Family and Friends Overwhelmed By Support for Indian Classical Dancer Shot to Death in Missouri
- Amarnath Ghosh, who was proficient in four dance forms, was pursuing his Masters in Fine Arts in Dance at Washington University in St. Louis.
Family, friends and well-wishers of Amarnath Ghosh are overwhelmed with the support they have received since their friend, a classical dancer from India, was shot dead in St Louis, Missouri, last week. “We’re incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received for Amarnath’s funeral fund,” they wrote on a GoFundMe page. “Thanks to your generosity, we’ve reached our goal and have enough funds to cover all funeral expenses.” Additional funds will be used for “honoring Amarnath’s legacy — whether it’s supporting a cause dear to his heart or establishing a memorial,” they wrote, adding that they “want to ensure that Amarnath’s impact continues to be felt positively in the world.”
Ghosh was on an evening walk when he was shot multiple times by an unidentified assailant. The Kolkata-born-and-raised Ghosh was pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Dance at Washington University in St. Louis.
The Feb. 27 incident was first brought to light on March 1 by Indian television actress Devoleena Bhattacharjee. “My friend #Amarnathghosh was shot and killed in St louis academy neigbourhood, U.S. on Tuesday evening,” she wrote on X. She sought help from the Indian embassy in the U.S., Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying friends of Ghosh tried to claim his body but there had been no update on it. She also shared that Ghosh was the only child in his family. His mother died three years ago and his father died when he was a child.
Meanwhile, the Consulate General of India in Chicago issued a statement stating that it is actively pursuing the case, engaging with forensic experts, conducting investigations, and collaborating with law enforcement authorities.
An alumnus of the renowned Kalakshetra Academy in Chennai, Ghosh was proficient in four classical dance forms — Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri and Kathak, according to his website. He honed his craft under the tutelage of mentors such as Bobita Dey Sarkar, Sri MV Narasimhachari, and Padma Sri Adyar K Lakshman.
He also learned and performed Rabindra Nrita and Rabindra Sangeet in the Shantiniketan style. “He seeks to bring the richness of Tagore poetry down south and inspire young adults and children on the strength of the beautiful evocative poetry of Tagore,” his website said.
His uncle told the Press Trust of India that Ghosh, who hailed from Suri town in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, migrated to the U.S. last year “to follow his dancing dreams.”
His dedication and talent in the field earned him recognition, including a National Scholarship for Kuchipudi from the International Cultural Ministry and the Nritya Kanak Mani Saman from the International Dance and Music Festival, New Delhi.
Over the recent past, he participated in the Thirumanthiram festival conducted by the World Tamil Epics Research Association, Malaysia. He also gave lecture demonstrations and art appreciation programs at various venues in India and abroad.
Ghosh’s killing is the most recent casualty in the list of attacks and hate crimes against Indian nations and Indian Americans here. At least five Indian students were killed or died mysteriously in the past two months. Vivek Saini, an MBA student was hammered to death in Georgia, while Syed Mazahir Ali, a student from Hyderabad, also faced a brutal attack while returning home in Chicago.
(Top photo, Amarnath Ghosh/Facebook. Inset, Devoleena Bhattacharjee/X)