As exams are approaching, we know it is not only the kids but also their parents who are under extreme stress. The increasing competition and tough economic situations make parents more stressed than ever for their kids.
All parents want their kids to have a better future than their own. This pushed many parents to discipline their children, sometimes even more than the children could take. In such instances, we sometimes put our naive kids at the risk of taking extreme steps without putting a lot of thought about the consequences.
One such heartbreaking incident happened recently in Kolkata’s Regent Park area as a class 10 student allegedly committed suicide after being scolded for spending more time on the mobile phone than on studies ahead of board exams.
As per the India Today, police shared that Dolon Das, a class 10 student of a city school, was to appear for the Madhyamik examination in February. But she was found hanging with a dupatta from the ceiling of a room in her house in Regent Park’s Anandapally area on Monday evening.
According to the police, the girl had a fight with her mother as she scolded her daughter for not studying for exams and rather being busy with her mobile phone.
During the fight, the phone got damaged as the mother tried to snatch it from her daughter and it fell. Post which, the girl locked herself inside a room – a senior officer of the Kolkata Police said.
The officer added:
“After repeated banging, when Dolon did not open the door, her mother informed youths of a local club who had to break-in and found her hanging from the ceiling.”
Though locals rushed her to a nearby hospital, it was too late. While the investigation is still underway, it is heartbreaking to see how our dreams of making our kids successful can stifle them in their childhood.
Also Read: Don’t Miss Me, I Am Not Worthy: IITian’s Suicide Note Is A Haunting Reminder For Every Parent
Academic stress is one of the major reasons for increasing suicides in India, especially among those aged 15 to 29, and the pressure continues beyond college. Stories of successful students securing high marks and salaries make the headlines and play a significant role in parents pushing their children to do the same.
It’s not uncommon to see students stressed, anxious and under pressure in a society that believes in keeping students in check by pushing them beyond their limits toward higher achievements.
At IFORHER, we are mourning the death of this young girl and hoping her parents would be blessed with enough courage to accept the ugly reality of their daughter’s death.
We request every parent to save their kids from becoming a victim of this epidemic. We suggest every parent to proactively take steps to understand how fragile their children’s mental well-being is. And, before scolding a child for any disruptive behavior, we request parents to analyze the reason behind any such behavior and take actions accordingly.
We need to remember that our kids are ‘humans’ with their own desires, dreams, aspirations, and potential. And, we can’t be projecting our unfulfilled dreams on our child. We need to stop forcing our child to do something which we couldn’t achieve. She/he is not a tool to fulfill our unaccomplished aspirations and desires. She/he is different.
Let them know that irrespective of what they achieve or not achieve, you would love them anyway. And, whenever things will go wrong, you will always be standing right behind them. You’ll always have their back!
R.I.P Dolon, You’ll be missed!