Webstory Desk
On December 12, a 17-year-old girl jumped in the river Jhelum from Jamia bridge and committed suicide. After 5 days of extensive search by teams of SDRF, army, police and local fishermen, her body is still untraceable
Since the family was poor financially and her widowed mother was the only one working nonstop to provide for her children, her relatives claimed that the girl was depressed and suffering from anxiety. They claimed that the depression due to pitiable condition of family led her to commit suicide.
The girl’s brother has a serious kidney condition and is bedridden. The children’s father passed away in 2009.
The youngster has been taking medication for almost three years for sadness and anxiety.
Although Sopore has got dozens of NGOs, self help groups, auqaf committees and bait-ul-malls established locally and has been claiming to assist the poor of the society, however this family was neglected by one and the all.
The mother of the girl is left caring for her sick son. She has even now pleaded with the public for financial assistance because she is unable to cover the costs of her son’s medical care and medication.
On social media, we are witnessing extra efforts being put to assist economically weaker sections of the society by clicking pictures and distributing kits but on the ground level we have families that are depressed enough only to find refuge in commiting suicide.
Although suicides can’t change the status of poor but it does put a question mark on our society. Is there anyone who is helping the poor or it’s just the photo sessions, social media posts and tall claims by people, groups about helping the needy around.
This incident forces us to introspect and dwell deep in order to move forward with a concrete plan as how to help such people and how to protect teenagers from committing suicides.
We need to question ourselves as what made the teeenage girl to commit suicide? Poverty, depression due to poverty or absence of timely support by people and groups who claim to work for the destitute and needy.
In a nutshell, one must blame himself/herself for this sin. We failed the teenager, we failed the family. We forced her to commit suicide. We forced her to commit this sin. We are sinners. You, me, the neighbor, the relative, the non governmental agencies, auqaf committees, the state and the religious preachers- rather everyone among us is responsible for this.
