Saying no to suicide

That 40-41people terminate their lives every day, according to recent police data, in this country should send a chill down the spine. The very word 'suicide' has a story behind and that certainly is not very positive. People by nature are more epicurean than ascetic. But then what pushes one to take one's own life? Sure enough, every individual puts a premium on life. Yet emotion gets the better of reason or lust for life. 

In his poem Aat Bachhor Ager Ekdin, poet Jibananda shows how the protagonist was obsessed with death even though his wife was sleeping beside him, so was the child. He was blessed with love and there was hope and yet what apparition appeared before him? He felt the urge to bring an end to his life right at the time the moon of the fifth day of the lunar fortnight took leave. Yes, it can happen. There is everything a man or woman can want and still he or she feels the emptiness of life, the dreadful void engulfing his or her existence on this planet.      

What is highly alarming is that the prevalence of taking one's own life is the highest in the age group of 13-19 and girls outnumber boys in committing suicide. This shows that girls find this society more adversarial than their male counterparts. Members of this age group are usually very sensitive and unfulfilled desire or rejection can be fatal for them. The weaker sex of this age group is ill at ease in handling their emotion. 

In societies where girls and women are regularly subjected to lascivious attention and suggestive comments, some of the young ones cannot take those lightly. Those who suffer sexual abuse at an early age, curse their fate for arriving in this world as the female of the human species. At some point they find no meaning in living an inferior life and take the ultimate decision. In several cases of sexual violation, the victim girls have taken their lives either immediately or within days. The trauma they suffer compels them to end their lives. Even girls are married off against their will and the bitter experience of early marriage also leads them to their self annihilation. 

If the emotional overtone is a strong cause for suicidal death, there are other compelling reasons for similar tragedies. This country is now experiencing one of the most contrasting living standards. While a few people are enjoying the benefits of wealth creation, the rest are struggling to barely survive. But the outrageous consumerism is unashamedly exhibited all around in which the underprivileged have no share. The nation misses the disturbing news of spouses opting for poisoning their children first and then ending their own lives by hanging. Terminated workers reach to a point where they have no money to buy food for even their children let alone for themselves. In desperation they kill their little ones before they bid adieu to this hostile world. 

Ever since the Covid 19 rampage, the meaning of life has changed. Even during the coronavirus scourge, humanity made its presence felt against overwhelming odds. Generosity was in full display without expectation of any return. But this cannot be said about the post-Covid time. People started to be more selfish than ever before. In the name of making up for the losses suffered during the stalking of the germ, industrialists and factory owners started reaping undue profits, pushing up inflation. In many cases, employees were retrenched and offered a smaller salary package to the retained employees. 

While inflation was raging, loss of employment or its retention at reduced remuneration sent more people down the poverty line or on the edge. The social division has turned more yawning and more families are becoming pauper. Those who have tried everything to have a ground under their feet and still have nothing to fall back upon, either joined in desperation criminal gangs or take their own lives. Frustrated students of universities are also ending their lives when the mental stress is much too heavy. 

They need counselling or involve with social works by forming their own student groups and cultural associations. Once they become so active, they learn to love life and fight frustration. Meanwhile, a counselling cell should be put in place at every educational institution. It has to be assigned to watch over students' mental state for counselling. As for the families with no provision, their identification by the local bodies is a must. This way they can be brought under social safety nets.

nilratanhalder2000@yahoo.com

_Erratum 

_{The headline of the editorial in the December 28, 2025 issue of The Financial Express was erroneously printed as "Ensuring expeditions commercial justice". It should have been "Ensuring expeditious commercial justice". We regret the inadvertent mistake.}