Chennai: Another teenage student ended his life in Tamil Nadu, the sixth such case in the last few weeks in the state. The latest case involves a class 12 male student who ended his life at his home near Karaikudi in Sivagangai district.
"A case has been registered and we're investigating. His autopsy was completed. The body was handed over to his parents," Karaikudi DSP Vinoj was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. The incident happened less than 12 hours after a 17-year-old student died by suicide at her home in Ayyampatti village near Sivakasi on Tuesday evening.
The girl came home after school in the evening. Her grandmother had gone out for a brief period and after coming back she found her dead. The locals informed the police who rushed to the spot to recover the body. Virudhunagar district SP said that the officials are investigating the matter. On the same day, a teenage boy was found dead near a railway station in the Nellai district in what was suspected to be another suicide case.
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So far six teenagers, including five girls and a boy, have ended their lives in the last two weeks. Earlier on Monday, a class 12 girl was reported dead in Tiruvallur district in her hostel room attached to a government-aided school, police officials said. The girl's body was taken to the Tiruvallur government medical college and hospital for postmortem. Police claim she took the extreme step during the wee hours of Monday.
The incidents come against the backdrop of violence witnessed on July 17 in Kallakurichi district in the state following the death of a girl student. The 17-year-old girl was studying Class 12 in a private residential school in Chinnasalem's Kaniyamoor area, about 15 km from district headquarters Kallakurichi. She was found dead on July 13 on the hostel premises.
In some other parts of the state, allegations of teachers beating up students and parents protesting against it by staging demonstrations have also been reported following the Kallakurichi incident. Director of the state-run Institue of Mental Health, Dr P Poornachandrika, pointing to recent incidents involving suicides, said that such copy-cat behaviour should be halted by following guidelines.
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All stakeholders, including schools, colleges, or parents, should have a watchful eye over suicidal tendency and take timely steps to prevent it, she said. A parent said many schools still continue the practice of corporal punishment or exert 'unacceptable pressure' on students only to produce 'excellent results'. Requesting anonymity, he claimed teachers on most occasions are in a tearing hurry to complete the syllabus and do not take care to see if students have really understood the subjects that were taught.
A teacher of a reputed city school said both the teaching and student community are 'today facing a pathetic situation'. For the past 2 years, students were confined to their homes due to the pandemic. They were promoted to higher classes with bare minimum effort on their side. They had reduced the syllabus. "Most of the students spent this time in leisure. Now, it is not the case. They have full portions. They have to attend physical classes," the teacher, who has over 25 years of teaching experience said.
DISCLAIMER: This news piece may be triggering. If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or call the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.
