Counselling need of hour to curb suicides among youth

Vijayawada: Four students committed suicide in four different cases in and around Vijayawada due to various reasons in the last 10 days. The irony is the victims including a 14-year-girl student, who ended her life at home in Chitti Nagar, old city when her parents were away from home in Chennai.

Two students living in hostels committed suicide in Eedupugallu and one in Agiripalli mandals. An MBA first year student jumped into Krishna river after he had dispute with his father.

All these incidents happened in less than 10 days in the city and suburbs. These students left behind agony and sadness to their families forever.
These incidents show how the students are vulnerable and ending lives due to small reasons.

A 14-year-old girl was afraid of her mother because she was talking to her friend over phone two days. The girl was studying in a reputed convent and befriended with a boy. She was panicked as her mother would know her friendship with a boy and committed suicide by hanging from the ceiling in Chitti Nagar area of old city. The tragic incident occurred when her parents went to see her sick brother studying in Chennai.

In another case, a 17-year-old intermediate girl student died in Sri Chaitanya college in Eedupugallu village under Kankipadu mandal. She came from Anantapur district to pursue long term NEET coaching. But, she ended her life due to personal reasons. Her father is a farmer and shocked to find the death of his daughter.

Board of Intermediate Education is conducting counseling in the hostels to prevent suicides, said B Udaya Lakshmi, Commissioner of Intermediate Board of Education. The Intermediate Board has appointed teams with the staff from education department, revenue and other departments and asked to visit the hostels to conduct counseling to check the suicides. She further said the Board is levying penalty of Rs 50 lakh on the hostels, where students commit suicide.

The Board has taken the decision in view of nearly 10 suicides took place in the hostels across the state in November and December 2017. Teenagers take the extreme steps due to excess stress, ignorance, lack of courage to face problems and personal reasons like love affairs, she added.

Commissioner of Police D Gowtam Sawang has decided to conduct awareness programmes in the colleges and hostels to educate students on the importance of life and to embolden youth to face problems courageously. He said the city police have appointed Mahila mitras, mahila mitra co-ordinators and falicitators to help the girls and women.

Boys too are committing suicides due to frustration and depression and sometimes in a fit of rage. A first year MBA student Nagur Basha had jumped into Krishna river after he had dispute with his father on February 4.

His father Mastan Basha and other family members were shocked with the unforeseen incident. The victim hails from poor family and been living in Darsipeta, Patamata. He felt disappointed when his father asked him to concentrate on studies or to do some job to help the family.

In another incident, an engineering third year student committed suicide in Agiripalli. The student was staying in hostel and ended his life due to love failure.

Noted psychiatrist Dr Indla Ramasubba Reddy felt the college managements should conduct special counseling classes to prevent the suicides. He said teenagers are very sensitive and take extreme steps quickly. He said parents should also keep an eye on the activities of their children and try to spend time with them, he suggested.

By Md Ameen