping to inject sanity to this discussion. I understand where Amitabh and JGandhi are coming from (personal experiences, however minor, are especially painful), but to almost suggest that Abhijit was “meek” (not gentle?) reflects misplaced priorities and personal axe-grinding. Amitabh’s remark about ‘ghaas-phoos diet’ was particularly disappointing, this from someone who is as proud of his Indian heritage/culture as Amitabh seems and considering the many virtues of a predominantly green diet.
Melbourne Desi, (I also live in Melbourne, btw) I don’t think the solution is to have everyone turn into cowboys, much as I sometimes feel the way you do on this one.
Nala,
The 80’s were what they were, I didn’t really understand the difference in where I stayed and others lived until I met people from different soci-economic backgrounds at the magnet school. In some ways the whole era should be forgotten, it was an ugly time in America, big hair, Gordon Gekko and trickle down economics.
I fully embrace my nerdy martial self. That’s part of the reason why I visit this site, to only enhance my own nerdiness and be around my brothers and sisters in nerd-dom. However, little did I know, there are some fairly sophisticated and cool characters (I would have said “cool cats” but that would only have confirmed my nerdiness) on SM. SM’s also a lot more dangerous than a naked drunken walk through South Jamaica on Halloween night with all the verbal shanking going on. As for the 3 hours traveling, my father still trumps me with the old chestnut: “Don’t tell me how long it takes to get to school, I had to walk through the fields 10 miles each day to go to school and then after-school I had to tend the field and after that was done, I studied by the light of the dying candle”. So I’ll just keep up the tradition with my own little ones one day: “You are so spoiled, I had to travel 3 hours a day through the crack wars on NYC subway line and you can’t study, you’re not a child of my blood”. Motivation. Based on some of the stories the grad students have posted it sounds like they can trump all stories on the difficulties of having to attend school.
I know this has been explained before, but does being born abroad and then being raised in the US for a good part of my life make me ABD? Maybe I’m a 1.5?
As for this thread, I hope the grad students do review the totality of the thread. There is a display of support for Abhijit and his family, there are some helpful links and a good discussion of some issues that may be common to grad students and possible solutions that they are free to choose. BTW, The gun idea would not be high on my list for many of the reasons stated. Despite the possible legal ramifications for DBDs, a gun is just another tool, if you don’t know how to use it properly, one is more likely to hurt oneself than harm your intended attacker.
I do, however, believe that if a person who could legally own a weapon wanted to purchase one in self-defense and were willing to take the time to learn proper gun safety and storage and take the time to learn how to use it (practice at the shooting range), that’s a legitimate means to defend oneself. That maybe the martial side of my nerd self taking over.
Nanda,
I’m positive that Amitabh and most of the posters weren’t suggesting Abhijit was meek or did anything that contributed to his tragedy. Rather, they were commenting on whether a perception of desi/asian meekness creates a situation where desis in general may be deemed to be easier targets, especially in the context of comments regarding the trouble some grads have with repeated robberies. To be fair, they were also responding to my own query regarding this perception, a query that may not have been appropriate where the subject matter is so sensitive and where it was tangential to the main thread.
Fair enough, if you’re talking about having a gun in your home. . . but in terms of walking down the street with one, and whipping it out (not that you’re talking about that, Jangali Jaanwar, I just want to clarify, on the assumtion that you’re not)–you’re going to run a huge risk of getting into trouble yourself–AFAIK the practical legal sanctions for self-defense are far stronger in home-protection situations than in “street altercations”–if you’re contemplating the latter and want to pack heat for it, please take whatever hits to your standard of living on other dimensions and move to a safer area.
Amen to that! In terms of the anti-DBD nonsense that went on this afternoon, I’m an ABD and as much as I love America, I will confess to thinking/feeling like a bit “more” of a target for crime than your average American. I have been never been a crime victim, and I don’t feel that I live any kind of strangely circumscribed/paranoid existence or anything–far from it, in fact–but it’s certainly legitimate for people to index this concern–whether it’s statistically valid or not I’m not sure, but psychologically it’s there in the back of my mind, not all the time or anything, but in some situations. . . .
Strait out my inbox:
Funniest sentence evah! JJ, I will make sure the shiv in your back is never mine.
Rob,
Your spot on. I completely agree.
Rahul,
Thank you, it is much appreciated. It means one less person to worry about in the showers.
276 · Amitabh said
When I came here (U.S.) for my graduate studies, I was told to always carry a $10 or $20 bill in my pocket. The reason that was given to me was – “you don’t want to piss off a mugger, you never know how they will react when they find that you have no cash”. And this was not my desi friends giving me advice..these were my american born friends classmates.
With this kind of ‘orientation’, what else do you exepct a first yr dbd student to do ?
It should read: “friends/classmates”
Yes, too bad you weren’t around to tell those “silly” Jews in Warsaw in ’43 to lay down their weapons since their meagre arsenal would only delay their inevitable fate at the hands of the far superior German forces. Better to line up meekly for their dose of Zyklon-B. Sorry I don’t have a youtube link.
I am glad this discussion took place. I mean that. The DBDs I hung out with did the best we could for a semester. Remember, this was the late 80s. No Indian student assoc at this place, International student org existed but wasn’t staffed to handle the issues we had, and no RA/TA money. We did provide feedback to the Intl Student Org the reason for transferring out. Knowing what I know now about law enforcement we would have done things differently.