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Tragedy for 32-year-old software professional from Telangana
Mohammed Nizamuddin, was shot dead by the Santa Clara police in California, US, after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a knife.
But beneath the surface of the immediate tragedy, lies a darker and sordid tale of relentless and sustained racism and infinite mental torment and cruelty Nizamuddin had been suffering, almost on a daily basis. The incident occurred on Sept 3, but his family learnt of his death only two weeks later.
He graduated from Florida Institute of Technology and was a software engineer for a major company.
Sometimes when things go wrong contrary to all expectations, then the best of dreams can turn into the worst nightmares. This is equally true of the much hyped ‘American Dream’, a metaphor often used to describe the United States of America as the “Promised Land of Golden Opportunities”.
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Perhaps this was particularly true when the stark horrors of devastation, upheaval and despair loomed over Europe in the aftermath of the First and Second World Wars that triggered wave after wave of immigrants – a vast majority of them Jews – flooding the shores of North America as refugees, seeking deliverance and a new life
Although written as a tribute to the Statue of Liberty, American writer, poet, translator and activist Emma Lazarus’s (born July 22, 1849 – died Nov 19, 1887, aged 38), poem “The New Colossus” aptly echoed the sentiments of immigrants filled with trepidations of what life would be like in this new, uncertain world.
At the base of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, inscribed on a plaque, lines from that immortal poem still perpetuate the ‘American Dream’, although somewhat faded now with time: “……. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me …..”.
Incidentally, the significance of this message is still not lost because the first thing that approaching boatloads of immigrant refugees see in San Francisco Harbour is the Statue of Liberty.
Software professional from Telangana Mohd. Nizamuddin, shot dead by US police in California, had moved to the US in 2016.
The Spectre of blatant racism
But now take a look at the case of Mohammed Nizamuddin, a 32-year-old software professional from Mahbubnagar, Telangana, India, who lived and worked in Santa Clara, California, United States, since 2016, which stands out in stark contrast.
His life was tragically cut short, reportedly with four bullets after the US police intervened to stop a brawl between him and his roommate, according to the police.
The incident took place on September 3, but his parents in Hyderabad, India, learnt about the tragedy only recently, after about two weeks.
Police version of events
Although the US police rushed the deceased to the local hospital, Nizamuddiin could not be saved.
Police chief Cory Morgan in his statement said the brawl had escalated dangerously. When they forced entry into the house the police found Nizamuddin atop his roommate, with a knife poised in midair, ready to strike again.
“Based on our preliminary investigation, we believe the officer’s actions prevented further harm and clearly saved at least one life,” Morgan said. Two knives were recovered from the scene of the inciident.
But beneath the surface of the immediate tragedy, lies a darker and sordid tale of relentless and sustained racism and infinite mental torment and cruelty Nizamuddin had been suffering, almost on a daily basis.
Two weeks prior to this tragedy, Nizamuudin wrote about his despair and misery, in what is said to be his last social media post on LinkedIn, perhaps a desperate bid to seek justice, a frantic cry for help; from anyone willing to listen and respond.
His message says,”I have been a victim of racial hatred, racial discrimination, racial harassment, torture, wage-fraud, wrongful termination and obstruction of Justice.”
He further said: “It did not end there. They continued their harassment, discrimination and intimidating behaviour. My food was poisoned, have been wrongfully terminated from my job, and now I am being evicted out of my current residence for fighting against the unjust.”
“They are the trouble makers and oppressors behind the current chaos, not me. It is happening with me today, and it can happen with anyone tomorrow”.
“Today I decided to raise my voice against all odds. Enough is enough, white supremacy, racist white American mentality has to end,” he had added.
“I ask the world to do the needful in demanding justice against the oppression and wrong-doings of people involved. I totally understand I am no saint, but they need to understand they are no God,” he had added.
Nizamuddin’s family in Mahbubnagar is struggling to come to terms with the incident and the delay in receiving official information. “We just want to bring him home and give him a proper burial,” his father said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is expected to take up the matter with US authorities.
Emma Lazarus (born July 22, 1849 – died Nov 19, 1887, aged 38) was an American author of poetry, prose, and translations, as well as an activist for Jewish and Georgist causes. She is remembered for writing the sonnet “The New Colossus”, which was inspired by the Statue of Liberty, in 1883. Lazarus was involved in aiding refugees who had fled antisemitic pogroms in eastern Europe, and she saw a way to express her empathy for these refugees in terms of the statue.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pravasi Samwad. Pravasi Samwad is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented.
