We have seen numerous lives of little ones going away because of studies; student suicide rates are rising everyday. We have heard many people saying that if we don’t study we won’t grow up, if we don’t study we won’t earn money to fulfil our dreams and if we don’t study we can’t earn our meal.
All of these statements are true but the thing is that when these statements get out of hand and pressure the students mentally and when we don’t meet up with expectations it turns into depression. For this reason, we see so many students committing suicide at such a young age when they are ought to chase their dreams, go for adventures and enjoy their life to the fullest.
Recently, we saw that how Kanimozhi, a girl student of Santhampadi village of Ariyalur district in Tamil Nadu ended up her life just because she got 562 out of 600 in her plus two examinations. According to her parents, she was very unhappy with her marks and was scared because she thought that she won’t score well in her National Eligibility cum Entrance Examination (NEET).
Her parents comforted her in every way and tried to cheer her up but due to mental depression and extreme stress, she thought it would be wise to end up her life! But why, 562 out of 600 is a pretty good mark according to me, sure she could have done better in her NEET, if she would have fought the battle instead of escaping or running away. She could have accepted it and studied more to be among the top rankers of NEET this year. She would have been in newspapers if she would have learnt her loopholes and start working on them instead of ending up her.
We even saw that how 19-year old Dhanush ended up his life a few hours before the examination. But why? What are the reasons for which the young and fresh youth are giving away their life? Today, in this article we will discuss the reasons or the causes of such unpleasant happening, when to seek help if you see such students, some facts of suicidal students, facts and risks of this, what laws should all the students know and whom to reach out for help.
The Causes For Student Suicides in India:
In the year 2019, India recorded suicide of 10,335 students in a year, which is the highest number of suicide committed by a student in the last 25 years. It is believed that students were committing suicide every hour in that year. So what are the causes for so many student suicides in India? Let’s talk about the reasons:
1.Failure To Achieve Their Goal Marks:
Failure is the most crucial part of Student Suicide in India, this is because students mostly set up an expected mark but when they fail to achieve them they get into depression and mental stress and then end up in life. Many of them work on their loopholes and tries to do better the next time, but few of them go into depression and they feel like they are worthless, they can’t ever do anything in their life.
Just like Kanimozhi, Soundarya a 17-year-old girl killed herself just because she felt dejected after giving her NEET, she thought that she will not score well. There is absolutely no reason to end up a life, this is absolutely no reason to give on their dreams and leave the world. She had a choice to either fight or flee from the battle and she choose to flee. This is how failure plays such a crucial role in students suicide.
2.Strict Parents:
Strict parents play the most important in a student’s suicide. We have seen parents pressurize their kids at a very young age. I have seen many instances when the kids of classes 1 and 2 are getting beaten just because they did not get an A grade in the class. They send them to understanding so many things at a time.
They spend so much money and enrol their kids in institutions like Akash, Fitjee and many more. They think that if they study to the best teachers and in these institutions then they will be first in class. But sadly, that is not the case no one thinks about the kid how he /she tries to manage things so that his/her parents do not get angry at them and beat them up. This way they get scared when they get poor marks in class and thinks that it would be the best way to escape from the beatings and the scolding.
3.Choosing The Career Forcibly:
We have seen many people are forcibly studying for a career which they don’t want to. I have seen many people in 11th grade who have wanted to opt for Arts Or Commerce stream but had to choose Science Stream and this happens because their parents force them to. This is not only present at School Level but also at the College level.
Even, Kriti, a girl from Tamil Nadu also had to end up her life just for this reason. In her suicide letter, she said how her mother wanted her to be an Engineer and she even secures a seat in IIT but this was not her dream so she committed suicide.
Seriously, this has to be stopped immediately there should strong legal laws against it for these parents because they can’t dictate the dreams of their child. The child is capable enough to understand and chase her own dreams.
4.Poor Education System In India:
Yes, the education system in India is good but it has a lot of loopholes. I bet many of you have heard of the term ”Sir/Ma’am did partiality while giving the marks” and in fact, it is a true statement teacher gives marks with preferences. There are many teachers who give good marks because they tutor the particular student, they give marks on the basis of how good the kid is in the class.
Of course, they give marks on knowledge, but in the majority of cases, we will see they give marks on preferences and this, in turn, causes depression to those students who get fewer marks and they get into depression and kill themselves.
5.Not Speaking Up:
The majority of these suicide cases happens because of not speaking up or loneliness. These kids don’t get the courage to meet up to the eyes of their parents as they get poor marks. If they get bullied or ragged they don’t speak up about their problem. They start confining themselves and get into extreme depression and this becomes harmful after a certain stage and they commit suicide.
This happened with Anjali Anand also who committed suicide because she got scared as she got poor marks and ended up her life. Addressing her parents, she wrote in her suicide note that she is killing herself because she does not know how to meet up their eyes with these marks.
When To Seek Immediate Assistance?
- When they threaten or talk about knowing they will harm themselves
- When they are looking for firearms or other means of killing themselves
- The subject of death, dying, or suicide is mentioned or written about
What Is the Suicide and Suicidal Feeling Rate Among Students?
According to recent studies, three out of every four young people die by suicide between 15 and 24. 10.3% of college students reported seriously considering suicide in the past 12 months, according to a recent national survey. These are not how it should work every school and college should have a counsellor or psychiatrist, whom students can approach when they have such thoughts.
Here are some facts about suicide:
- Suicidal persons are usually trying to live, yet cannot see an alternative to their problems.
- Suicidal individuals generally give warnings of their intentions, however other people may be unaware or unsure of how to respond.
