Alarming Suicide Rate

Life is among the precious bounties almighty has bestowed to every individual. While living a life, an individual gets a chance to have an imaginative look over different colours almighty has put in his creations. He makes thorough observations of living and non-living components of his immediate environment. The glorious Quran isn’t the book of science but a book of signs. These signs invite man to realise the purpose of his existence on earth and to live in harmony with nature. In fact many countries of the globe have given the “right to life” a fundamental status in their written constitutions. When an individual lives a stress free and dignified life, he finds a unique amenity in his life. On the other hand when a person leads a displeasing life , it ails him a lot and most often he thinks of ending it without waiting for the actual destined death date. It not only puts his parents in distress but among social circles also the alarming suicide rate is a matter of grave concern. For last couple of weeks we have seen many incidents of individuals either attempting to commit a suicide or have completely ended their lives due to one or the other reasons. Committing a suicide is strongly prohibited in Islam but still we can’t check the alarming suicide rates merely by giving sermons about it’s prohibition. Finding the reasons and fetching the solutions of the problems can certainly minimise the suicide rates among our youth. If our young generation continues to take such extreme steps in their lives, the day isn’t far when we shall be completely helpless to save our future. Past few weeks we have seen many young and middle aged women attempting to jump into Jehlum river at Srinagar. A couple of them were restricted by the alert security forces there, for which they were rewarded later on. At famous Aharbal waterfall of Kulgam district, a woman was saved from taking the extreme step few days ago by the people who too had gone to visit the waterfall. Every other day we hear young people committing suicides due to one or the other reasons. In this digital age when we are living our lives luxuriously and due to advancement in science and technology we are living more comfortably, but still the underdevelopment of our overall personality is the major cause of increasing suicide rates. There are dozens of other reasons as well which further contribute to the hike in suicide cases.
Domestic violence of both the sexes post marriage is the major cause of this evil. Many instances of married women and men taking extreme steps have been reported from every corner of the valley as well as country and when the cause was sought it revealed the domestic violence. Just a week before a heart wrenching viral vedio on social media of a lady from Zungalpora village of Kulgam district shocked every individual possessing a human heart. A big proportion of male community also become the victims of domestic violence post marriage, due to which either they end their lives or continue to survive amid highest level of mental trauma. Parents expecting top positions or cracking the tough competitive exams from their wards is putting them in psychological depression due to which they are forced to end their lives instead of hearing the dictates of their parents.
Lack of employment opportunities particularly the government jobs among the highly qualified youth is also the biggest reason of increasing daily suicide cases.
Annually thousands of youth are leaving the colleges and universities after finishing their higher education and when employment opportunities are least, their aims and purposes of their lives see a deviation. They feel highly bored and consider themselves as a burden both within the home as well as in the society. Lack of employment avenues for the youth is also a cause of increasing suicide rates. Since the outbreak of COVID pandemic and declaration of national lockdown, children, youth and old alike got least opportunities for outing to venture out in order to relieve themselves of the psychological burdens. Human population have been caged within the four walls due to which even their mental horizons have been put under artificial pressure and stress. It has further put people in depression. Squeezing the income avenues and switching over to virtual mode of day to day businesses and even the online mode of education of children has certainly contributed to increasing suicidal cases. Family property disputes among siblings have also been found to be the reason of suicide on certain occasions.
Young unmarried boys and girls develope wrongful relations among themselves. Use of social media and unnecessary mobile phones have eased their way of making wrong online friendships. For years together they enjoy their youthful days, roam and wander in gardens, parks and other public places. With the result their bond of illegal relationship gets further strengthened and when either of the two express their willingness to make it life-long in the form of tying the nuptial, their parents get shocked and deny the same. They utilise every effort and source to pursued them but when no results are yielded, they take this extreme step.
The biggest of all the reasons for alarming suicides is our nonadhearance to the sacred teachings of almighty Allah and dear Prophet(saw). We have deviated much from the path of truth. Had we been strictly following the Islamic way of life, we would have been much better than what we are seeing on daily basis. In Islamic way of life there is permanent and everlasting solution for every problem which a man would encompass in life. So the rate of suicides can be best checked and wisely minimised if we follow the holy teachings of our dearest Prophet (saw). We find boys, girls, engineers, doctors and businessmen taking these extreme steps but no case of a Hafiz Quran or religious preacher has till been reported. In fact we can’t find peace of mind by accumulating huge wealth or trying to succeed in worldly affairs but only in the remembrance of almighty Allah. Glorious Quran says “Indeed we have created the Jin and humans but only to worship us”. The famous Urdu couplet strikes my mind……
Na duniya se na dawlat se na ghar aabad karne se,
Tasali dil ko aati hai khuda ko yaad karne se.
Teachers, preachers, students and civil society groups must come forward to play their role in protecting our young generation from taking such extreme steps.
(Author teaches at Govt Secondary School Anderwan Ganderbal.Views are his own)
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