Recently board results were declared in India. Sad news is that at least 20 students have died by suicide in Telangana itself possibly due to poor performance. Similar incidences were reported from other states also. Apart from the board results, every year we come across the news of students committing suicide because of their failure in competitive entrance tests like IIT-JEE. Such news repeats itself every year, only the statistics changes. Such incidences pass largely without significant emphasis or prominence in the public discourse. It also does not occupy the central stage in the public debates and the policy making.
In our society, students’ suicide, housewives’ suicide etc gets sidelined over political issues and is not taken with the seriousness it deserves. Whereas farmer’ suicides take precedence in news reporting owing to their political nature, as farmers are a major voting sector during the election season. Political will in India is informed by electoral logic and this population lot (farmers) is significant for the electoral schema of any political party. Also, public perception exists that farmers’ suicides are the most common form of the malady. It is partly due to media’s emphasis on this vulnerable group as it exposes the inaction of political class and also because it resonates with the livelihood issues of larger section of our population. However, in this case also, suicide as an issue in itself gets neglected. It perpetuates a narrative that reduces suicide to a manifestation of economic distress. This portrayal fails to sufficiently explain the cause and spread of suicide and does not even address the all important question of its prevention.
Take the example of unfortunate suicide of Rohit Vemula. Although this suicide case galvanised a political wave, the public outburst and widespread media attention were simply against the rampant discrimination against lower-caste Dalits. It couldn’t bring the core issue of suicide to the fore and was sidelined in the agenda of electoral politics.
Let us concentrate on the issue of students suicides (especially 10th and 12th). Here I see the failure of India’s education system. Every year, we see skyrocketing number of high-scorers at the school level. It’s absolutely good to be thrilled over these incredible scorecards, but I wonder if it really gives the true picture of students’ abilities. I don’t know how the written words can be perfect one, especially when it includes subjects like arts, sciences, and languages.
When the same students start preparing for competitive exams, they see a reality check on their abilities and often they can’t tolerate this. Consider the example of Kota, which is considered to be the coaching capital of India and gradually becoming suicidal hotspot for such students. Based upon these almost-perfect scores, parents burden their kids with unrealistic goals and heap unrealistic praise. Rather than boosting their self-esteem, it gives a false sense of self. It puts pressure on kids and can lead to crippling fear of failure or rejection. Unable to cope with failure and being apprehensive about letting their family down, a growing number of students choose to end their lives. It exposes the emotional cost at which we are making our students chase the family’s expectations beyond their abilities. Also, kids are pampered a lot nowadays. The perception that being unhappy is an abnormal condition creates a lot of inner turmoil. They don’t know how to confront emotions like sadness, frustration, guilt, disappointment etc and hence, not able to comprehend that facing such emotions is a part of learning life skills.
Today’s generation has immersed themselves in the fascinations of digital world (smart phones, social media etc). It let them escape uncomfortable emotions like boredom, loneliness, sadness etc. Apart from avoiding discomfort, it has also taken away the opportunities to develop mental strength, and they didn’t gain the coping skills which are needed to handle everyday challenges. Take the example of social media. Rather than bonding with real people, kids turn to this virtual world of social media. Although it gives the breadth of friendship on the social network, it does not provide the same depth of intimacy as in the real bonding and gives a false sense of connectedness.
Coming back to the Kota case, there is another psychological reason to it. When these students arrive in the city, they suddenly find themselves landed amid unknown people and also being devoid of emotional or moral support from parents and the peer students. In addition to the feeling of being stressed and pressurized, it’s also difficult for them to strike a close bond of friendship when lakhs of them are competing against each other.
Media reporting is also a contributing factor in making suicide as a socially and ethically justifiable option (in students’ mind) to cope with the failure. Apart from the disproportionate coverage to farmer suicides, it’s reporting is quite irresponsible and inappropriate. It includes detailed descriptions of suicidal acts like reporting unusual methods of suicide; showing pictures or information about the method used; covering celebrity suicides through sensational/dramatic headlines etc. It normalizes suicide as an acceptable coping medium to emotional crisis, leading to imitative suicidal behaviours.
They find it quite difficult to cope with failure and at this crucial juncture in life, families or social institutions are not able to provide them adequate support or solace. Seeing no other option, they contemplate of suicide. In my opinion, the desire to remain with loved ones always remains stronger than the desire to leave this world. And most often suicide is a sudden emotional outburst and an instantaneous decision. Thus, lack of emotional support base during this period is a critical factor in taking one’s own life. Suicide is a complex issue where socio economic, culture, family and psychological causes are intertwined. It asks for a multi-sectoral action and collective efforts from all stakeholders including the immediate family members, public health planners, policymakers, administration and NGOs.
The administration should issue guidelines to schools, coaching institutes etc. such as weekly off to students, fees refunds (in case they want to withdraw from the course after realizing their true potential/career option), facilitating recreational activities (for example, sessions on yoga, meditation and spiritualism can provide mental equilibrium and solace at times of depression) etc. There is also a need for regular monitoring to ensure strict compliance.
The panacea for this also lies in raising awareness about mental health and life skills education and these topics should be incorporated into the school curriculum. If children are not aware of these disorders in their formative years (when they are likely to experience more stress and emotional turmoil), how can they be able to cope with it or seek help? The emphasis should also be on the need for better parenting during emotional crises. Humiliations meted out (or just a thought of it) in schools or in social circles are also among the other factors because of which students tempt to opt for suicide. Educational Institutions should recruit trained counsellors and mental-health professionals who can assist students at the onset of emotional and mental problems so they do not escalate into full-fledged major depression problem and lead to suicide.
Recently, an IAS officer shared his report card on facebook and advised kids against committing suicide. It sends a strong message that parents/kids should not get trapped in this number game of marks and should comprehend the fact that marks are just a passing phase and it’s not the final stamp over anybody’s calibre. There are other meaningful things to aim for and students should not get disheartened or lose hope, because failures are often the stepping stones to success.
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