- Someone who talks about suicide is not automatically suicidal.
- Although a person may talk about suicide (express his/her feelings), that does not mean that he/she is no longer at risk for suicide.
- Suicide attempts usually attempt to solicit attention, not harmless expressions of distress.
Are There Any Warning Signs?
Yes, there are warning signs given away by the victim, which are as follows:
- Gradual decline in academic performance
- Feeling depressed and moody all of the sudden
- The hopeless state
- Death-related preoccupation
- Feeling agitated or anxious
- Anger or rage that cannot be controlled
- Participating in risky activities
- Distancing themselves from friends and family
- Does not pays heed to appearance and hygiene
- Drinking and using drugs more than usual
- The act of giving away valuable items
Which Factors Are Associated with Suicide?
- An addiction to drugs or alcohol, or depression and other mental disorders
- The combination of stressful life events and depression may increase the risk of developing depression
- A prior attempt at suicide
- Families with mental disorders, addictions, or suicides
- If he/she has a history of abuse or violence in the family
- Armed with a firearm or with lethal medications
Laws That Every Student Should Know!
1.Article 21 (Right to Life) :
The right to life (Article 21) guarantees that no one, including the Government, can take away your life. By making laws to protect you, the government is required to take appropriate measures to safeguard life.
In addition, the Right to Life requires the government to take appropriate measures to protect you if your life is in danger.
You should also consider the right to life when authorities make decisions that could put your life in danger or affect your chances of living long.
You may be entitled to an investigation if a member of your family dies in circumstances involving the state.
2.Article 21A (Right to Education):
The Right to Education Act (RTE) was passed by the Indian Parliament on August 4, 2009. Article 21 (a) of the Indian Constitution stipulates that education for children between the ages of 6 and 14 is to be free and compulsory.
In the Right To Education Act, the accessibility of education is made a fundamental right of every child between the ages of 6 and 14, and it specifies minimum standards in elementary schools.
According to this law, all private schools must reserve 25 per cent of seats for children (to be reimbursed by the state as part of the public-private partnership program).
Additionally, until a child completes elementary education, he/she cannot be held back, expelled, or require to pass an examination.
3.Article 14 (Right to Equality):
The Indian constitution gives equal protection to all Indian citizens within its territory under the Right to Equality (Article 14). Every person residing on the territory of India is subject to this law, including citizens, corporations, and foreigners.
4. Article 19 (1) (a) (Right to Information):
In India, the Right to Information (RTI) Act establishes the right to information as a fundamental right. Parliament passed this Right to Information on June 15, 2005, and it came into effect on October 12, 2005.
According to the Right To Information Act, any Indian citizen can request information from any public authority, and that authority has to respond to the citizen as soon as it can or within thirty days.
The information must be provided within 48 hours if it involves a petitioner’s life or liberty.
Does suicide have a chance of being prevented?
Definitely! Psychotherapy has been found to be helpful in treating suicide in certain cases. Suicide-related symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, can also be treated with medication. Help is available if you need it. Do not feel alone!
The following resources can be used to prevent suicide:
- American Association of Suicidology- The American Association of Suicidology, also known as AAS, is dedicated to understanding suicide and preventing it.
- Half Of Us- Across the world, millions of people are affected by mental illness. The young are especially vulnerable, with half of the college students reporting that they were too stressed to function during the past year. As a result of mental illness, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people ages 15-24.
- IMAlive -This is an online crisis network. Founded by 100% trained and certified crisis intervention volunteers
- National Center for Injury Prevention and Control- Injuries and violence are prevented by the Injury Center at the CDC. As the nation’s leading authority on injury and violence prevention, they are well known for their work. To keep people safe, healthy, and productive, we use science to study the best ways to prevent violence and injuries.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline- Their goal is to help you keep living no matter what problems you are facing. You can reach a trained counsellor at a crisis centre in your area, 24/7, by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
- Suicide Prevention Resource Center-Dedicated to promoting the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention, SPRC is the only federally funded resource centre for suicide prevention.
- The Jed Foundation- As the nation’s leading organization promoting emotional health and preventing suicide, The Jed Foundation safeguards the mental health of college students across the country.
- ULifeline-This online resource provides information about mental health in college. This site includes a helpline for those with more serious mental health issues, such as suicidal thoughts, and instructions on how to help a friend.
What Is The Solution To Student Suicide In India?
My opinion is that parents and teachers need to start attempting to understand the capabilities of their children. If we simply pressurize them and blame them for their poor academic performance, we will only make their lives more miserable. Their suffering will make them feel lonely and make them suffer in silence. They may gradually develop depression if they are lonely and under stress at the same time.
Indian Legal System should have proper laws to protect these students and secure their future as it is absolutely not an age to die. Proper measures should be taken against those who push the kid in this scenario.
Students must realize that suicide is not the answer to their problems. Their lives are not the only ones devastated by it. You can find help out there! Counsellors, psychologists, and even close friends are willing to aid them in coping with their situation. Every school and college should have a counsellor and or a psychologist so that these students can reach out to them whenever they feel low or have suicidal thoughts.
So whoever is reading this article, it is my earnest request that if you ever have suicidal thoughts, seek help. There are so many NGOs, counsellors and psychologists out there who would like to hear you out and help. Talk to your parents about your problem. If that is not an option then talk to your relatives or friends. You don’t need to bottle up your emotions rather have a talk with others, they will understand and help you.
Remember something you are precious and your life matters. You might have loopholes, work on them, take them as a challenge and fight against them. Don’t flee away.
