TISS to review suicide cases : Thorat

Addressing a public gathering organised by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP),both State Education Minister Thorat and Minister of State for Education Fauzia Khan urged students not to take such drastic steps.

“According to statistics,around 16,000 committed suicides in India between 2004- 2006. Around five to six suicides occur a day in the country. This is alarming. One out of six children is clinically depressed,” said Fauzia Khan. “Every parent wants their ward to specialise in engineering or medicine. In this scenario,a child comes under tremendous pressure. There should be need-based curriculum after SSC.”

The jam-packed auditorium of the Nehru Centre witnessed students,parents,teachers,principals and counsellors raising questions on the current education system.

“Students are bogged down by homework as well as tuition classes especially when exams are nearing. A child does not have time to play or participate in any extra curricular activities. Also with the lack of space,many schools cut down on extra curricular activities,” said a parent at the gathering. The minister said a proposal had been sent to include yoga,singing,dancing in the curriculum.

Navneetham Nadar,mother of a 16-year-old girl Mary Nadar who committed suicide on January 9 was present at the function. She urged students not to take such a drastic step as her daughter did. “My daughter was a bright student but missed her father who died eight years ago due to cancer. I have come here to tell parents to give ample time to their children,” said Nadar who is now the sole survivor in the family.

Recollecting the last moments with her daughter she said,“My daughter had her HSC exams and on that day she touched my feet for blessings. She also kissed me but little did I know that was the last touch. Before leaving the house for exams all she said was she was missing her father.”

Girl jumps to death
A seventeen-year-old class XII student of Chembur High School and Junior College,Jyoti Gangaware,allegedly committed suicide near her house in New Bharat Nagar in the early hours of Wednesday morning,police said. Jyoti’s father,two brothers and a sister were asleep in their house when she stepped out locked the door from outside and jumped into a nearby well,said officers from the RCF police station where the case has been registered.

Her body was discovered later in the morning when her family members started searching for her after not finding her in the house,police said,adding her body was later retrieved from the well. Police suspect that her suicide might have been a result of a love affair gone sour.