Mandar Apte

Finding Inspiration Post Olathe…Moving From Fear To Nonviolence

The recent murder of an Indian-American has sent shockwaves of sadness and fear throughout the entire Non Resident Indian (NRI) community in the United States. The media reports of this tragic hate crime in which a 51-year old resident of Olathe, Kansas shot two Indian engineers Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani and good samaritan Ian Grillot who attempted to prevent the shooting at a local bar appear to record the first reported racial bias motivated fatality in the United States after the bitter Presidential election. Srinivas was only 32 years and has lost his life because of the erroneous belief of a fundamentalist!

Find The Gandhi Within

The tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (MSD) High School in Parkland, Florida, an affluent suburb, was a stark reminder that violence in America is not limited to certain neighborhoods but can happen anytime, anywhere. The activism of the students that followed was humbling. The overwhelming support from across the country for their call to action #March4OurLives was soulful. It was a signal for us adults to come together, transcend our differences and take steps to stop the senseless violence and promote compassion and nonviolence.